Reasons to see Burma now

To Walk the Longest Teak Bridge The famous U Bein bridge outside Mandalay is the world's longest and oldest teak bridge, stretching close to three quarters of a mile across Taungthaman Lake. (AFP)

See Beauty of Bagan Bagan, the ancient capital of Burma, is the main archaeological site and popular tourist attraction of the country. The Bagan temples rival other archeological sites like Cambodia's Angkor Wat or the Egyptian pyramids. Here, hot air balloons fly over the temple-studded plains of Bagan on January 14, 2010. (Reuters/Soe Zeya Tun)

See a Golden Pagoda Burma's most sacred Buddhist shrine, the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is one of the nation's most celebrate sites. The pagoda is sheathed in gold plate and contains 9.75 tons of gold. In this photo, Buddhist devotees gather together in February 2012 to honor the 2,600 anniversary of the temple's establishment. (AP/Khin Maung Win)

Embrace Buddhism Burma is the world's most religious Buddhist country. Buddhism is practiced by 89 percent of the country's population. Here, Buddhist nuns pray during a farewell ceremony for Ashin Pyinyar Thiha, the head of the Shwenyawar monastery, before he leaves the monastery in Yangon on February 19, 2012. (AFP)

Sleep on a Lake Inle Lake, beside the Magyizin Village, is surrounded by magnificent views of the blue mountain ranges and rice paddy fields. The shallow lake is home to thousands of villager who live on stilted houses above or beside the lake. Floating gardens pepper Inle and resident paddle around in long boats. <a target="_blank" href="http://inleprincessresort.net/">Inle Princess Resort</a> lies on the eastern bank of the lake and offers tourists an elegant location to heal the body, mind and soul. ( Inle Princess Resort )