lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

KIMBERLEY COOLE/LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©‘This is Burma’, wroteRudyard Kipling. ‘It is quiteunlike any place you knowabout.’ How right he was:more than a century laterMyanmar remains a worldapart.3(left) Umin Thounzeh (p 229 ), Sagaing Hill(below) Fresh produce at a Nyaung U marketPETER STUCKINGS/LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©stake out a slice of beach on the blissful Bayof Bengal, or trek through pine forests tominority villages scattered across the ShanHills. Dig into the myriad dishes of the localcuisine, from a hearty bowl of mohinganoodles for breakfast to the fermented tealeafmixture that’s a popular finish to a Burmesemeal. Swap cocktails and canapés forsnacks and tea sweetened with condensedmilk at teahouses where you can shoot thebreeze with locals.The Ethical DimensionYou no doubt know that Myanmar is atroubled land. In 2011, following the previousyear’s election, a quasi-civilian governmentwas sworn in and Aung San Suu Kyi,at the time of research, had been releasedfrom house arrest. The tourism boycott thatpersuaded many to steer clear of the countryfor over a decade has been lifted. It’s stillup to you to decide whether it’s time to visit(see p 21 ). Keep in mind that the long-sufferingpeople are everything the regime isnot. Gentle, humorous, engaging, considerate,inquisitive and passionate, they want toplay a part in the world, and to know whatyou make of their world. Yes, this is Burma –come with your mind open and you’ll leavewith your heart full.