HOW TO SPEND TIME IN BURMA

Choosing how to spend time in Burma can be challenging because it is such a large country – in fact it is almost three times the size of the UK. Whilst much of the country is still off limits to tourists there is still so much to see and do that you could spend two months here and not see everything.

However, we know that most of you probably have two weeks – not two months – and we can help craft the perfect itinerary to decide how best to use your time.

If you have two weeks we would recommend seeing the following highlights:

Bagan is the ancient settlement that has really put Myanmar (Burma) on the map. With more than 2,000 historic stupas, temples and pagodas spread over an enormous area, you really have to see it to believe it.

Yangon is where many start or finish their tour so it’s easy to build in a day or two. You can see the colonial architecture of a time gone by and visit the remarkable Shwedagon Pagoda, which can be seen sparkling from almost anywhere in Yangon.

Inle Lake is an impressive freshwater lake, more than 13 miles long and resembles a vast silver sheet, reflecting the sky like a mirror. Wait until you see the local fishermen who use unique fishing techniques with baskets and row with their legs!

Ngapali Beach is one of our favorite beaches in south-east Asia, a big sweeping bay with stunning boutique hotels that blend into the palms trees behind. Bliss.

Once you’ve got these staples into your tour you will have time to build in some wonderful extra destinations – you may wish to visit Mandalay in the north, which has some wonderful sites around it including the iconic U-Bein Bridge as well as being close to Hsipaw, which offers tremendous trekking. Perhaps you’d like to do some trekking in Kalaw near Inle Lake where you can also wash and feed retired elephants that have been rescued from the timber trade? Or head down south to one of our favorite areas and go kayaking through magical karst-like scenery and explore some of Myanmar’s most impressive caves.

Now is the time to visit this extraordinary land of golden spires, majestic temples and barely-touched Myanmar beaches. Expect to see wandering monks (who are the A-list celebrities here), water buffaloes grazing in beautiful scenic landscapes and a local population that still dresses traditionally, yet to be exposed to western ways.

Myanmar, or Burma as it was previously called, has only recently opened its doors to tourism after the political situation shifted in 2010. The result? A wonderfully unadulterated country with some of the friendliest people in the world who are still a little surprised to see tourists visiting their land. Of course it won’t be like this forever, but for now it might just be the last undiscovered jewel of South-East Asia.

You can spend months travelling Myanmar and have sampled everything on offer; from cruises on the Ayeyarwady River to luxurious, boutique beach hotels and basic rooms off the beaten track. Or you can watch the sunset over Bagan from the lesser-known temples, eat a freshly cooked Burmese lunch in a family home on stilts over Inle Lake and take the best of the rickety, rocking train journeys which cut through Myanmar's most scenic countryside. So come and enjoy your time in Burma.