You want to get off the “been there, done that” beaten track of Rangoon-Mandalay-Bagan-Inle-Ngapali? It’s time to discover those precious historical sites and natural wonders that are still unspoilt.

UNESCO has approved three ancient Pyu cities – Hanlin, Beiktano and Sri Kestra – as World Heritage Sites, the first time any historical monument in Burma has been recognised by the prestigious UN award.

Archaeologists are planning to excavate ancient ruins in Irrawaddy Division that could be as much as 2,000 years old and date back to the Pyu era.

The borderline between Burma and India, a strip of insurgent-infested forest, will eventually be drawn with some precision. But as the line that separates the two countries becomes more distinct, their ruling administrations are ever more entwined.

Burma wants to nominate the ancient Pyu city state of Hanlin as a World Heritage Site.

Locals living near a controversial Chinese-backed copper mine have blasted Aung San Suu Kyi’s highly anticipated report into the police crackdown on protestors last November for not ordering a complete halt to the project