Castleblanca

Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo is the old name) in Myanmar (Burma is the old name).

This is where the English went to escape the heat of Mandalay and is off the beaten track and totally different from the rest of Myanmar.

On my first two visits there I went up the mountain through the "jungle / forest", and there were actually tigers running around. Now, the military government cut down most of the trees along the way (sold the lumber for hard currency), and the tigers, etc. are unfortunately gone.

However, Pyin Oo Lwin is still worth a visit for itself. Old English style homes, ponds, lakes, English gardens, golf course, and it is all in the middle of Myanmar in a temperate climate.

ekscrunchy

Isn't there a famous old hotel in Maymyo, that begins with the letter "C?"

West Africa gets my vote!

glorialf

Maymo-- one of the problems with it is that the big old hotel is owned by the government so a big no no. There is a huge army station there. I would say it is worth a day trip from Mandalay but I wouldn't stay over.

Now Moguk in Burma is truly non touristy and was fascinating but last I heard it was once again closed to tourists.

ekscrunchy

Candacraig! Sorry to hear it is govt owned.

AskOksana

Burma is not the 'old name', it is the name of the country. It is the country's evil military dictatorship & general dictator who chose to change the name... many western nations do not recognize "Myanmar"... this the regime who has slaughtered monks, dissidents, forces child & slave labor (to build roads, hotels, etc)., that smuggles sapphires & rubies into Thailand under bogus carnets so they can make billions in profits & use the profits to further oppress the people of Burma, chop down more rainforests, kill more endangered species & build more palaces for themselves... while huge segments of the population live in poverty & malnutrition.

The imprisoned leader of the democracy movement has asked western tourists NOT to visit Burma, because nearly all of the money you spend (including the airport tax, nearly all the hotels, stores, restaurants) will go to the cronies of the military dictatorship.

Pretending your tourist money doesn't serve to enslave the Burmese people doesn't make it not so.

KimJapan

We had a guide in the Golden Triangle that told me that the name Myanmar and Burma both have a long history and are essentially the same. Askoksansa's post reminded me of this discussion we had, and I looked for some further information. This wiki explains what my guide told me, and more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Burma

and a more simplified account
http://www.mewashingtondc.com/Myanmar_Burma.htm

There is also an increasing trend toward independent tourism to the country, as many years of boycott has accomplished little or nothing in terms of changing the regime. Many now say to visit, stay in privately owned guesthouses, eat local, shop local, talk local...and the more people that visit, the better, because awareness increases on both sides with more visitors.

filmwill

Here, here, Kim.

Boy, Oksana certainly knows a lot about a lot of things.

I'm considering asking her for tax advice this year.

Can we please not drag up the old 'to go or not to go to Burma' thing again? There are so many other posts dedicated to that...and I suggest airing your grievances there. Please don't hijack poor Mandy's thread.

Femi

A little belated, but I wanted to thank Cicerone for such a thoughtful post.

cece

I also have to mention Mali. We were recently there and found Timbucktu and the Dogon escarpment fascinating. We saw very few tourists.

Colinwh

Some years ago on coming home from years in Africa I wanted to visit a remote area with decent infrastructure and food.
I considered Madeira, but was told it was too commercial and the Azores were recommended.
The 7 main islands can be visited by local air or boat and offer a rare richness and variety, and the freshest fish and meat dishes possible.
There are tourists, mainly German and English but most visit on a regular basis - Go in spring when the flowers are magnificent.
DO NOT try to go in winter.

afterall

May one ask how you got to Rwanda?

Hanuman

Visit the final frontier - go to into space!

djg6234

I would suggest the Nicoyan Peninsula in Costa Rica. We have stayed in Tambor three times and rented a house on the ocean inside the Tango Mar Resort. There are two hotels I would suggest. The first is Tambor Tropical http://www.tambortropical.com/
which couldn't be more private (if you don't mind having no air-they will provide a fan). As information, this is a collection of 5 cabanas surrounding a pool which was featured on TV series "Temptation Island." The second is Tango Mar Resort http://www.tangomar.com/ which sits on the beautiful Pacific Ocean and is very private as well. From either of these two you can go zip-lining at Montezuma; horseback riding on the beach; take a boat from Tambor Marina to Tortuga Island for snorkling; visit Montezuma a quaint little hippie town that has some great dirt floor restuarants; go deep sea fishing; visit nature preserves; hike; just swim in your pool or the ocean; or just lay in a hammock! If this interests you, I'd be happy to give you more details. If you go to TripAdvisor and search for Tambor Tropical I have posted pictures.

Mitch04

Do one of the Assam Bengal Navigation's trips and cruise along the Brahmaputra in Assam, India.

My wife and I did an ABN cruise last year and apart from 10 other passengers on the vessel, we never saw another tourist.

Beforehand, we stayed at the ABN's jungle lodge near the border of Assam and Bhutan. It's basic accommodation, but worthwile for 3-4 nights.

ANB have also just opened a lodge at Kaziringa National Park on the banks of the Brahmaputra, and that's also meant to be very pleasant. You'll see wild elephants, one horned rhinos, maybe a tiger or three plus some leopards, and oodles of exotic birdlife, monkeys, deer, buffalo, and river dolphins.

We also stayed at Mancotta Chang Bungalows at Dibrugarh and that was outstanding.

Assam is a forgotten part of India. You won't see another tourist apart from those you might travel with.

The website is http://assambengalnavigation.com/

jbranscom

Yunnan province, China. Went for three days without seeing a westerner-yet accomadations are comfortable. Very little pollution in this part of the country. The souther part of Yunnan borders Burma, Laos, Vietnam-the norhern part Sichuan prvince and Tibet. Georgeous mountain gorges(the upper reaches of the Yangze and Mekong, as well as other rivers.) Minority peoples.

julies

Great thread. Great thoughts.

I agree with Cicerone though. There are many places that are off the beaten tourist track if you are willing to just think creatively and not automaticaly just assume that it must be a country no one else visits. Our examples.

The Maramures area of Romania--a glimpse of what Europe must have been like pre WWII.

The Yucatan peninsula avoiding all the places that tourists typically visit.

Lithuania--no Americans and not a lot of tourists period outside of Vilnius.

We did a fabulous biking trip in NW Germany around Muenster. Never ran into another native English speaker.

The far reaches of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. The rural areas around Hanoi. The remote mountain villages of Vietnam near the Chinese border.

I have found if I read guidebooks thoroughly and look for things/places that appeal to us, not necessarily the typical highlights of a country, there are tons of places that are not overrun by tourists.

USNR

We were surprised by how few tourists we ran across in Wales. We spent about 10 days, coming up from Cornwall and Devon, and winding up at the Isle of Angelsey. Only one American -- and he was lost -- crossed our paths, in a bar in Betys-y-Coed.