Step Inside Burma: Introducing our awesome interactive map

Our creative department has been beavering away over the past few weeks and months to bring you a really awesome new tool for travel inspiration.

We realise that planning your trip, deciding where to go, researching destinations and generally getting excited about all the amazing stuff you're going to do is one of the most important stages of going on holiday. Even if you're getting a fantastic tour operator (*cough* Inside Burma Tours *cough*) to do all the hard work for you, the anticipation of adventures to come is almost as sweet as actually being there.

Anyway, why am I rambling on about anticipation and holiday build-up? Because today we're releasing the most exciting tool we've ever produced: an interactive, animated map that allows you to explore Burma from the comfort of your sofa, your desk, your commute to work - in fact, from anywhere.

Browse on your desktop, tablet, or any mobile device

Oooooh, it's beautiful. How does it work?

In a nutshell: we've chosen some of the best, most beautiful, most breath-taking destinations across Burma for you to explore. All you need to do is "step inside" our map, select an icon, and you'll be transported to a photo sphere of that destination. It's as simple as that.

Our beautiful, beautiful map

What's a photo sphere?

A photosphere is the outer shell of a star, from which light is radiated, but that's not the kind of photo sphere we're talking about. The kind we're talking about is a 360-degree panorama photograph, which allows you to look in all directions at any given destination. Have a look at our map and you'll see what I mean!

Some of our photo spheres were created professionally by Google maps, while others were uploaded by travellers on their mobile phones, but they're all awesome.

Visit the temples of Bagan without leaving your living room

What else does it do?

As if it weren't enough for you to immerse yourself in Burma's most iconic destinations, we've included a "random location" tool that allows you to explore even further - visiting anywhere in Burma that's covered by Google's photo spheres. Where street view is available, you can even wander Burma's backstreets! This is actually one of our favourite features of the map - allowing you to get beneath the surface of some little-known but beautiful corners of the country.

Plus, as Inside Burma is part of Inside Asia Tours, you can also explore Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Japan with us - just head to "choose country" to select a new map.

Why did you create this?

We love our destinations, and we want to inspire others to love them too. These maps aren't just for our customers, they're for everybody who wants to learn more about Asia: its beautiful landscapes, its fascinating cultures, and its monumental history.