Myanmar’s allure is quite powerful. Take Bagan, for instance, where the sun sets over a sea of ancient temples and pagodas. Thousands dot the landscape, their peaked roofs and spires poking the sky like pins. Or Yangon, Myanmar’s capital and home to the country’s most important religious site – the extravagant Shwedagon Pagoda. A mass of gold dripping in gems, it makes Asia’s greenest city sparkle. Those yearning to visit Myanmar should do a bit of research. By maximizing the travel dollars that reach the local population, you ensure a trip that is not only enjoyable, but also conscionable. Myanmar sits at the crossroads of Asia’s great civilisations of India and China, and looks out onto the vast Indian Ocean next to Thailand. One of South East Asia’s largest and most diverse countries, Myanmar stretches from the sparkling islands of the Andaman Sea in the south right up into the Eastern Himalayan mountain range. To this day Myanmar remains one of the most mysterious and undiscovered destinations in the world. A land of breathtaking beauty and charm yet only recently emerging into the modern world. What can the casual visitor therefore expect upon arrival, and why should one embark on such a journey in the first place?