Burma: readers' tips

Tom and Mary Barton win a £350 holiday voucher provided by DialAFlight

Head for the hills

My tip is to stay a couple of nights in Kalaw - a former British hill station
which is an unremarkable town in itself, but is surrounded by stunning
trekking country and lovely, unspoilt villages. The train journey from Kalaw
to Inle is also very beautiful (though very slow, but that doesn't matter).
Peter Leppard, Derbyshire

A soft trek?

In Kalaw, our itinerary promised a "short, soft trek". Our guide, Miss Mee,
was petite and immaculate in a red floral longyi and flip-flops. She led us
down a steep, narrow, rutted track and then back up. We saw workers picking
tea and harvesting cabbages and ginger. After 90 minutes a village loomed,
which we assumed was our destination. We were taken to tea with an elderly
Paulaung lady. In the sparsely furnished room, tea was poured into delicate
Chinese cups.

We then discovered we had to walk around the mountain. Miss Mee was surefooted
in her flip-flops despite the rough terrain. After four hours our car
appeared. That night, we soothed away our aches in a deep marble bath in a
house that would not have looked out of place in the Cotswolds. Appearances
can be deceptive in Burma.Roy Messenger, London

See the real Yangon

In Yangon take yourself to the colonial-era railway station and, for $1, buy a
ticket for a circular journey of the city and surrounding countryside. This
is not a tourist train and there appears to be no timetable, but the trains
are frequent. There are no facilities on the train and you travel in
converted cattle wagons with benches along the sides. "Air conditioning" is
provided by the fact that there is no door.

At every stop there seems to be a market. Locals and traders with their
produce get on and off, possibly in the hope that the next place will be
better for trade. Everyone is cheerful, friendly and inquisitive and you may
well be offered eggs, fruit and so on as a gift. This fascinating journey
takes about two hours and gives you a glimpse into the busy city and rural
life of many Yangon citizens that most tourists do not see.

Robert Charlett, Warwickshire

Unspoiled sands

Burma has 1,250 miles of coastline and some of the finest stretches of beach
in Asia. As many face west they have great sunsets.The best-known is Ngapali
Beach, but less developed is Ngwe Saung, a beautifully unspoiled stretch of
coast five hours' drive from Yangon. Also called Silver Beach, its
eight-mile stretch makes it one of the longest beaches in Asia.
Kathy Cakebread, Kent

Beware low water

Consider carefully whether to go on a river cruise, at any rate from Mandalay
to Bagan. If the river level is low, you will not be able to see over the
banks. This voyage was the low point of my trip, but that was insignificant
compared with the high points, namely the scenery, the people, and the
temples, above all the Shwedagon Pagoda, which for me is one of the wonders
of the world.
John Duffield, Loughton, Essex

Make for the mess

If you are in Yangon on the first Friday of the month, the British Embassy
opens up its mess to tourists. This is not confined to British nationals.
Hand in your passport and you receive a ticket. You can then use the mess
bar in the embassy grounds. You pay $14 for a card on which a record is made
of the drinks you consume from the bar. Very simple – and highly enjoyable.

Michael Reid, Blackpool

Balloon spectacle

If you're in Taunggyi at the beginning of November you might catch the fire
balloon festival. Balloons made from paper held together with masking tape
are constructed in the shape of animals. After hot air is put into the
balloon with hand-held wooden torches soaked in petrol, a cross is then
fixed into the frame and set alight. With much whooping and shouting the
balloons are then launched. Points are awarded for getting them off the
ground (not always possible!), how high they go and how long they stay up.
An amazing show to watch, but not for the health-and-safety conscious!

Sue Coton, Kent

Poignant memorial

Just 25 minutes north of Yangon, the Taukkyan War Cemetery is a poignant
memorial to the dead of the Second World War. It is on the Bago Road and the
beautiful grounds are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
The main memorial has the names of 27,000 of those who gave their lives and
have no known grave. Just walking around reading the ages and names of the
young men who gave their lives puts everything in perspective . There are
special memorials for those Hindus and Muslims from India who fought and
died in the campaign. We have visited on three occasions and have always
found something new to seek out.

The head gardener will usually be around to welcome you. Don't forget to sign
the visitors' book.

Geoff Becque, Warwickshire

City of Flowers

Far from the bustling tourist sites, around 40 miles from Mandalay, is Pyin Oo
Lwin (the City of Flowers), surely one of the most beautiful places in the
world.

We stayed at the Kandawgyi Hill Resort, right next to the inspiring botanical
gardens with their rose beds and orchid houses set around a spectacular
lake. The waterfall above the town will take your breath away, and you can
also explore the serene pagoda set deep within a mountain cave. The town was
the summer residence for the British colonial administrators.

We really wanted to stay somewhere vibrant and different and with Pyin Oo Lwin
we found just what we were looking for.

Lisa Anderson, West Sussex

Yangon food trail

Inya Lake Hotel in Yangon is a wonderful place to spend time relaxing by the
pool, but I would suggest you eat at L'Opera, which is close by. Here you
find the most delicious range of bread. For more traditional fare try the
House of Memories, where you can also visit General Aung San's office and a
prayer room. The 999 Shan Noodle Shop is a cheaper alternative with
high-quality food and service. The Parisian Cake Cafe has lots of
interesting cakes and serves the best hand-blended strawberry smoothies.
Coffee Circles serves very good coffee and a range of foods. It also has
Wi-Fi. Nearby is Sharky's, which does the nicest ice-creams and also has a
small delicatessen. I thoroughly recommend a walking/taxi food tour, but
it's a good idea to starve yourself beforehand, as you will sample many
tasty dishes. And do find time to visit the night market.

Teresa Yates, Rugby

Feet first

As you have to take socks and shoes off at every pagoda/temple, a good tip is
to treat your feet with surgical spirit for two weeks before you go. This
will harden your feet and make it easier to walk on tiles, brick or hard
baked earth without shoes.
Dianne Sims, Berkshire

Share your travel tips to win

Each week we offer a prize to whoever sends us the best travel tip. Click
here to find out more.

More on Burma

Burma
in a different light

Joan Bakewell, the writer and broadcaster, discovers a new side to Burma at
the Irrawaddy Literary Festival

Follow @TelegraphTravel

http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/burma-readers-tips/