It is often the case in Myanmar that the best places to visit are those that take some effort to reach. This certainly holds true for Lei Thar Gone Guest House, which Sampan stumbled upon by accident when visiting the hometown of one of our team members.

Lei Thar Gone is situated in Yenangyaung, an old oil town in Magway Division. Yenangyaung is located in Myanmar’s central dry zone, only a few hours drive south of Bagan. It is not somewhere that many tourists find themselves. Herein lies the charm. Perched atop a hill one can look over the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy River, sleeping in comfortable, spacious and homely rooms and cottages.

One should not expect a variety of activities on offer here. It is a place for quiet romantic getaways, a place for curling up with a good book and playing board games. Or indeed, a place for reflection. A writer’s paradise.

Breakfast is made to your taste of breads, jams and eggs while supper at the Guest House’s Gentle Breeze Restaurant is a homemade three course Burmese meal with subtle European influences.

FLASH POINT: One can take comfort in the knowledge that a certain percentage of the hotel revenue goes directly to the neighbouring ‘Light of Love’ High School, originally set up for local destitute children, many of whom had been orphaned by AIDS.