Dr. Than and Uncle Joe,

I'd like to take the time once again to thank you for the incredible help, support and guidance you provided me during my recent visit to Burma.  Given the fact that I arrived both anemic and exhausted and therefore unsure what I would be able to accomplish given my physical state, the fact that I was able to complete almost every item on my task list is truly a testament to your good care.

None of the success of my trip would have been possible without the amazing efforts of your staff, which continued to go to almost any end to see to my comfort while taking my daily changing physical abilities into account.  The ability to guarantee my comfort and even to nurse me back to health would be hard to believe if I didn't experience it myself. To say I presented you with a myriad of „challenges and hurdles to overcome, all of which you cleared with ease would be an understatement!

Visiting Burma was a lifelong dream I was lucky enough to experience as well as one I someday hoped to share with my clients.  As a tour leader of small groups I pride myself in my ability to provide my clients with an authentic "off the beaten track" immersion in the countries and regions we visit.  I feel that you were able to share with me some of the most remarkable and less visited sites in the country.  Burma, being a country relatively untouched by modernity, offers rich rewards for the traveler willing to endure the hardships traveling in a developing nation can present.  As your guest I feel that the majority of my time was spent effortlessly experiencing the historic and cultural treasures the country has to offer.  Unfortunately for many of my fellow travelers „out on their own‰, their time wasn't spent as efficiently!

From the moment I arrived from Bangkok and first noticed the green parks, beautiful lakes and uncrowded streets of Yangon and viewed the breathtaking beauty and immensity of Schwedagaon Pagoda I knew I had arrived in a truly magical land and understood why I had been drawn to visit there for such a long time.  Some of the most memorable highlights of trip include; viewing in person the natural wonder of the Golden Rock and the reverence which the Burmese hold for it, enjoying the garden and natural beauty that surrounds your hotel there.  Driving back from Mt. Kyaiktiyo to Yangon with you and Dr. Than.  Obtaining a last minute seat on the very limited Yangon to Mandalay train, allowing me to see that city as well as the colonial charm of Pyin-Oo-Lwin.  Visiting the majestic ruins of Bagan, an architectural marvel exceeding any other in the region, was truly the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, not to mention the luxury and solitude of your other hotel there.  Perhaps the event that will remain the one I remember most sentimentally will be enjoying a private boat tour and a sundown swim on Inle Lake on my 40th Birthday.

I have spoken to large extent the feelings and impressions I acquired on my trip, my justification for visiting Burma was to better understand the potential for conducting tours there.  After spending 2 weeks in the country under the tutelage of your staff I know for sure that my clients will be given the best service possible whenever they have the good fortune to stay in your hotels and be cared for by your staff.  I can say nothing but good about the service I received when I visited Burma and will happily send my clients to you, knowing full well that they will be handled with great care and respect.  Thanks again and good luck in your future endeavors.  I'm looking forward to coming back and spending more time in Shan State!

Sincerely yours,

Barry Marchessault, Founder

3 Diamond Adventure Travel

www.3diamondtravel.com

My husband and I traveled to Myanmar with a group of friends in November of 2002, and we had a terrific time. We visited Yangon, Pagan, and Mandalay. All three cities were uniquely beautiful, and the overall experience was fantastic. Golden Rock and its employees made our trip easy, fun, and personally enriching. We felt very safe and comfortable the whole trip, and Golden rock handled all of our needs quickly. When we went, we were concerned about carrying more than a few hundred dollars, but after we got there, we realized that we had been rather foolish. I felt safer there than I do walking to the corner store here in Los Angeles! The only thing I would have done differently is to have brought substantially more money; I wanted to buy nearly everything I saw! Between the stunning textiles and garments, gorgeous lacquerware, and breathtaking jewelry, I was in shoppers paradise! We arrived with one backpack apiece, and left with two backpacks and a HUGE suitcase, full of fabulous souvenirs from our Burmese adventure. I can't wait to go back and visit the wonderful restaurants we went to such as Ashoka, the Green Elephant, and Shwe Inye. I still find myself craving the food. Go to Myanmar if you get the chance, and go there with Golden Rock. They really made the experience a great one!

I hope to visit Myanmar again soon. I've fallen in love with your country and can't wait to come back!

Truly,
Jennifer Nelson-Kelley

Dear Dr. Than Than Myint,

It was a pleasure meeting you and everyone at Golden Rock Travel & Tours. I was most pleased with the hospitality granted to us by everyone involved as well as the people of Myanmar. Enclosed is my experience with Myanmar and we do hope to work closely with your firm in the future. Please give my regards once again, thank you very much for a most memorable trip. "The tour of Myanmar" was most wonderful. I began the trip not knowing what to expect since I had never been to or heard much about Myanmar as a tourist destination. I arrived in the capital city, Yangon, with my doubts. Is there anything to see and explore and was the country even safe? After a refreshing night at the hotel to catch up on my sleep and jetlag, I was off to see the Country..Bagan, Mandalay, and Inlay Lake!

Any doubts I had for the country and the tour dissapated when I was shown Bagan. It was amazing ! Tens of hundreds of pagodas lined the landscape. I could see pagods in all directions from one of the highest pagodas in Bagan. I was impressed by how the structures have remained intact and available to visitors since they were buuilt in the 12th and 13th century BC. For history and culture, this is THE place! My next stop was in Mandalay and I had a chance to see the palace, the king's former apartment, a bustling marketplace, and a few more pagodas. It was a city bustling with people but very little nightlife. For people looking for a very developed metropolitan city with shopping malls, state of the art IMAX theatres, discos, pubs, this is definitely not the places to find them in.

The next destination was Inlay Lake. This is by far the best part of the adventure. The flight arrived at Heho airport and the guide and driver drove an hour to the motor canoe that was going to take us up the lake. The ride was supposed to take an hour to our hotel. However, half an hour into the ride, the engine stopped. Two choices were presented to us..stay in the canoe and wait for parts to arrive and have it fixed or we could all hike a portion of the way. The hiking part wasn't in the original itinerary but became a bonus for the trip! Many villagers lived along the lake and we saw a lot of them fishing and living their everyday life. We used their trail to walk to the nearest tourist attraction, the ruins of a site with many pagodas. After the walk, we got back in our now fixed canoe and went to our hotel cabin. The GIC hotel was a chance to experience life on the lake. Cabins were set up on the water and just feeling the frest air and seeing the beautiful views of the natural landscape was relaxing. On the last days we went back to Yangon. I have traveled to many parts of the world, and this was one of the most amazing tours I've ever been on. For people interested in culture, history, nature, and adventure, this is definitely a new and upcoming destination that has yet to be discovered by all. You can see a lot of the structure and history from the king's days to colonial rule under the British. People were all friendly and many specialized in local handicrafts that you can buy and take home The local food is mostly curry and you can find many Chinese and Indian Restaurants. But if you really need a burger, don't expect to find the golden arches in town! This is definitely a must go trip for people who are looking for a new adventure in a new distination.

Dionisio Lee, Jr., San Francisco, California

Dear Dr. Than Than Myint,

Below is my honest reflection and feedback on my recent trip to Myanmar. The first paragraph is a summary, but I also started writing more details as a post trip journal and to really help others plan for their trip. I hope the summary is adequate for now.

What I experienced and communicate here may deter some tourists yet encourage other adventurers. I am sorry about taking so long. Happy belated Thanksgiving. Alex

"Where is Myanmar? Is it safe?" Those were the questions asked most by my friends and family when I informed them about my trip there. Most people think the country bordering mainly on Thailand, China, India and Laos is a dangerous underdeveloped land governed by an oppressive military government and overrun by drug lords. It's hard to blame anyone for having those perceptions considering the negative images propagated by the general media. With some research and basic preparations prior to departure as well as help from our wonderful tour agency during the trip, my companion and I had a GREAT time. We visited historic Bagan, trade center Mandalay, must-see Inlay Lake, and Captial City Yangon. Although we had to forgo certain modern conveniences such as complete internet access, cellular communications, drinkable tap water, and lack of power at times, we did return home without experiencing peril, feeling restricted, or contracting any diseases. Furthermore, we came back with some wonderful memories of the beautiful country and friendly people, a few souvenirs, and anticipate an even better second trip shortly.

A friend and I, both Taiwan born Chinese-Americans, who travel extensively for work and pleasure, had never been to Myanmar. We wanted to visit our friend who had been raised in Taunggyi. He thought we should see various parts of his motherland so he arranged an in-country tour for us with Golden Rock Tours during the first 5 days of our 9 day trip.

Prior to departure, I gathered some information about our destination from the web. The CDC warned of malaria in regions outside of the major cities and advised the travler to drink only bottled water. Other U.S. Government websites discouraged americans from traveling to Myanmar and prohibited americans and U.S. corporations from making investments because of supposed human rights violations and opium production. Upon learning this, I joked to my friend that he would not find MacDonalds or Starbucks there but at least we could find some good smokes. I wasn't too worried because we noted that there was a U.S. Embassy in Yangon and we could still escape there if real trouble developed.

I also learned that Myanmar, with vast natural resources such as natural gas, timber, mineral and gems as well as thousands of years of rich culture and history, was once among the wealthiest of the southeast asian nations. The tropical country, about the same size as Texas and with a current population of of 50 million peoiple is still recovering from longBritish colonial exploitation, Japanese occukpations, and then several decades of militant socialist rule. The British corruption of the country's name to "Burma" and subsequent name change to "Myanmar" reflects deeper turmoil. The media has long documented the current government's struggle to balance its vision of reconstruction against the interests of the country's 135 ethinic groups as well as demands from members of the democratic movement and external forces such as the U. N. The government's response to the challenge has created an environment seemingly hostile to economic stability and political freedom on one hand and foreign investment and large scale tourism on another.

But what did this mean besides having to bring extra malaria medicine, anti-diarrheal tablets and bug spray. We discovered quickly that no american airlines serviced Yangon, and other arline options were limited. We couldn't secure tickets matching our ideal itinerary even with help from asian specialist Air & Sea Tours of San Francisco. We eventually departed San Francisco for Yangon in early November 2002 via Eva Air connecting to Thai Air. After 20 some hours of travel that took us through Taipei and Bangkok, we finally arrived around 6:30 p.m.

At the tiny Yangon airport resembling some eastern-block train stations, friendly customs agents processed.

Bagan....Mandalay...Inlay Lake...Yangon.

Never found opium. For those looking for a "Club Med" vacation, look elsewhere. For others who are more adventuresome, Myanmar is a must see.

Alex Chou, San Francisco

The highlight of our trip to Myanmar was getting to know its people. Poverty has not taken away the gentleness of Burmese, nor their ready smiles. We found them to be kind and hospitable, ready to guide or help when asked. At one point, Jim and I broke off from our tour group and took a walk down a side road. Men, women and children would look up and study us as we passed them by ( tourists evoke a lot of curiosity ). We decided to respond to their inquisitiveness by making eye contact and smiling. Without exception, we received return smiles along with a sprinkling of " Hellos " We've come back with a large collection of beautiful Burmese smiles.

Sherri and Jim ( Los Angeles )