Introduction

So once again I'm off on another adventure driving from Yangon, to you and I known as Rangoon, to Mandalay and back. This time next week we will be at the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel, Yangon and all things being equal have been reunited with the car, all in one piece.

Julian Hanson-Smith and I have teamed up for this one, Julian's family having been staunch old Burma hands. His Grandfather was in charge of the forestry in Burma (one of the country's three principal pre-war industries) and his father was born and brought up there. Julian is loaded down with diaries, maps and places off the itinerary to visit.

My father spent 1945 in the 19th Indian Division at the forefront of retaking Burma from the Japanese. We are traveling along most of his route so it will be fascinating to see how things have changed.

We are the first classic car rally from the UK to be allowed to drive through Burma so this is going to be one hell of a journey.  Its not a shit or bust sort of rally like the Peking to Paris so with luck we will have some time to discover some unspoilt parts of what must be one of the most fascinating countries in the world.. I have no idea how easy or not it will be to blog from hotels but if it is I will send you pictures and messages along the route.

Itinerary

Day	Date	Destination	Distance km	Highlights
1	19-Jan	Arrive Yangon	0	Reunited with cars
2	20-Jan	Yangon	0	Sightseeing tour of Yangon
3	21-Jan	Yangon to Taungoo	307	Cars blessed by a monk
4	22-Jan	Taungoo to Naypyidaw	116	New capital city
5	23-Jan	Naypyidaw to Kalaw	260	Colonial hillstation
6	24-Jan	Kalaw to Inle Lake	80	Breathtaking scenery
7	25-Jan	Inle Lake – Rest day	0	Lake cruise
8	26-Jan	Inle Lake to Pindaya	90	A thousand Buddhas
9	27-Jan	Pindaya to Mandalay	194	Last seat of the Kings of Burma
10	28-Jan	Mandalay – Rest day	0	Sightseeing tour of Mandalay
11	29-Jan	Mandalay to Maymyo	70	Botanical gardens
12	30-Jan	Maymyo – Rest day	0	Train journey
13	31-Jan	Maymyo to Monywa	220	Temples
14	01-Feb	Monywa – Rest day	0	River cruise
15	02-Feb	Monywa to Bagan	195	Temples
16	03-Feb	Bagan – Rest day	0
17	04-Feb	Bagan to Mt Popa – Bagan	100	Stunning temples
18	05-Feb	Bagan to Pyay	340	Historic trading crossroads
19	06-Feb	Pyay – Rest day	60	Sunset on the Irriwady
20	07-Feb	Pyay to Yangon	280	Cars to the port
21	08-Feb	Yangon Depart	0
			2312	Total