Nirvana on the Brink

After half a century of military rule, myanmar begins a new chapter. Belmond’s road to mandalay takes travellers into the heart of the country via the ayeyarwady.

- Juliana Chan

No cognisant person can go to Myanmar without being mindful of its myriad troubles, from more than 50 years of oppressive and corrupt military rule, human rights atrocities, international sanctions, to its blood jade trade and accusations of a Rohingya genocide. The country remains mired in ethnic conflict even today, and its fledgling government formed by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy is still a long way from seeing true democratic rule, free from the constitutional veto power of the military. Yet, arriving at the new Yangon International Airport, I smell a heady scent of optimism in the air, and the reason for it unfolds as I make my way from Bagan to Mandalay.

20 YEARS AND 2,000 STUPAS

I am in Myanmar at the invitation of hospitality specialist Belmond as it celebrates 20 years of operations in the beautiful country that shares its border with Thailand, Laos, Bangladesh, Bhutan and China. It is clear that the company takes pride in curating exceptional travel experiences in Myanmar, inaugurating from the Governor’s Residence in Yangon, then proceeding on two cruisers, the Orcaella and the Road to Mandalay. It also operates the Eastern and Orient Express that runs across Southeast Asia, traversing Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.