In a little over seven weeks I will be on a plane to a place I have never been before and more than that, a country which has been virtually closed to the outside world for as long as many of us can remember.

I figured it was time to go somewhere new and to have a real adventure and the prospect of Burma / Myanmar appealed to me. So at the start of October I will undertake a two-week Intrepid tour of this beautiful, intriguing country.

Burma is a country which borders Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand and for that mix alone it would be uniquely interesting. But there is also the fascination of the jungles, the hill-stations and the British colonial history and architecture, not to mention the wonders of places like Bagan – a 42 square kilometre region with more than 2000 temples dating back to the 1100s. Add to that a country which is newly embracing democracy and foreign investment and I figure now is a great time to visit.

Bagan.

Alongside the Philippines and East Timor, Burma is the only country in South East Asia I haven’t visited and is amongst the least explored (by the modern traveller) destinations in the world. Keep reading The Roxborogh Report for updates of my adventures.