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BUDDHA IN THE BACKYARD Enter the stone gates of the Bagan Hotel and you could be forgiven for thinking you've stumbled upon yet another reconstructed temple. The elaborate teak and brick reception hall is built in the ancient architectural style. Wedged between the major sites of old Pagan and the banks of the Irrawaddy River, the resort is a shady oasis of fragrant flowering trees and rustic guesthouses, which blend with their sacred surroundings. Built in the wake of the government's 1996 Visit Myanmar Year campaign, the resort is run by the enigmatic Juergen Dieter Voss, who, with 17 other successful international hotels under his belt, has chosen to settle in the remote backwaters of Pagan. "I fell in love with the people," he says. "I couldn't leave."

Indolent afternoons are spent dipping in the pool, the only activity possible once the temperature reaches a scorching 45°C. But valuable sightseeing time is not wasted—from the deck chairs, guests can gaze up at the magnificent whitewashed silhouette of the 900-year-old Gawdawpalin Pagoda, or between dips stroll through the garden to visit a pair of 11th century temples, one of which houses a well-tended golden Buddha. It's a place to get away from it all, literally. "It would be easier to take tea with the Queen," says Voss, "than to get a phone call through to Pagan." For reservations, don't ring, but e-mail baganhotel@myanmars.net.