From Burma to Myanmar

In a death-defying taxi with no windows I was flown along the roads in a howling gale. I sat directly behind the driver hoping he would act as an air bag when the inevitable collision came. In that position I couldn’t see the worst that was happening around us, like pedestrians peeling off our fenders.

Lydia Laube is no stranger to near-death experiences. She encounters many on the five journeys she takes to discover Myanmar, or Burma as it was known on the first three of these.

As ever Lydia chooses the route less travelled to reach and explore this wondrous land of pagodas and paddy fields. Under Myanmar’s magic spell, she pays homage to the world’s biggest python, visits the world’s largest book and falls in love with a little horse called Madonna.

About the Author

Lydia Laube never says no to adventure, whether that means galloping a horse across the Mongolian plains or hopping on a cargo ship to Madagascar. Born into the farming community of Caltowie in the mid-north of South Australia, Lydia trained as a nurse in Adelaide, then set off to see the world. Her debut book, Behind the Veil: An Australian nurse in Saudi Arabia, was an instant bestseller, and she has become one of Australia’s favourite travel writers. From Burma to Myanmar is her ninth book. Between winter escapes to the sun, Lydia shares a small house in Adelaide with a large cat with attitude.