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www.nadfas.org.uk NADFAS REVIEW / SUMMER 2016 49 Images: Shutterstock.Zara Fleming will be accompanying the ‘Magical Myanmar’ tour by Select Odyssey departing on November 23, 2016. The tour offers a selection of highlights, including Yangon, Mandalay, Mingun, Bagan and Inle Lake. Included in the 13-day trip is a one-day cruise on the Irrawady, daily breakfast, a welcome dinner and return fl ights. From £3,375 per person. For more details, call 01224 313984 or see www.selectodyssey.co.uk.AuthenticInspirational Distinctive Group TravelTo decide what to see with so much choice is tricky, but one should defi nitely visit the elegantly proportioned Ananda temple for its ancient stone sculptures portraying the life of the Buddha. The Ananda is one of Burma’s most revered shrines and one sees pilgrims chanting prayers, lighting incense or just pausing for refl ection. The Kubyauk Gyi at Myinkaba is another gem and has some of the earliest recorded pictorial art in Burma. The murals of scenes from the Buddha’s life are outstanding and have been sensitively restored by UNESCO. Finally, to watch the sun set over the Bagan plain is one of the most awe-inspiring sights in the world.No journey to Burma is complete without a couple of relaxing days spent on the vast and serene Inle Lake, home to the Intha people. Travel by narrow boat to the Indein pagodas and see the Intha stilt houses precariously balanced on the water. Visit the fl oating gardens and the numerous workshops devoted to different crafts; two of the most interesting being lotus fi bre weaving and cheroot making. Another joy to see is the local fi shermen with their conical nets and their distinctive one-leg rowing technique. Around the lake are villages belonging to the Shan, Pa’O, Danu and Kayah, which provide an insight into the ethnic diversity of Burma. Burma is an enchanting land, but perhaps its chief beauty lies in its timelessness – a quality admired by Kipling and one which you will experience when you visit this magical Golden Land. ■