This week’s newsletter highlights the largest country geographically in mainland Southeast Asia; a Buddhist country lying between the Tropic of Cancer and the Equator. It is a naturalist’s delight with many bird species, home to tigers, leopards and elephants and was formerly known as Burma. You have probably guessed by now that our newsletter is focusing on Myanmar.

The largest city of Yangon, or Rangoon, is situated in Lower Myanmar between the Yangon and Bago rivers. It remains relatively undeveloped with leafy avenues and colonial architecture from its British Colonial past, which makes English widely spoken as the second language, after Burmese. Trishaws are still a means of public transport in the townships. Yangon is busiest during the Pagoda festivals from November to March when the city is frequented by pilgrims from all over the country. Even if you are not here during Pagoda festival season, a visit to the splendid golden Shwedagon Pagoda is a unique experience. An atmosphere of calm spirituality shrouds the Singuttara Hill on which it stands and while children play and monks sit on the steps in their robes chatting, others are deep in prayer at one of the many shrines.

Better known is the city of Mandalay in the center of the country. Immortalized by Rudyard Kipling, and sung about by Sinatra, it is known as the Golden City, which immediately makes one curious to visit. It is the economic hub of Myanmar, known best for its millionaires, monks and the Royal Palace, which is a sight to behold. The complex has several queen’s chambers, a moat, shady gardens, sheds for elephants, throne halls and a monastery. The vermilion-colored buildings with their golden dragon-edged roofs will take your breath away.

Cruises down the Irrawaddy River from Mandalay take visitors past the 2500 year old civilization which lines the banks. Some 94 miles (150 km) further south, the city of Bagan has the amazing sight of some 2200 Buddhist pagodas lining the riverbank, so crowded together that they become a forest of spires, chedi and pinnacles. Although much of this city has fallen victim to fires and earthquakes, what remains is still one of the world’s greatest archeological sites.

Yet another side to Myanmar is Lake Inle, some120 miles (192 km) south east of Myanmar. A world away from the congested cities, the tribal people live on man-made floating islands which are anchored to the lakebed by bamboo poles which eventually take root. The civilization, about the size of Manhattan, is in a time warp of subsistence fishing and farming, but the people offer nothing but smiling faces. Although motorized boats are used for long journeys, mostly local transport along the canals and between villages is done in flat-bottomed canoes. The best-known of these communities is Ywama because of its floating market which arrives every 5 days. The hardworking Intha people pile their boats high with rice, melons, flowers, tomatoes and leafy greens for the locals, and bamboo hats, Burmese cigars, silk and cotton sarongs and carved buddhas for the tourists. If you miss this itinerant market at Ywama, you may come across it at one of the other villages nearby. Lake Inle also has many temples and monasteries on stilted foundations. Nga Phe Kyaung is the most unique of all the stilted wooden monasteries. Known as the ‘Jumping Cat Monastery’ visitors are entertained by the monks’ cats who have been trained to do various amazing tricks.

We can barely do justice to the natural beauty, temples, pagodas, villages, monasteries and cultural relics which Myanmar has to offer. Like Bali luxury vacation, the amazing spots in Myanmar are wonderful places to read about, and if possible, visit.