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TRAVEL

GETTING THERE

Emirates Airlines flies from London to

Yangon International Airport, via Dubai.

Return flights start at £799 from Gatwick

or £839 from Heathrow, including taxes.

emirates.com

GETTING AROUND

Prices for Balloons Over Bagan start at

£225 per person. easternsafaris.com

The Belmond Road to Mandalay river

cruise starts from £1,663 per person,

including a three-night cruise from Mandalay

to Bagan, domestic flights, transfers,

excursions and all meals. belmond.com

WHEN TO GO

Visit between October and March to avoid

the hottest and wettest months. November

is ideal, when the rainy season is over and

temperatures are lowest.

WHERE TO STAY

The Areindmar Hotel in Bagan, doubles

from £56 per night. areindmarhotel.com

The Belmond Governor's Residence in

Rangoon, double rooms at £170 per night,

including breakfast. belmond.com

The Chatrium Hotel in Rangoon, suites

start at £155, including breakfast.

chatrium.com

WHERE TO EAT

The Strand, Rangoon, hotelthestrand.com

Lucky Seven, Rangoon, 49th St

Star Beam, Bagan, near New Bagan Market

Cookery classes in Bagan can be arranged

with Inside Burma, from £32

insideburmatours.com

FIND OUT MORE

insideburmatours.com, myanmartourism.org

NEED TO KNOW

monastery: a mind-bogglingly beautifully

aged teak building with intricate carvings

and majestic high-ceilinged rooms.

�e cruise itinerary also incorporates

several market visits, which are thoroughly

recommended: frenetic, otherworldly and

a throbbing hive of sights and scents from

Asia and beyond.

After three nights cruising south, our

boat docked in Bagan. �e whole area is

a majestic archaeological showcase spread

over 26 square miles and scattered with

temples. I checked into the Ariendmar

Hotel in New Bagan, a peaceful crescent

of spacious rooms with - most importantly

- a swimming pool. Temple treks are

definitely hot work.

You'll find plenty of places in the small,

dusty towns of Bagan offering moped

hire, perfect for independently exploring

the spread-out sights. Nothing compares

to a 45-minute hot-air balloon ride above

Bagan, however: it's the best (albeit

most expensive) way to appreciate the

singularity of the area. To ensure a hazefree

sunrise and the clearest vistas, it's best

to visit in November.

For a change of pace I booked a

cookery class in Bagan with InsideBurma

Tours, which includes

a head-spinning visit

to Nyaung U market to

buy ingredients. Using

a charcoal grill and a

small ember pit, we

then cooked traditional

curries and salads at the nearby Mya

Yadanar restaurant. �e class ended with

a sprawling lunch spread - the primary

reason for signing up.

Stuffed to the limits both intellectually

and physically, I retreated to Burma's

south-west coast to discover the gorgeous,

sparsely populated white sands of Ngapali.

A beach break here is an expensive but

classy affair; expect prices to decrease but

crowds to surge as development continues.

WATCHING THE SUN RISE OVER

THE RIVER EVERY MORNING WAS

THE BEST PERK OF THE CRUISE

With the larger Hanthawaddy

International Airport planned to open

north-east of Rangoon in 2022 and

an increasingly progressive political

landscape, Burma's future looks bright.

Rich in cultural and natural beauty,

not to mention its youthful, inspiring

population, the country is currently a

stellar prospect for explorers. Looking

for 2016's hottest destination? Burma

has my vote.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: THE TOP�DECK POOL ON

THE CRUISER BELMOND ROAD TO MANDALAY; THE

BEAUTIFUL SHWENANDAW BUDDHIST MONASTERY; THE

POOL AT THE ARIENDMAR HOTEL IN NEW BAGAN;

STATUES AT THE U MIN THONZE PAGODA, MANDALAY;

BEACH BREAKS IN BURMA ARE SET TO DROP IN PRICE