Beautiful Burma
Until recently, Burma, aka Myanmar, had been out in the cold politically. Some Western countries had encouraged tourists to boycott the destination because of the poor humanrights record of its government, and the plight of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Her National League for Democracy won the country’s rst general election of 1990, only to have it declared invalid, and Suu Kyi had been living under house arrest on and o since 1989. B
ut now, international relations have thawed, provoking an avalanche of interest in this mesmerising country, which is twice the size of the UK and bordered by Thailand, India, Bangladesh, China and Laos.
More holiday companies are offering trips there to cope with demand. Cox & Kings says Burma remains one of its bestselling destinations, with a further growth in passenger numbers of 20 per cent this year compared with 2012. Certainly, it has to be one of the most photogenic countries I’ve visited, with extraordinary sightseeing. Top of the list has to be Pagan, or Bagan, where 2,000 red-bricked pagodas ll the landscape as far as the eye can see. Inside the best ones you’ll nd huge, golden Buddha statues, too. Take a hot-air balloon ride for a bird’s-eye view. In fact, Burma has dozens of amazing temples to see.
Among many highlights, there’s the astonishing Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay. Pilgrims from around the world come to worship and adorn the immense Buddha with gold leaf – men only, though. Then there’s the Kuthodaw Pagoda, which houses the entire Tripitaka, the Buddhist scriptures, inscribed on marble slabs and enshrined in 729 miniature pagodas.
In Yangon, the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda, also known in English as the Great Dagon Pagoda – the country’s biggest and most important Buddhist shrine – is thought to have been built between the 6th and 10th centuries, making it the oldest historical pagoda in the world.
Hot-air balloon over Bagan
Slightly less spiritual, but nevertheless fascinating, is the Jade Market, where men crowd round tables holding scraps of green jade worth varying amounts, depending on quality – buy some only if you know what you’re doing.
There are plenty of alternative souvenirs to take home – lacquerware, silks, woodcarvings and gold leaf. And you’ll certainly have plenty of photos to cherish. It’s practically impossible to take a bad picture of Burma’s best sights: at sunset, the wooden U Bein Bridge across the Taungthaman Lake, Amarapura, is breathtaking.
The way to see the best bits is by river and Orient- Express has launched Orcaella, a luxury river cruiser. I found the experience of sailing along the Irrawaddy, stopping o for sightseeing, not dissimilar to a Nile cruise in Egypt. Settle down on the top deck with a cool drink and your camera and watch the world go by – farmers tending their crops, shermen in simple craft, merchants in row boats piled with produce.
Your journey may be enriched by on-board cultural insights – lessons on how to wrap yourself in the sarongstyle skirt called a longyi, for instance. In fact, the people of Burma themselves – welcoming, curious, kindhearted – provide another good reason to visit this wonderful country, too.
In 2014, the Cox & Kings The Golden Land Of Burma 13-day escorted group tour, costs from £3,395 per person. A 16-day/13- night tour, including an 11-night cruise from Mandalay to Pagan aboard Orient- Express’s Orcaella, costs from £6,495 per person: 020-7873 5000, www.coxandkings.co.uk
Contact Wendy at wendy.gomersall@lady.co.uk
WIGHT WALKS The Isle of Wight Autumn Walking Weekend, 25 to 28 October, comprises 90 walks, including 77 miles around the island, a trek with alpacas and dinosaurthemed walks. West Bay Club, Yarmouth, o ers a three-night break from £137 per person (four sharing a two-bedroom cottage) with Wightlink car ferry crossings. 0871-376 0013, www.wightlink.co.uk
COOK’S INDIA Greaves Travel o ers a unique 14-day escorted tour of India’s culinary capitals with food historian Jonty Rajagopolan, from £5,225 per person, including ¥ ights. Highlights of the trip include Darjeeling tea tasting, biryani cooking lessons and going behind the scenes at a wedding feast. 020-7487 9111, www.greavesindia.co.uk
SAMPLER CRUISE Royal Caribbean’s four-night sampler cruise aboard Independence of the Seas, departing 29 October from (and returning to) Southampton, calls at Le Havre (for Paris) and Zeebrugge (for Brussels). It costs from £499 per person, with meals and on-board entertainment included. 0844-493 2061, www.royalcaribbean.co.uk
ut now, international relations have thawed, provoking an avalanche of interest in this mesmerising country, which is twice the size of the UK and bordered by Thailand, India, Bangladesh, China and Laos.
More holiday companies are offering trips there to cope with demand. Cox & Kings says Burma remains one of its bestselling destinations, with a further growth in passenger numbers of 20 per cent this year compared with 2012. Certainly, it has to be one of the most photogenic countries I’ve visited, with extraordinary sightseeing. Top of the list has to be Pagan, or Bagan, where 2,000 red-bricked pagodas ll the landscape as far as the eye can see. Inside the best ones you’ll nd huge, golden Buddha statues, too. Take a hot-air balloon ride for a bird’s-eye view. In fact, Burma has dozens of amazing temples to see.
Among many highlights, there’s the astonishing Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay. Pilgrims from around the world come to worship and adorn the immense Buddha with gold leaf – men only, though. Then there’s the Kuthodaw Pagoda, which houses the entire Tripitaka, the Buddhist scriptures, inscribed on marble slabs and enshrined in 729 miniature pagodas.
In Yangon, the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda, also known in English as the Great Dagon Pagoda – the country’s biggest and most important Buddhist shrine – is thought to have been built between the 6th and 10th centuries, making it the oldest historical pagoda in the world.
Hot-air balloon over BaganSlightly less spiritual, but nevertheless fascinating, is the Jade Market, where men crowd round tables holding scraps of green jade worth varying amounts, depending on quality – buy some only if you know what you’re doing.
There are plenty of alternative souvenirs to take home – lacquerware, silks, woodcarvings and gold leaf. And you’ll certainly have plenty of photos to cherish. It’s practically impossible to take a bad picture of Burma’s best sights: at sunset, the wooden U Bein Bridge across the Taungthaman Lake, Amarapura, is breathtaking.
The way to see the best bits is by river and Orient- Express has launched Orcaella, a luxury river cruiser. I found the experience of sailing along the Irrawaddy, stopping o for sightseeing, not dissimilar to a Nile cruise in Egypt. Settle down on the top deck with a cool drink and your camera and watch the world go by – farmers tending their crops, shermen in simple craft, merchants in row boats piled with produce.
Your journey may be enriched by on-board cultural insights – lessons on how to wrap yourself in the sarongstyle skirt called a longyi, for instance. In fact, the people of Burma themselves – welcoming, curious, kindhearted – provide another good reason to visit this wonderful country, too.
In 2014, the Cox & Kings The Golden Land Of Burma 13-day escorted group tour, costs from £3,395 per person. A 16-day/13- night tour, including an 11-night cruise from Mandalay to Pagan aboard Orient- Express’s Orcaella, costs from £6,495 per person: 020-7873 5000, www.coxandkings.co.uk
Contact Wendy at wendy.gomersall@lady.co.uk
WIGHT WALKS The Isle of Wight Autumn Walking Weekend, 25 to 28 October, comprises 90 walks, including 77 miles around the island, a trek with alpacas and dinosaurthemed walks. West Bay Club, Yarmouth, o ers a three-night break from £137 per person (four sharing a two-bedroom cottage) with Wightlink car ferry crossings. 0871-376 0013, www.wightlink.co.uk
COOK’S INDIA Greaves Travel o ers a unique 14-day escorted tour of India’s culinary capitals with food historian Jonty Rajagopolan, from £5,225 per person, including ¥ ights. Highlights of the trip include Darjeeling tea tasting, biryani cooking lessons and going behind the scenes at a wedding feast. 020-7487 9111, www.greavesindia.co.uk
SAMPLER CRUISE Royal Caribbean’s four-night sampler cruise aboard Independence of the Seas, departing 29 October from (and returning to) Southampton, calls at Le Havre (for Paris) and Zeebrugge (for Brussels). It costs from £499 per person, with meals and on-board entertainment included. 0844-493 2061, www.royalcaribbean.co.uk