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TRAVEL/TOURS ADVERTORIAL48 NADFAS REVIEW / SUMMER 2016 www.nadfas.org.ukThis is Burma and it will be quite unlike any land you know about...”, commented Rudyard Kipling in 1898.Although Kipling only spent three days in Burma (now offi cially called Myanmar) it captured his heart, as indeed it will of anyone who visits this beautiful Golden Land, a place of great beauty with lush green paddies, noble teak forests and elegant pagodas. Half a century of oppression by a brutal autocratic military regime has fi nally ended, as Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy won a landslide victory in the elections last November. Although constitutionally barred from becoming President, Aung San Suu Kyi will assume a prime ministerial role in the new government and there are signs of cautious optimism for the future.This era of change makes it an exciting and interesting time to visit Burma. Starting in Yangon (Rangoon), a former colonial commercial city dominated by the glittering Shwedagon Pagoda, there is much to see. But the discerning traveller will soon want to venture beyond its faded charm and head northwards to discover the former capitals of Amarapura, Mandalay, Saigang and Bagan. All were constructed in the name of Buddhism, which permeates every aspect of Burmese life; and all are situated beside the magnifi cent Irrawaddy river, which Kipling called ‘The Road to Mandalay’.The Irrawaddy travels down from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean, bisecting the country and is to Burma what the Nile is to Egypt; the lifeblood of the country and the cradle of civilization. To fl oat lazily down the Irrawaddy, one sees life unfolding along its banks and it is the best way to feel the country’s pulse. On one particular bend is the extraordinary sight of Bagan, where there are today nearly 3,000 recorded brick monuments – temples, stupas and monasteries stretching as far as the eye can see. Originally it was said to be home to over 10,000 buildings, constructed in a frenzy of Buddhist devotion from the tenth–13th century and it became the world capital of Theravada Buddhism under the remarkable ruler, King Anawrahta (1014–77).We are not endorsing any product in the Tours features. Adverts are published for membersÕ convenience. Normal terms and conditions apply (see page 3). Any travel ad carrying the Tour NADFAS logo means a commission payment is made to NADFAS on the product or trip advertised. Those that continue to support us through advertising only will not use the Tour NADFAS name and logo.Travelling through the unspoilt landscapes of Myanmar makes for an adventure unlike any other, as NADFAS-accredited Lecturer Zara Fleming explainsBeyond time Above: Fishermen on Inle LakeOpposite page: Temple in Bagan