Moldova Tourism Center » Articles About Moldova

EU What? - Nearly two thirds of Brits can’t identify half the countries in Europe

avimoldova — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:35:31 +0000

Although more than 55 million Brits travel to Europe each year, the majority of travellers hop on and off planes and trains with no idea about where they are going, ie: the exact location of their destination within Europe. Research commissioned by the UK’s leading accommodation website, LateRooms.com, showed that 63 per cent of British adults can identify less than half of the countries in Europe. Worryingly, many British adults could not find the most popular European destinations on a map, including Switzerland (45 per cent), Spain (15 per cent), France (11 per cent) and Italy (8 per cent) even though the majority have visited at least one of these countries on holiday.

The most popular European destinations that we love to visit…but don’t know where they are:

1.81 per cent couldn’t locate Costa Brava 2.63 per cent couldn’t locate Costa del Sol 3.53 per cent couldn’t locate The Algarve 4.37 per cent couldn’t locate Ibiza 5.28 per cent couldn’t locate Normandy

Perhaps this is not surprising, considering that more than half (62 per cent) of UK adults confess that they don’t even check a map to see where in Europe they are going before travelling to their destination. 16 per cent of adults (the equivalent of 7 million) admitted that they can’t even remember when they looked at a map, 8 per cent of adults (the equivalent of nearly 4 million) last looked at a map when helping their child with their homework and 4 per cent confessed that the last time that they looked at a map of Europe was in a school geography lesson.

But it’s not just the geography of Europe that’s puzzling Brits, 60 per cent thought there were less than 30 countries in Europe (there’s at least 47!) and an uninformed 19 per cent didn’t even realise that Britain is part of the European Union.

Many respondents hadn’t even heard of some countries - more than one in ten (11 per cent) believe that Iceland isn’t in Europe (8 per cent thought it was part of North America) and 13 per cent think that Moldova is somewhere in Asia, South America or Africa.

Alan Gilbert, Professor of Geography at UCL, comments: “Despite the ease of modern travel in Europe, people’s knowledge about the world has possibly declined; it has certainly not improved. Today, many people do not know where major rivers flow, the names of capital cities or even whether countries are in Europe, Africa or Asia. Of course, the world is now a much more complicated place, for example, there are now many more countries, but our lack of knowledge about the world is surprising given that we now have instant access to information about virtually everything.

Since almost all of us have also travelled somewhere, one would have expected interest in foreign places to have increased. But, apart from the minority that takes their travelling seriously, it seems that most people simply get on a plane or bus and trust that their travel company will deliver them to a hot beach and a cold beer somewhere or other.

It’s important to familiarise yourself with European maps to ensure that when travelling, we’re making the most out of this wonderful continent.”

Least Known European Destinations (Percentage of adults who could not locate the following countries on a world map):

1.Lithuania (81 per cent) 2.Slovakia (80 per cent) 3.Romania (78 per cent) 4.Ukraine (71 per cent) =4.Croatia (71 per cent)

Tony Walsh, Development Director from LateRooms.com, comments: “With Europe being such a popular holiday destination for us Brits, it’s quite astonishing that so many people were unable to identify popular holiday resorts, such as the Costa Brava and Costa Del Sol. The increase in budget airlines has meant travelling to an array of destinations is a lot easier - meaning hopping on and off transport without actually looking on a map to see where you’re going is becoming the norm. As the research shows, a lot of us clearly need to brush up on our geography.”

Regional Differences The Welsh are the most ‘geographically challenged’ about the countries situated in Europe - an embarrassing 40 per cent of Welsh people didn’t know that Montenegro was a European country (11 per cent more than the national average of 29 per cent).

Almost a third (32 per cent) of Scots have spent a holiday on the Costa Del Sol but 22 per cent couldn’t locate it on the map and a further 18 per cent couldn’t name Spain’s capital city.

Similarly, although Yorkshiremen like to travel to France (71 per cent have visited there at least once), 17 per cent of people from Yorkshire can’t find France on a map of Europe and more than a quarter (28 per cent) didn’t know that Britain is part of the European Union. In fact, people from Yorkshire proved to be the biggest party animals in the UK with more than a quarter (27 per cent) visiting Ibiza, compared to a national average of just 19 per cent.

Londoners are best prepared for travel - almost half (42 per cent) always check a map to see where they are going before setting off to a European destination.

Age Gap Wisdom does come with age: a worrying 37 per cent of 25 to 34 year olds didn’t know Britain was part of the E.U., compared to only 13 per cent of those over 55 years.

However, the average 55 plus traveller believed there were only 27 countries in Europe, compared to the average under 25s who were closer, guessing 33 countries.

Gender Differences Women were worse at identifying countries on a map, with 15 per cent of females struggling to even find France compared to 8 per cent of men. One out of ten women failed to recognise the distinctive shape of Italy, compared to 6 per cent of men.

This perhaps come as no surprise, since one fifth (20 per cent) of females can’t remember the last time they looked at a map of Europe, compared to 12 per cent of men.

Tiraspol, Transdniestr (Republic of Moldova)

avimoldova — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 22:08:03 +0000

Transdniestr (aka ‘Transdnistria’, aka ‘TransD’, aka ‘The Cuba of Europe’) has never been particularly fond of visitors. Indeed, if the Transdniestr border guards didn’t have a vested financial interest (bribes) in allowing visitors to pass, the area would probably be inaccessible to all but the most determined of souls. Transdniestr is a narrow strip of land covering only 3567 sq km on the eastern bank of the Dniestr River. Squashed between Moldova and Ukraine, it was the scene of a bloody civil war in the early 1990s when the movement for independence from Moldova began. With Tiraspol as its capital and independent in all but name, this ‘country’ has its own currency, police force, army and borders. Its population is predominantly Russian, with ethnic Ukrainians and a much-harassed Moldovan minority.

So why go to Tiraspol? Well, if you have any curiosity about life in Soviet times, it’s a living museum.

If you’re one to believe anecdotal evidence a visit to Transdniestr, particularly for a solo tourist, is guaranteed to feature one or more of the following: bribes, questioning while trying to exit, suspicion from or outright ostracism by locals and possible detainment.

So why go to Tiraspol? Well, if you have any curiosity about life in Soviet times, it’s a living museum. While there are a few forlorn sights and the celebrated Kvint brandy factory to visit (but not tour), the real attraction is just walking the streets and taking it all in. It’s as bizarre a sensation as you’re likely to encounter without a time machine.

In the weeks before my trip I’d absorbed several stories from other Tiraspol visitors. Some reported being followed by poorly disguised members of the Ministry of State Security (a modern KGB). One guy had been detained for speaking English, another for giving blankets to the poor. I’d never been so anxious about a trip in my life, but duty called. A guidebook needed updating.

My companion and translator was Tanya, a Moldovan journalism student keen to shadow a Lonely Planet author and learn about the electrifying tedium of road research. I have Tanya to thank for, well, everything.

They hinted they might turn us away because we’d violated a recently instituted rule about visitors needing letters of invitation.

At the initial checkpoint, we dodged the first imaginary infraction (’You’re supposed to stop there, not there!’) because the officer noticed that he and Tanya shared the same last name. Minutes later we were surrounded by eight grim guards at the Transdniestran ‘border’. They hinted they might turn us away because we’d violated a recently instituted rule about visitors needing letters of invitation. Tanya bluffed us through for a stunningly small bribe - US$7 for the two of us - and the sincere promise that we wouldn’t leave our ‘friend’s apartment’ (a homestay arranged through Your Friends in Moldova) during the entirety of our 24-hour visit.

No sir, we won’t visit innumerable hotels, restaurants, museums, sights and the bus station. Swear to god.

Our homestay ended up being in a surprisingly nice apartment overlooking the main square. While Tanya and the key-bearing babushka stepped out for food, I conducted a previously arranged interview with a Tiraspol resident, a Moldovan ex-pat who relocated to Tiraspol for university and ended up staying to start a family. My loaded questions about the state of corruption and crime in TransD were met with on-message, propagandistic replies about how the saintly Transdniestran government were the victims of Moldovan slander.

Chatty and affable, when told that we were tourists, she sincerely replied ‘I don’t understand’.

In fact, Transdniestr’s president, the generously eyebrowed Igor Smirnov, stands accused of an alarming list of crimes. Allegations of arms dealing and extortion notwithstanding, Smirnov is charged with the undeniable land-grabbing of Transdniestr from its rightful owner, the sovereign state of Moldova. As such he and his entire cabinet, at least one of whom is still wanted by Interpol for murder in Latvia, are banned from entering any EU countries, but not Russia.

Ex-KGB Smirnov was ‘elected’ president of Transdniestr in 1991 following the region’s declaration of independence. With Russia’s mystifying support and Moldova’s lack of resources, TransD has soldiered on ever since as an unrecognised country and international problem child.

With the interview bagged, Tanya and I hit the pavement in the true style of Lonely Planet authors - running.

Tree-lined, wide, orderly and impeccably clean, Ulitsa 25 Oktober is Tiraspol’s backbone and main commercial strip. New boutiques adjoin photo studios displaying hand-coloured portraits from the 1970s. Police stand watch at intersections like overlords, monitoring their minions.

At night, the city is largely deserted, save for teenagers dry humping on park benches. Later we visited Prokhlada, the hippest club in Tiraspol. It was a Friday night, but there were only three people huddled in one corner.
Map of Moldova

The next day was ‘lively’. After tense moments at the first hotel, where one too many questions and my English invoked narrowed eyes and pursed lips, Tanya took over, doing all the talking for the rest of the day. Recalling the guy that was detained for simply speaking English, I hung back silently, taking mental notes about hotels and restaurants which I furiously tapped into my Palm Pilot whenever we found a quiet corner.

Later, determined to dine on ‘dirt-cheap meals that are bland but hit the spot fine’ (according to the previous edition), we were barred entrance to the desired cafe after the owner spied me taking a photo down the street. I gladly struck them from the book. When we visited the Kvint brandy factory to buy a few souvenir bottles, the patently suspicious clerk performed the entire transaction uttering only a single word, ‘ngugh!’, in response to ‘thank you’.

The only person in Tiraspol who was happy to see us that day was the old woman, selling fruit from a folding table on the street. Chatty and affable, when told that we were tourists, she sincerely replied ‘I don’t understand’.

Moldova Implemented Reforms

avimoldova — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 02:15:07 +0000

Moldova has implemented reforms in three important areas such as property registration, contract implementation and taxation, stated the authors of the WB report “Doing Business 2008″, in a direct video conference with Chisinau on Friday. “Moldova is the 17th in terms of contract implementation, the procedures last 180 days which is very close to the best result in the world registered by Hong Kong”, stated Svetlana Bagaudinova, co-author of the report.

At the same time, experts showed that the cost of authorization in constructions is very high, while speaking about taxation system, the companies must perform 44 payments yearly, and the total tax rate reaches 44%.

On the other hand, local experts showed that the methodology applied by the authors of the report covers the general trends, but not how reforms are perceived. They required taking the realities into consideration and consulting the opinion of more experts.

Svetlana Bagaudinova noted that a WB team would arrive in Chisinau to continue discussions. According to the report “Doing Business 2008″, Moldova is the 92nd in a top comprising 178 countries of the world. In the forecasts for this year Moldova was on the 90th place.

Moldova comes in the top immediately after countries such as Vietnam, Seychelles, Island and leaves behind Nicaragua, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Croatia, Uruguay. Moldova, Kyrgyzstan (94), Azerbaijan (96) and Belarus (110) improved their positions compared with the previous report, whilst Armenia (39), Kazakhstan (71), Russia (106), Ukraine (139) dropped a place or more.

According to the report, Moldova registered progress in what regards tax reduction, in particular, the corporative profit tax and social contributions, the taxes related to labor force the companies pay. It adopted a new civil procedure code. On the other hand, employment worsened in Moldova.

The cost of issuance of licenses in construction is still high, although things improved according to the report “Doing Business 2008″. Moldova is among the first fifty countries in the world in terms of property registration and contract implementation.

Moldova is the 81st in the top of the countries with easiest procedures to start business and finance activity depending on the number of procedures, required time, costs of operation and minimal capital. Those who want to start a new business in Moldova should go through nine procedures and will need 23 days for that. With an index a little above the average one, respectively 7 on a 10 points scale, Moldova is the 98th in terms of the measures adopted to protect investors.

Moldova; A Small Wonder And Information On Upcoming Tour To Romania

avimoldova — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 08:01:05 +0000

Moldova or Moldavia as it is officially known in English is not the first stop on most people’s tourist itinerary. This small landlocked country of just over 4 million people is virtually unknown to the outside world. When I came to for a (never-to-be) business meeting in Chisinau (pronounced kishy-now) I wasn’t sure quite what to expect. The travel agent who sold me the ticket, strangely advised me several times to abandon my plans and go somewhere else. Most of my friends and acquaintances were confused just as to where it was that I was going to in the first place.

On several occasions I was asked if I was worried about getting malaria while in Africa, I was also chastised for making up the name of a fake country to protect my anonymity and questioned if the idea to come to Moldova came to me after hearing about it in a Marx Brothers movie.

By now, you might be wondering, just where in the world is Moldova? It is not, as it’s former makeshift tourism board claims a place where you can “spend a varnishing day in the center of Europe.” (whatever the heck that means) Rather, it is about as far east as you can get in Europe. This former Soviet member country is named after the providence of Moldavia located in Romania of which most of it used to be a part.

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I will never forget the first time my plane landed at the Chisinau International Airport. The small commuter plane I had taken from Vienna touched ground and my first view of Moldova on an overcast day was of old Russian-style tanks, soldiers, and guard dogs. I thought perhaps I had accidentally boarded a Con-Air flight.

I confess that I was like a fish-out-of water the entire time during my intended two week stay. Since my original hosts had never showed up, I was totally on my own. I was baffled by the multiplicity of languages spoken. Although barely the size of my home state of Maryland (also abbreviated MD and at about the same longitude - about where the similarities end) there were no less then 4 languages commonly spoken: Moldovan (a dialect of Romanian), Russian, Ukrainian and Gagauzian. I was stopped on the street a number of times and asked the time in the Moldovan language and responded Ya ne gavaru pa rusky. “I do not speak Russian.” Got a lot of strange looks. I ordered “alphabet soup” but later discovered that it was a mistranslation for “tongue soup.” Trust me, bye the way, alphabet soup is better. Much better.

This small country, that I had never heard of before, is in fact three different countries in one. The southern half is the Republic of Gagauzia, where Christianized Turks had settled years ago. They are recognized by the Moldovan government and seem to be at peace with them. Then there is the self-proclaimed Republic of Transdniestria, perhaps the most surreal place on earth. On my visit there (in which my friend and I were rescued in a special mission from the US Embassy - this is another story) we saw what could only be described as a living museum to the Soviet Union. Statues of Lenin were being put up before our eyes, bread lines were long, and we were ticketed for looking the wrong way when crossing the street.

All of that being said, I thought I had saw all I needed of this “Moldovan trinity” for one lifetime. I had my bags packed and was ready for home, sweet home. However, I was soon to discover that I would have been making a colossal mistake.

There was something that I had overlooked. There was something important that I had missed during my two week tour of this fascinatingly “other” country.
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Moldova has no coastline. Moldova has no mountains. Moldova does not possess a year-round pleasant climate. Moldova requires a $60 minimum visa for entry and can’t seem to set up a stable government . Yet, with all of this taken into consideration, I just can’t stop returning to this place! I consider it one of the best kept secrets on earth, in fact. And, I am not alone.

What is it that I had almost overlooked that continues to draw me to Moldova?

It could be the wine that keeps me coming back. After all, much of Moldova is a steppe to the Carpathian Mountain range, possessing the perfect soil for wine production. Moldova produces a variety of excellent wines (which sold in London pubs in Soviet days for about $125 a bottle) that sell for less than the price of a bottle of Coca Cola in local grocery stores. It is also home to the world’s largest underground wine cellars at “Cricova.” A whole underground world, it’s registers in at a whopping 60 square kilometers in size, with streets named after famous wines and medieval style tasting rooms. It is a must for any wine connoisseur. So, is the annual Wine Festival every autumn, organized in conjunction with the Moldovan State, which offers foreign visitors free visas during the time of the festival.

A well-guarded legend, published here for the first time, is that Hawaiian singer Don Ho, who came to Moldova to perform a concert, became so tipsy after a sipping tour of the Cricova facilities earlier in the day that he barely made it through 3 songs before excusing himself from the stage. From what I hear, the easy-going Moldovan concert-goers didn’t seem to really mind.

It could be that very easy-going nature of many Moldovans that keeps me coming back. Their nature is supported by large and frequent concerts that close down much of the main street and that are of course, totally free. You have to appreciate a people and a city that despite all the hardships it has had to face stops traffic regularly to dance the hora and kick back a beer. That’s my kind of place.

It could be the unspoiled village life and nature found just outside the city. If you’ve never been to a real Eastern European village, your missing out on an unforgettable experience. There are few places on earth where people who don’t know you, will slaughter five animals in honor of your arrival and invite the whole neighborhood to drink homemade wine and vodka with you. Moldovan villages are such special places!

In this neck of the woods, bathrooms are still outhouses, outside lighting has yet to be invented, and modern farming technology exists only for the lazy.

But, just when you feel like you could be no further from civilization, you might, like I, hear the familiar tunes of Britney Spears coming from one of the bedrooms of a local child!

I’m not really one for the quiet life though, so maybe this also isn’t the main reason why I love Moldova. I like the night life and fun times. Chisinau is so hopping that the New York Times devoted a full story to Chisinau’s club scene! A half-million dollar, futuristic super-clubs challenge the finest clubs of Western Europe and America. A good example of what one looks like can be seen by watching the Eastern-European club scene in the popular movie “Euro Trip.”

Moldova is a stopping point for refugees who have opened up their own clubs and restaurants, adding an eclectic, cosmopolitan air to the city; this has helped create an excitingly diverse nightlife.

All partying and having fun can, believe it or not, get pretty tiring. So this too is not the reason I am so sold on Moldova.

It could be the gentle air of familiarity found Chisinau that makes me love this place so much. Chisinau offers all the amenities of a big town - restaurants, opera, cinema, clubs, and more, all without most of the hassles that big city life entails. Plus, most everything is an easy walk. And everyone is out walking. In fact, it’s impossible for me to walk in the city for five minutes and not run into two people that I know, even if I haven’t been in town for a year!

Chisinau is a surprisingly clean city and has recently been renovated in the downtown area. One could even say its become posh. It is almost unrecognizable from how it was when I first visited in 2000. While always preserving it’s many layers of rich history, Chisinau is always evolving, always growing, holding new surprises in store for me each time that I return.

I suspect that this is also why almost every ex-pat I have met in Chisinau seems to love it. One ex-pat explained to me that he felt like a member of an elite club. Part of the ‘chosen few’ lucky enough to know about the existence of this place.

But none of these are the reasons that I just can’t stop coming back to Moldova, all though they certainly add to my enjoyment and appreciation of Europe’s most hidden country.

The real reason is actually profoundly simple - the wonderfully genuine and sincere nature of the Moldovan people. Anywhere on earth you will find good people and bad people. That is a given. Moldova, however, seems to have a disproportionate number of good people. I mean really good. Not goody-two-shoe-good but genuine, salt of the earth good. Reliable, trustworthy, friends for life. It’s been said if you can count your true friends on the five fingers of your hands, you are rich. If that’s true, then Moldova stands to make you a very rich person.

Now, you may be thinking, that this is simply my personal experience. It could have happened to me anywhere. It is just happenstance that I met so many wonderful people in Moldova. Maybe you’re right. I can only say that I have traveled to many countries and met many wonderful people and spoke with many ex-pats in those countries. Nowhere have I met as many ex-pats who have told me about how wonderful and open the locals are, and what good friends they’ve made in Moldova.

The people there are less affected by the declining value placed on friendship in the West. When I asked several hundred young Moldovans what are the five most important things in your life the most common replies were “My faith, my family, my friends, love, making a difference in Moldova and the world.” A similar poll in America yielded much more materialistic results from it’s participants. This difference in perspectives affects not only the individual adherents but the society-at-large in profound ways.
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Sure, old traditional mentalities are not always healthy, and Moldova’s growth has been hampered by less positive mentalities which also unfortunately continue to persist. The less wonderful side of Moldova though only helps serve as a magnifier of the wonderful side filled with great people and traditions.

So while the common accusation of Moldova’s being “trapped in the past” may not seem so good and certainly is far from being a totally true declaration, I can only say judging from my experience, I like spending some time “trapped in the past.”

Moldova’s greatest asset in the end is not its wine, its clubs, or the layout of its capitol city. It greatest asset is its people.

They are why you will love Moldova.

Moldova is a true original with a character all its own. It possesses a compelling otherness that will always stay with you and a people who will capture your heart. That is why you too, may end up coming to Moldova again and again.

Moldova makes a great trip from Romania by car or plane and from other European countries via direct flight. It will definitely add a unique aspect to your vacation that most other travellers still don’t know about. You may even decide to stay a little while longer like I did. Most ex-pats I meet in Moldova, in fact, came there for a few weeks, or a few months, a few years ago.

My final advice, if you come to Moldova is to try to buy an airline ticket that has an open-ended return. Odds are it will come in handy.

by Kevin Stillmock