A Burmese Journey: Saving Sacred Spaces in Myanmar

From Global Post: "Myanmar's tourism revenue has grown exponentially in the last few years since the apparent regime change from military to civilian rule. The question of whether the area, and its temples, can support the influx is a pressing one."

Watch the short video (right) - and for further information, read this New York Times article on visiting Myanmar: 

• Visiting Myanmar: It's Complicated
  

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Image: Flickr/Fulito

Desert of Dreams: Experiencing the Sahara

From Lonely Planet: "The Sahara Desert is like nowhere else on earth. It is the world’s largest desert, at once continental in its scale and exquisite in its detail, from a sand sea the size of a small European country to an orange sand dune sculpted to perfection by the wind. Covering a territory roughly equivalent to the United States, the Sahara crosses around 20 lines of longitude and encompasses at least ten countries – Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, Libya, Niger, Tunisia, Chad, Egypt 
and Sudan – and the disputed territory of Western Sahara."

Here are some tips about the best times and places to visit the Sahara. 

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Walking Tokyo: From Mount Takao to the Megacity 

Starting from the summit of Mount Takao, a nature reserve,  British novelist and broadcaster Marcel Theroux embarks on a 40-mile walk throughout the outskirts and bustling city of Tokyo - which is home to over 30 million people within its 30 mile perimeter. 

Here is his interesting account of the many people and places he came across -  from the rural artisanal tofu makers to the skyscrapers and karaoke bars in the red-light district. 

Image of Tokyo: Flickr/Brightsea

" This strange combination of modernity and tradition is what's so intriguing about Japan: bullet trains and tatami mats; pachinko parlours and tea ceremony; concrete ugliness and a reverence for natural beauty; the kitsch of Hello Kitty and the simplicity of haiku."
--Marcel Theroux

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Image: Santiago, Chile. Flickr/Sapienssolutions

The Southern Tip of the World: Exploring Argentina and Chile

What's it like to go to the most southern part of South America? Travel blogger Ed Graham gives a frank review  - and shares beautiful pictures - of seven of the places he visited in the southernmost parts of Argentina and Chile, including Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Patagonia.