Burma Lost and Found: Three Years Living My Dream Job in the Travel Industry in Rangoon and Beyond

In January 2011, just before political reforms in Myanmar ended a decades-old military regime, writer and travel expert Marek Lenarcik arrived in Yangon on a short-term work assignment. Little did he know then that a broken heart and dwindling savings would lead him to pursue a dream career working for one of the country's top tour companies. On duty as a travel product manager, Marek traverses the country by trains, planes and automobiles to experience stunning landscapes, ruins of empires, exotic food and unique cultures in search of the best that the nation's budding tour and hospitality industry has to offer. With stories from the emerald shores of the Andaman Sea at Ngapali beach to the mountain peaks of Chin State, Burma Lost & Found brings humour, vivid desrciption and insight to his adventures and encounters with an eclectic cast of characters including an eccentric monk, dodgy expats, charismatic guides, gracious hosts and many more.

Two weeks holidaying in Thailand in 2007 changed Marek Lenarcik’s life. Fed up with dreary Irish winters, he decided to leave his corporate job and, in 2009, bought a one-way ticket to Asia. Since that time he’s worn a variety of hats. He’s taught English in a Thai university, hosted outdoor adventures in Malaysia and organized expeditions around Southeast Asia and South America. In 2012, he moved to Yangon, Myanmar, where he currently works in the tourism industry. Lenarcik holds an M. Phil in International Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin and a BA in Political Science from the Warsaw School of Social Sciences, Poland. He began writing at age 17 and has since published hundreds of articles. His work has appeared in The Washington Times, Playboy, Paranormal Magazine UK and The Times, among others. His first book Tajski epizod z dreszczykiem (Thai Episode with a Thrill) was published in Poland in June 2012 and quickly became a bestseller in its category. Its English version was published in February 2013 under the title This is Thailand: A Story of Love, Sex and Betrayal in the Tropics.