in Myanmar (Burma) will be spellbound by the aromas, sights and sensations of a different world.

Yangon, the capital of Myanmar, is a melting pot of the traditional and the contemporary, true Burmese culture melding with a colonial legacy still present decades after the departure of the British. The city's pulse beats to the rhythm of its streets, bustling with what makes the country so special: its people.

Be inspired by stately processions of monks robed in saffron and purple, shaven headed nuns seeking alms, and elegant Burmese ladies adorned with yellow thanaka paste. Young and old linger gossiping in teashops smoking traditional fragrant Burmese cheroots, dressed as they have been for centuries in their traditional longyis or htameins.

Wherever you go you will catch glimpses of times past, real or imagined, but it is the hospitality and friendliness of the people of this "golden land" which is most striking - their tolerance of different religions and cultures, respect for each other and heartfelt smiles. It is this perhaps more than anything else which makes Myanmar the unique and fascinating country it is.