So why did you first visit Myanmar?

We are always fascinated in travelers tales so we thought we would start this topic with our story.

My wife enjoys genealogy and in researching her father (who she never knew as a child) discovered he was with the British Army in Burma in WW11. Like many Commonwealth servicemen who fought in the campaign he never talked about it on his return.

He was in the REME attached to the West African Division in the 2nd Arakan campaign and their route was through Cox%26#39;s Bazaar , Akyab,Taungup,Prome and then on to recapture Rangoon.

I will now revert to Myanmar names!

My wife could never sleep on planes and therefore our travels were in Europe and the Middle East but Burma always beckoned.

Unsure of the hotels and infrastructure we first booked a ';Road to Mandalay ';cruise in January 1996 and have never looked back.

On our subsequent return trips we started by taking group tours but for many years now we have been traveling independently.

Our highlight was the Pandaw expedition cruise to Bhamo - a truly wonderful experience seeing the real Myanmar.

We have made some great Burmese friends and a group of us support a school for deprived children in the Karin enclave of Insien ,North Yangon %26amp; intend to register a charity to continue the support and to open a similar school in Bagan village.

Wish list - have traveled extensively but have not yet visit Mrauk-U or Mawlamyine and would love to do the Chindwin Expedition cruise.

Politics, like everyone we abhor the Military Government and all it stands for - but as Margaret Thatcher famously said '; if you don`t like a country%26#39;s politics you wouldn%26#39;t even cross the Channel';

Also remember that Myanmar is in the sphere of influence of China. They are planning a rail link from the border near Bhamo to a new port at Sitwe , giving them access to the Indian Ocean.

That puts the US stance on ';democracy'; into perspective!

Myanmar is the most wonderful country with the nicest people you could ever wish to meet. Good hotels , good internal flights , great sites to visit and good beaches - get there whist it is mainly unspoilt. In 1996 Mandalay was mainly bikes.2001 motorbikes and 2006 Japanese and Korean 4x4%26#39;s !!!

So what inspired you to first visit Myanmar??

So why did you first visit Myanmar?

Haven%26#39;t really any good tales about my reason for visiting Myanmar... perhaps memories of reading about an exotic country in childhood.. Kipling etc. sowed a seed?

Just to add to your comment about a Chinese built railroad .. that also plans are afoot for upgrades to the ';Burma'; or ';Stanwell'; road linking Eastern India with China (Kunming) in an east westerly direction.. as well as a road from Bangladesh again east west... but for the ultimate benefit of Chinese products being shipped through Myanmar... Year 2015 will be the lynch year of a new asean alliance... perhaps it will also mean the end of an era for Myanmar... and hopefully the dawn of a new... for better or for worse?