Society in Myanmar is essentially traditional and its people, who mainly still wear their native dress, and are devoted to their traditional ways, live in patterns which have changed little over centuries. The warmth and polite friendliness of Myanmar people is one of the charms of any visit and their devout Buddhist faith not only inspires their life style, but has also produced a dazzlingly diverse culture and rich artistic heritage.

Myanmar is known as the land of golden pagodas, an accurate description, as the traveller will find, with ornate pagodas, temples and monasteries by the dozen in every town, many of them of great antiquity,

With relatively limited hotel accommodation and travel facilities upcountry, it is recommended that travellers join an orgnised package tour. This will help to overcome the problems of organising domestic travel and enable you to see the maximum in the time available.

Travellers who do decide to make their own arrangements for a visit to Myanmar are advised to allow plenty of time for the processing of visas, and to build in a reserve of time in upcountry areas to allow for possible delays in domestic air services.

The rather sleepy, colonial-style capital, Yangon (Rangoon), still has relatively limited hotels and other facilities for the visitor, but there is no shortage of interesting things to see and do.

Yangon's Shwedagon Pagoda is the main sightseeing attraction. Its towering spire is clad in over 60 tons of pure gold and the approach stairways are lined with shops, bric-a-brac stalls and shrines. Other worthwhile sights include the National Museum, Sule, Kodagi and Botaung pagodas, Kaga Aye sacred cave, the Zoological Gardens and Bogyoke Central Market.

Tours out of Yangon to provincial centres throughout this huge country will take the traveller to some of the most important archaeological and historical sights of the Asian region.

Mandalay, an hour's domestic flight to the north of the capital, is located in the hot central plain. It is more typically Myanmar in character than Yangon's colonial style. Here are found old pagodas with superb art and antiquities, a museum and remains of the old royal palace and fortress. This is also a centre for various traditional handicrafts: stone and wood carving, weaving of silk and cottons, and works in silver, bronze and gold. Another important local craft is the embroidery of tapestries known as kalagas.

Pegu, just 70 km by road or rail to the north of Yangon was once a great city, at the height of its power during the 16 th-17th centuries. Most impressive of its many pagodas are Shwemawdaw and the Shwethalyaung Temple with its huge reclining Buddha image.

The greatest of Myanmar's many ancient sites is undoubtedly Bagan (Pagan), where some 5,000 temples, pagodas and stupas cover a vast area beside the Ayeyarwaddy (Irrawadi) River. This is one of the richest and most impressive archaeological wonders of the world. Major temples date from the 11th to 16th century. The view out over this historic site, in the calm of evening with the sun setting over the river, or in the early morning with it rising over the huge area of monuments, is breathtaking.

Other attractions in Bagan include the museum and the workshops of traditional lacquerware craftsmen.

To the northeast, in the Shan State, is the town of Heho. From here travellers can drive through scenic countryside to the pine-forested hill station of Kalaw and take a side trip to Pindaya Lake and Caves, with their thousands of Buddha images put here by pilgrims over many centuries. Another side trip out of Heho is to Taunggyi, with its colourful tribal market and nearby Inle lake, famous for its unique leg-rowers and floating gardens.

Shopping in Myanmar offers many temptations, with shops and markets providing superb souvenirs. Among the best are the delicately crafted lacquerwares, splendidly worked silver, hand-woven silks and cottons, mother-of-pearl-crafts, wood carvings and gems. Myanmar is justly famous for its exquisite gems-rubies, sapphires, jade and emeralds. Visitors should purchase these at authorised dealers as they have to be declared for export.

Travellers should take with them plenty of film (the photo opportunities are splendid), also cosmetics and any medical prescriptions, as local supplies are limited.

Visitors should be prepared for possible limitations in the quality of upcountry hotels and transportation services, although the situation is improving rapidly as the country moves towards modernisation. Visitors will also find local dining opportunities and nightlife rather limited by the standards of the Asian region. In spite of its practical limitations, however, Myanmar does represent one of Asia's most original travel experiences.