12 Reasons We Love Myanmar

"Intha Fisherman, Inle Lake, Shan State, Burma. I arrive at Nyaung Shwe, Inle Lake’s main development, in the dead of night and immediately book myself into a boat tour of the lake, wondering aloud if the notorious Nayar, a mythical dragon with four legs, still patrols the waters. An old man seated next to me on the bus had told me all about the Nayar and the Magan, a man-eating crocodile-cum-anteater that patrols the murky depths of Inle when the sun goes down. I don’t consider myself superstitious, but in Burma I’ll believe just about anything.“Now you’re starting to understand our country,” he says, winking at me as he captains us through the dark.The engine dies and we sit for a moment; I’m not sure if we’re waiting for the Nayar to drag us to the bottom of the lake or if our propeller has fallen off and we have to swim back to shore. Out of the mist, with the first rays of dawn pouring over the eastern hills, a fisherman appears, trawling across what appears to be a thin sheet of glass, one strong leg propelling his slender canoe while he hefts a massive cone-shaped net above his head and plunges it into the water. This is an Intha fisherman, a member of the Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority group that make their homes in stilt houses on the lake, self-sufficient fisherfolk and farmers known for their unique one-legged rowing style that has been fodder for romantic travel tales in the same vein as Venice canal rowers for hundreds of years. We paid $35 for a day on the water in a private boat. It was worth every penny."

"Balloons Over Bagan You do not want to miss this. We were lucky to be the only two individuals chosen from the standby list on the day we flew over Bagan. The experience is as cerebral as it is exhilarating. The company that operates Balloons Over Bagan makes the experience completely safe (they have an excellent record and reputation). I would recommend reserving a spot 6 months in advance if you can plan that far ahead (it's ~$300 a person, and worth every penny). As you can imagine, this is a rightfully popular activity in Bagan. By Sean Dubberke"

"The Place for Mohinga In a modern, air-conditioned space that is welcoming to foreigners, Feel serves an astounding variety of traditional Burmese food, from curries and some of Yangon’s best mohinga (the national fish noodle soup) to snake beans served with dried shrimp. 124 Pyidaungsu Yeiktha St., Yangon. This appeared in the October 2012 issue."

"Shwedagon Pagoda's Golden Glow Burma’s most important Buddhist temple is layered with tons of gold and adorned with thousands of precious gems. Relics enshrined within the stupa include eight strands of hair that belonged to Siddhartha Gautama. Dress conservatively and be ready to walk barefoot. Singuttara Hill, Yangon."

"The Ultimate in Slow Travel The British-built trains in Myanmar are certainly not among the world's most advanced, but they make for a wonderfully leisurely way of experiencing some of the loveliest parts of the nation. One of the most memorable rides is the one between Mandalay and Lashio in northern Shan State. The journey proceeds through beautiful highland scenery and crosses over the famous Goteik Viaduct, the highest bridge in Myanmar and a landmark in its own right."