Burma, or Myanmar as it is now known, has captured the hearts and imaginations of many people, among them famous writers, who have waxed lyrical over the country.

Rudyard Kipling, in his Letters from the East (1889), described it as, “This is Burma and it will be quite unlike any land you know about.”

Somerset Maugham was also captivated by Burma. So was George Orwell. The latter actually lived for five years in the country in the 1920s, working as a colonial police officer before he wrote “1984” and “Animal Farm”.

"During eight previous visits Burma has enthralled me too. It will again, I know, when we return in January 2010 for a repeat of the Hilltribes Trek in Burma’s Chin and Shan States, which I led in January 2008," said Murray.

“There are many colourful and exotic sides to where we'll be travelling in Burma. The pictures in the two photo montages were taken during our 2008 Hilltribes Trek in Burma’s Chin and Shan States. They convey not only how special the areas are that we'll be trekking through, but also highlight the stunning sights and experiences we'll have when we're in Rangoon, Bagan and Inle Lake.”

The expedition, from 19 to 31 January 2010, will comprise seven days of walking through Burma’s rarely visited mountain regions, a two days/two nights Bagan excursion and four days/three nights at Inle Lake.

For more information contact Murray at hkmurray@hkstar.com

• Photos courtesy of Leo Murray