For decades, Burma (officially renamed Myanmar by its military government, the Junta) isolated itself from western eyes.
It began to open to tourism in 1996, but its use of forced labor and the imprisonment of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi led to international economic sanctions and an unofficial tourism boycott.
Now though, things are changing for the better. Aung San Suu Kyi is free, the country’s opening up to the west, and an official visit by Hillary Clinton recognizes the Junta’s efforts to bring Burma into the modern world. Burma is finally ready for its moment in the spotlight. There is still a lot of unrest and instability in the region, but that shouldn’t stop the dedicated traveler! Here are eight…
