To Myanmar with Love: A Travel Guide for the Connoisseur (To Asia with Love) [Paperback]

Things Asian Press (Creator), Morgan Edwardson (Editor), Steve Goodman (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: To Asia with Love | Publication Date: May 1, 2009

Beyond politics, little is known about Myanmar (Burma). Highlighting the country's great beauty and hospitality, this bookis dedicated to the local residents whose warmth and encouragementare its inspiration. From helping a community library in New Bagan to breakfast with 2,700 monks in Mandalay, adventurers and armchair voyagers will discover the secrets of savvy expatriates, seasoned travelers, and inspired locals. With its unique insights into dining, shopping, sightseeing, and culture, To Myanmar With Love is a one-of-a-kind guide for the passionate traveler.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steve Goodman is a Lecturer in Music Culture at the School of Sciences, Media, and Cultural Studies at the University of East London, a member of the CCRU (Cybernetic Culture Research Unit), and the founder of the record label Hyperdub. He produces bass-driven electronic music under the name kode9 and is also a member of the sound art collective Audint.

Product Details

• Paperback: 294 pages
• Publisher: Global Directions/Things Asian Press (May 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934159069
• ISBN-13: 978-1934159064
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Travel > Asia > Myanmar
  • #52 in Books > Travel > Asia > Southeast

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raising the Curtain, Lighting a Lamp, May 16, 2009

By 

Janet Brown "author of Tone Deaf in Bangkok" (Bangkok, Thailand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Myanmar with Love: A Travel Guide for the Connoisseur (To Asia with Love) (Paperback)

When the editor of To Myanmar With Love began to collect the essays that make up this new guidebook,one Myanmar citizen told him, "Show people that my country is not some sort of hell."

This book does does this so well and so vividly that readers will race through it, vicariously savoring noodles with Yangon gourmet Ma Thanegi, having a traditional teashop breakfast with Win Thuya in Bagan, and carbo-loading with Giles Orr before tackling the sightseeing glories of the Shwedagon Pagoda. With Robert Carmack they will explore the colonial glories of the Strand Hotel in Yangon, learn the pleasures of being derailed in Bago with Peter Walter and a friendly railway clerk, and watch the launching of fire balloons that are three stories high with Anne Marie Power in the Shan State town of Taunggyi.

Breakfast with 2,700 monks in the company of Morgan Edwardson,explore a forest where spirits reside with Hpone Thant, visit a market where not a single souvenir can be found with Guillaume Rebiere where "colors, fragrances, and sounds are all sewn together into a patchwork." Deep sea dive in the Myeik Archipelago with Graydon Hazenberg, find the elusive Ayeyarwady dolphins with Hpone Thant and learn how these extraordinary creatures help the local fishermen. Take a bicycle, a boat, a pony cart, a trishaw, or a slow, slow train. Learn the joys of chewing betel or the casual elegance of wearing a longyi or savor the sweetness of tamarind flakes dissolving on the tongue.

The two features that appear in every volume of the To Asia With Love series of guidebooks are particularly outstanding in this book.

Paying It Forward: Suggestions for giving back while you're on the road reminds readers that "a donation can include more than just money." Viola Woodward tells how travelers can help spruce up schools and monasteries with a coat of fresh paint by supplying the paint and the labor. Sudah Yehudah Kovesh Shaheb's chance encounter with beach vendors leads to a visit to their homes and a trip with them to Yangon. Jan Polatschek tells how to teach English at monasteries while passing through town. Kyaw Zay Latt explains how to help in orphanages, with a list of places to visit with addresses and Janice Neider offers a list of items to give children instead of money or candy.

Resources for the Road offers a variety of annotated reading lists, suggestions for language learning materials, a wonderful essay on the bookshops of Yangon by James Spencer, and a comprehensive list of informational websites. And throughout the entire book, Steve Goodman's photographs reveal the faces of the Myanmar people and the beauty that is found in their country.

To Myanmar With Love shows this isolated country with burnished affection and extraordinary care. Through the eyes of the contributors, we all have the privilege of seeing and savoring the pleasures of Myanmar.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars open your eyes, August 8, 2009

By 

Donald E. Gilliland (Bangkok, Thailand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Myanmar with Love: A Travel Guide for the Connoisseur (To Asia with Love) (Paperback)

One person commented that they didn't discover anything new about "Burma" after reading this book. How is that possible? Did they really read the entire book? This travel guide is overflowing with information and new perspectives of looking at --- and enjoying your trip to --- Myanmar. It's such a shame that Myanmar (get over calling it "Burma" everybody; that's a name that the Colonialist British bestowed upon the country, and is no longer what most of the locals call their country) continues to be subject to sanctions and travel boycotts. Those who have visited Myanmar, including the contributors to this book, will tell you that the experience was profound. Looking beyond the politics, this is a country that is incredible. These are a people that are worthy of your time, worthy of visiting, and worthy of befriending. And I think that message resonates loud and clear in most of these essays. These stories are ostensibly about travel, but they transcend that; they are about life and generosity and kindness. And yes, believe or not travellers can find those things in Myanmar. This book is a real eye opener, and FULL of NEW insight and tips on where to discover new places and experiences. Highly recommended!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enchanting good read about the land that time forgot, May 13, 2009

By 

S. Horie - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: To Myanmar with Love: A Travel Guide for the Connoisseur (To Asia with Love) (Paperback)

A delightful and enjoyable experience. This is not an ordinary tour guide, although there are plenty of specific and detailed references to places and activities. Its editor invites you to imagine an invitation to a party of talented, diverse, and accomplished people who regale you with tales and divulge secret hideaways--who all happily compete in offering favorite views and all unite in a love for the people of Myanmar.

I will embellish this image with the feeling of a genial inclusion into a company of admirable people--opening a window into a place of no small enchantment.

The photos are art quality and the commentary covers a good range of subject. I found the section dealing with how to help the local people particularly thoughtful, and there are reading and language references as well. Very well done.