MYANMAR, or Burma under the British, is no place to visit on a whim.
But I did so anyway - because colonial place names like Rangoon or Mandalay spell mystery of the Orient to me - before I put serious thought to the matter.
The leader of the opposition coalition, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, has urged tourists to give her country a wide berth so as not to enrich the pockets of the repressive military junta which has ruled the country since the 1960s.
But there is also the Lonely Planet travel guide school of thought, which argues that it is important to bear witness to what is happening there, so tourism can be a force for change. One can be discriminating and choose non-government services where possible.
Guess which position I am pleading?
And so I noted down the colour of my eyes, hair and skin on a lengthy visa application form, parted with $35 and joined the 200,000 or so tourists who beat a path to Myanmar each year. These exclude daytrippers from neighbouring China.
In comparison, 3.4 million people heeded the call of its politically less troubled neighbour Vietnam last year.
But Myanmar, looking quite 'the Golden Land' for its many shiny Buddhist edifices, does not pale in comparison when it comes to attractions.
It has ancient temples, Buddhist relics and the often mysterious Irrawaddy River, muse of many a writer.
The former socialist country's relative isolation has also helped preserve its way of life. Even in capital city Yangon, most people still wear the traditional longyi, similar to sarongs here, instead of Western-style clothing.
Women and children still smudge a sweet-smelling yellow powder called thanakha over their faces, while men sport lips and teeth stained a fiendish red by their love for betel nut leaves.
Things do not change much in Myanmar, even when they need changing. Like the uneven railway tracks or the potholed pavements in Yangon. On an especially wet afternoon, I waded knee-deep in brackish water along the streets, never quite sure where to place my slippered foot.
The best sights in Myanmar are free: everyday scenes like barefoot boys playing football by the roadside, world-weary monks meditating on the human condition over a cigarette, or enterprising folks hawking their pay-per-use bathroom weighing scale.
And leafy Yangon is so safe I did not need to keep an eye on my belongings at all. In fact, I even spotted a woman stowing her handbag on her head.
But you do not have to be a history and politics major to see that something is not right. It is not just the poverty - plump people are still rare and street children call tourists 'money gods' - but also the uneasiness one senses when too many questions are asked. Or when barricades ringed with barbed wire are put up outside government buildings.
The road to Myanmar is not an easy one to take. Go in with your eyes wide open.
What to see
The obligatory tourist pit stop is Shwedagon Pagoda (Shwedagon Pagoda Road, admission: US$5), which British writer Rudyard Kipling described as 'a beautiful, winking wonder'. But what is most charming is not the golden spires but the sight of families enjoying a picnic in the prayer halls. Some locals may offer to show you around but be warned a few may ask for a 'present'.
It is an adventure in itself just getting from Yangon to Mandalay, the country's last royal capital. A 15-hour overnight journey on a rickety train often leaves one hanging on for dear life in a US$35 Upper Class reclining seat. The bus takes about the same time, is cleaner and cheaper at US$6 but more claustrophobic.
Where to sleep
The five-star Hotel Sedona Yangon (1 Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Yankin, tel: +95-1666-900) is about 15 minutes from the downtown bustle, yet near enough to serene Inya Lake to spy on lovers cosying up under umbrellas. Internet room rates start from US$75.
Haven Inn (216 Bo Myat Tun Street, tel: +95-1295500), a five-room hostel, converted from the owner's two-storey house in the eastern part of the city centre, is popular with English-speaking tourists. It offers spartan but homely ensuite rooms. A hearty breakfast with fruit, local cakes, eggs and toast is thrown in for US$10 to US$15 a night.
Where to eat
Like most things in Myanmar, everything at the ubiquitous tea shops - from the knee-high plastic tables and chairs to the espresso-size cups - is smaller than usual. For 20 US cents, you can sip a cup of thick milk tea at Yatha Teashop (353 Mahabandoola Road). Choose from snacks like banana pancake (like roti prata filled with banana), spring rolls or fried fritters (youtiao).
Tuck into Barman curries at Hla Myanma Htamin Zain (27 5th Street). You can choose from fish, chicken, shrimp or mutton curries as well as assorted dishes. The dishes are usually served with steamed rice, lentil soup and a green mango salad.
Where to shop
'Ethnic' shirts, blouses or bags from the various tribes make good souvenirs. These can be found at Bogyoke Aung San Market (Bogyoke Aung San Road).
Here, you can get longyi or traditional skirts for US$2. Soft cotton shawls cost US$3.
The roadside is packed with women and children peddling thanakha, a yellowish powder which is mixed with water and applied to the face. It serves as a sunblock and ointment for mosquito bites. About US$1.20 a tub.
It is hard to find new foreign-language books, but the second-hand bookstalls around 37th Street are treasure troves.
If you can look past the yellowed pages and musty odour, you will find some quirky reads for US$1.
Bagan Bookshop (100 37th Street, tel: 1377-227) stocks lovingly photocopied versions of out-of-print books on Myanmar culture and history.
Getting there: Jetstar Asia flies three times a week to Yangon International Airport. Fares start at S$158 one way. This does not include taxes of S$93 (return basis) and US$10 (S$16) departure tax at Yangon airport.
