People of Myanmar

Audley specialist Hannah meets the people of Myanmar

"The main reason, I feel, that Myanmar will continue to inspire visitors to the country, is the way in which they are welcomed. On my previous trip to Myanmar it was the people I met who became the highlights of my journey.

For example, I remember having my face coated in ‘Thanaka’ (a Burmese form of foundation) by a local girl living in Myin Khkay village on a morning excursion near Bagan. In the small town of Pindaya I was shown the process of boiling the bark from a Mulberry tree before smashing it to a pulp and leaving to dry to create paper umbrellas.

During my tour around Inle Lake, I met a lady the same age as my grandmother who was a member of the Intha tribe which translates to 'the people who live on the lake'. She stopped spinning cotton to sit on the workhouse floor and sip tea with me and nibble on dried tea leaves whilst we swapped stories.

It's the people of Myanmar, and their genuine desire to share their lives with you, that makes visiting this country like opening the pages of a brand new adventure time and time again.

Audley Myanmar specialist, Hannah

Photos taken by Hannah