With pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi recently released from house arrest in Myanmar, David Weber and his wife Patty, of the exceptional R. Crusoe & Son travel company recently revisited and excitedly report that in spite of the military junta still in place, the Burmese people are friendly and warm. Myanmar (formerly Burma) is still by and large an undiscovered destination. Yangon (formerly Rangoon), a bustling historic city, is filled with awesome architecture and great restaurants, a thriving modern-art scene and a developing entrepreneurial spirit.

In addition to custom trips, they offer a 9-day “Burma & the Road to Mandalay” tour: glide in a traditional long-tail boat to visit enchanting Inle Lake for an experiential understanding of Burmese life, visiting private homes and places of work. And on the Irrawaddy River, central artery of the country, float aboard the 5-star Road to Mandalay, an Orient-Express river cruiser with superb food, service and ambience to visit the breathtaking city of Bagan, miles of 11^th-13^th cent. sacred Buddhist shrines.

Though some might question visiting Burma at all, the Webers feel American visitors benefit the Burmese directly. They use hand-picked Myanmar companies, privately owned, without government partners, and the income flows directly to local employees.

Their 9-day trip costs $4450 pp sharing but for the full scoop and many options, contact Jane Franklin at jfranklin@rcrusoe.com, or call: 888-490-8019. Note: even if you are not the least bit interested in Burma, the R. Crusoe international catalog is by far one of the most original, charming and artistic in the travel industry.