Since gaining its independence from the British Empire in 1948, Burma — now known as Myanmar — has been largely sealed off from the outside world, first by a repressive government, then by international economic sanctions.

The sanctions have been lifted and Myanmar is now open for business, but it has not experienced the modernization seen across Southeast Asia — yet. And that’s why I wanted to go now.

I found a way around the scarcity of good hotels and poor infrastructure: For three days, I traveled down the Irrawaddy River on board the Sanctuary Ananda, a luxurious cruise ship that felt like a 5-star floating hotel.

When I wasn't relaxing on the ship, I was exploring Myanmar's greatest attractions, like the golden pagodas of Bagan, the monasteries of Mandalay, and the temples of Yangon. 

Prices begin at $1,221 for a 3-night cruise from Bagan to Mandalay, which includes accommodations, all meals, soft drinks and local beer, and all excursions. 

Disclosure: Maxine Albert was hosted by the Sanctuary Ananda Boat for the pre-opening launch.

The Sanctuary Ananda is a new luxury riverboat that cruises the Irrawaddy River between Mandalay, the nation’s spiritual center, and Bagan, which is home to two thousand temples.

The ship has 21 suites, each of which has its own private balcony.

Each suite feels luxurious with air conditioning, lush silk décor, an indoor sitting area, and gorgeous views out from the private balcony.

This Father's Day, spoil the man that always spoils you with a luxurious gift he'll never forget.

We scoured the web in search of gifts that cater to stylish dads, because he deserves more than a basic golf shirt this year.  

Keep him well groomed on the go.

The Art of Shaving's 4 Elements of the Perfect Shave Travel Kit has everything he needs to get a clean shave away from home. Plus, all of the products are TSA-friendly.  

Price: $175

Step up his summer shoe game.

Classier than boat shoes without sacrificing comfort, penny loafers are the modern gentleman's go-to summer shoe. Cole Haan's Britton Penny Loafer will add a relaxed feel to his warm weather wardrobe.  

Price: $198

Expand his culinary horizons.

Mantry delivers a handmade wooden crate filled with six artisan food and beverage products straight to dad's doorstep. Choose a single crate, or keep him in the kitchen with a three- or six-month subscription. 

Price: $225 (three-month subscription)

Back in 2012, photographer Murad Osmann (@muradosmann) started an Instagram account, and his pictures went viral.

It became known as the "follow me" Instagram, because in every picture Murad — the photographer — is being led by his gorgeous girlfriend — Natalia Zakharova — to some exciting destination.

Osmann just married Zakharova in a gorgeous ceremony which he broadcast to his 2.7 million Instagram followers. 

But the couple is still traveling the world together, and Zakharova is still leading her now husband by the hand.

From Paris's Eiffel Tower to Jordan's Dead Sea, here are 33 gorgeous photos from the world-traveling couple.

Here's Murad, the photographer, as captured by his wife, Natalia.

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And here's Natalia in front of the Louvre on her birthday last year. Natalia also has her own Instagram account (@yourleo) with plenty of followers — 474,000 to be exact.

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In July of last year, Murad proposed to Natalia, and happily reported in the caption, "She said YES!!!"

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This Father's Day, you don't have to break the bank to show dad how much you care.

From personalized accessories to thoughtful books to a classic bottle of bourbon, we rounded up budget-friendly gifts that every dad will love — all under $50.

His flight will be ultra-relaxing after an old fashioned — or two.

Price: $24

Give dad the first-class treatment — even if he's flying economy — with this carry-on cocktail kit. Complete with bitters, cane sugar, and a stirring spoon, he'll have everything he needs for a proper old fashioned. Just add alcohol.

Get it here »

Coasters made from vintage records add a fun touch to his home.

Price: $16.70 

Perfect for any music lover, these coasters made from vintage records will fill dad with a rush of nostalgia every time he sets down his drink. Not to mention they're also incredibly practical.

Get it here »

A Roku puts all his favorite shows in one place.

Price: $49.99

Dad will love having all his favorite shows in one place with a Roku. The device offers hundreds of free channels, allows users to stream services like Netflix and Hulu through their TV, and connects to Google Play and Amazon instant video, making it easy to rent any title.  

Get it here »

Jeff Gundlach doesn't think there's a good chance we'll see the Fed hikes rates this year.

In his latest presentation on the economy and the markets, the so-called "Bond King" talked about the high-yield market, the Fed, and the potential the nominal GDP could be set to turn higher. 

Gundlach said that there will not be a collapse in the high-yield bond market this year because there just aren't the many maturities, or bonds that need to have their principal returned to investors. 

He also quoted Hemingway when discussing bankruptcy ("Gradually, then suddenly."), and thinks any growth in wages is the most important thing to consider when looking at a potential rate hike from the Fed.  

Thumb through each of these slides and examine every chart closely if you want to understand how Gundlach thinks.

Thanks to DoubleLine Funds for letting us feature this presentation.

SEE ALSO: Jeff Gundlach says there will NOT be a collapse in high-yield bonds this year

This week, Apple held an annual ceremony to honor what the company thinks are the very best apps for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac from the past year.

Apps selected to win an Apple Design Award range from Fantastical, a great replacement to Apple's own Calendar app, to "Crossy Road," a popular and beautiful iPhone game. There were also several apps made for students and kids, including an app for children that uses creative ways to teach kids the alphabet.

Elementary Minute

The first app Apple awarded was Elementary Minute, which was made by an Austrian student. It presents quizzes in a simple, engaging format and also works on the Apple Watch.

Topics range from math to geography to famous people, and "Rush" mode turns quizzes into a game where you have four lives and lose one if you get an answer wrong or if you take too long.

It's $0.99 in the App Store.

Jump-O

University students from Brazil made "Jump-O," a simple, minimalistic game where you are a circle in a world full of squares.

The design of the game looks pretty basic, but it's surprisingly engaging with five-star reviews in the App Store. You can download and play it for free.

Shadowmatic

This beautiful puzzler takes advantage of Apple's latest technologies to create impressive 3D effects.

The $2.99 game features over 80 levels that each present their own challenges, and it has amazing reviews.

Here's what Pocket Gamer had to say: "Simple to the point of beauty, and beautiful to the point of becoming a work of art, this is a game you won't want to win, because you won't want the experience to end."

There are a lot of ways to rate the performance of a CEO.

But the people who understand the CEO best are the company's employees that work under the person's leadership every day.

So job-hunting site Glassdoor sifted through its massive stores of company reviews to create a list of the Top 50 Best CEOs. All of the CEOs on this list received at least 100 reviews from employees during the past year.

Tech CEOs made up a little under half the list, but they dominated the Top 5, including one surprise CEO you may not know.

No. 16: Airbnb’s Brian Chesky

CEO: Brian Chesky

Company: Airbnb

Approval rating: 89% approval

Overall ranking on Top 50 list: #48

"Tons of energy, very smart and friendly people, incredible food program. The founders are good guys, well-meaning, even if their lack of experience comes through (which it does frequently). For a Silicon Valley company, Airbnb is about as diverse as you'll find, which is a huge plus."– Marketing in San Francisco, CA

No. 15: Adobe’s Shantanu Narayen

CEO: Shantanu Narayen

Company: Adobe

Approval rating: 89% approval

Overall ranking on Top 50 list:#47

"Great culture awesome innovation, adobe does a few things really well and avoids the things they don't do well."– Director in Washington, DC

No. 14: Intel's Brian Krzanich

CEO: Brian Krzanich

Company: Intel

Approval rating: 90% approval

Overall ranking on Top 50 list: #39

"Intel management is generally open about why any decision, from why a project is kicking off to why Intel is exiting a business." – Software Engineer in Chandler, AZ

Glassdoor,  the massive job-hunting website that lets you see staff reviews of their own companies, just unveiled its annual Employees' Choice Awards for the Highest Rated CEOs of 2015.

Unlike any other workplace awards, the Employees' Choice Awards are based solely on the input of employees who anonymously and voluntarily provide feedback via the Glassdoor company review survey.

"Each CEO approval rating takes into account the quantity and consistency of Glassdoor-approved company reviews shared by UK-based employees between 22 April, 2014 and 21 April, 2015. At a minimum, CEOs considered for the UK list must have received at least 20 reviews during the eligibility period," Glassdoor says.

"Gaining the trust and approval of an entire workforce is one of the most difficult yet rewarding responsibilities for any leader," said Robert Hohman, Glassdoor CEO and co-founder in a statement.

Business Insider has a round-up of  the top 25 CEOs that British employees love so much, including the bosses of overseas companies that employ people here. 

25. António Horta-Osório, Lloyds

CEO: António Horta-Osório

Company: Lloyds Banking Group

Approval rating: 82% approval

Staff review of the company: "Great atmosphere, friendly environment. Really committed to your development with professional qualifications."

24. Kris Hagerman, Sophos

CEO: Kris Hagerman

Company: Sophos

Approval rating: 82%

Staff review of the company: "The company is really going places and sales are up every single quarter so there is money in the company. There seems to be some real drive and progress. Pay is good."

23. John T. Chambers, Cisco Systems

CEO: John T. Chambers

Company: Cisco Systems

Approval rating: 82% approval

Staff review of the company: "The people you get to work with here are amazing!! Also, if you have an idea, all you need to do is to find a few more people who share your passion and just start working on it. You might be surprised where your project might take you."

June 14 is the US Army's Birthday. The Army traces its roots to the foundation of the Continental Army which was formed on June 14, 1775, from a combination of state militias.

From this inauspicious start, the US Army has gone on to become the strongest fighting force in the world.

The US Army is the largest of the branches on the United States Armed Forces, and it is responsible for land-based operations. Despite this, the Army still has access to some of the best technology in the world, including planes, helicopters, and mechanized infantry. 

As the US Army withdraws from the War in Afghanistan and funding is cut, the Army is slated to be reduced to its smallest size since before World War II. Despite its smaller nature, the Army will still be ready to deploy wherever it is needed. 

To celebrate America's Army, we've pulled out some of the coolest photos from the archives.

Some of the first pictures of the US Army are of Union soldiers during the Civil War. Here's a photo of soldiers camping along the west bank of the Rappahonnock River at Fredericksburg during the Battle of Chancellorsville.

One of the most famous Army units was Teddy Roosevelt's "Rough Riders." They are pictured here after the Battle of San Juan in 1898.

The army began acquiring fixed-wing aircraft in 1910. This photo shows Army planes flying over Manhattan in 1939.

If you want to see how astronauts will mine the Moon, anchor an asteroid, or drive rovers on Mars, then look no further than the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO.

NEEMO is the only undersea research station in the world, and astronaut crews have been training with it ever since the facility was first established in 2001.

Resting on the Atlantic ocean's seafloor, 62 feet below the surface and 3.5 miles off the coastlines of Key Largo, Florida, NEEMO offers astronauts the closest environment to outer space they can get without strapping themselves to a rocket.

When they're under the sea, these astronauts train for NASA's most prestigious upcoming missions — in some sense, you need to learn to be an aquanaut before you can become an astronaut.

Here are some of the incredible things these sea-faring explorers do while they're getting they're feet wet for space.

First thing's first: The aquanauts have to get to their undersea station. They do this, naturally, by plunging into the Atlantic.

As they approach their new home, each astronaut crew will see the main base, called Aquarius, loom into view through the clear-blue waters.

Aquarius only has enough room to accommodate up to 7 people at a time and each mission lasts no longer than 3 weeks. Shown here are four members of the NEEMO 10 crew who stayed from July 22 through 28 in 2006.

This photo shows NEEMO 10 crewmembers they reach Aquarius. From front to back are Karen Kohanowich, deputy director of NOAA's Undersea Research Program, Silver Spring, Md.; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut/aquanaut Koichi Wakata; and NASA astronaut/aquanauts Karen L. Nyberg and Andrew J. Feustel.

Can't stand the big boss at work? Try getting a job at Google, Nike, or Goldman Sachs.

Employees at these companies have three of America's most beloved CEOs.

That's according to a new report by Glassdoor, an online jobs and careers community. The 2015 Highest-Rated CEOs report relied solely on the input of employees who elected to participate anonymously in an online company review survey.

Respondents were asked to rate their CEO and say whether or not they approve of the way he or she is leading the company. 

To be eligible for the final ranking, each CEO had to run a company with at least 1,000 employees, and had to have at least 100 approval ratings, senior management ratings, and company reviews between April 2014 and April 2015. 

25. Corey Schiller (and co-CEO Asher Raphael)

Company: Power Home Remodeling Group

Approval rating: 91%

Employee testimonial: "The management here is unmatched with how well things are run, how they treat us (pay, bonuses, vacations) and just in general how cool they are." 

24. Omar S. Ishrak

Company: Medtronic

Approval rating: 91%

Employee testimonial: "Mission of company is very admirable and truly what most employees and absolutely the CEO stand by, 'alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life.'" 

23. Martin Mucci

Company: Paychex

Approval rating: 91%

Employee testimonial:"The CEO is also awesome and you can tell he truly wants the best for the company AND the employees."

One of the largest camera trap studies done in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, reveals the daily lives of its wild inhabitants as they eat, play, nap, and even take inadvertent selfies.

The scientists of Snapshot Serengeti mounted 225 cameras in a 434 square mile area as an expansion of the ongoing Serengeti Lion Project and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute's surveys of major species. 

The cameras captured 1.2 million sets of photos (three photos per set) from June 2010 to May 2013, according to the study published on June 9 in Scientific Data. They've set up a website can search the whole set of images to find your favorites.  

What they uncovered gives us an idea of what the daily struggle to survive looks like in one of the most varied and unique ecosystems in the world.

1.6 million wildebeest and zebra migrate across the Serengeti savanna every year. Hoping to catch this awesome show of life, the research group Snapshot Serengeti set up camera traps in the park, which were set off by a combination of heat and movement — catching lots of images of animals in motion.

Source: Scientific Data.

... Like this herd of elephants migrating. Many of the 322,653 photos that contained wildlife shows groups of animals. "The images are supposed to be random," Swanson said. "We wanted the cameras to give an unbiased view of how these animals were using the landscape."

Snapshot Serengeti was stunned by the 1.2 million photos captured. "We were simply overwhelmed." So, they partnered with Zooniverse, a citizen science project website, to have volunteers sort through the images. But using non-scientists leaves a lot of room for mistakes when identifying animals. For example the hyenas below are easily recognizable ...

Source: Zooniverse.org

While many people in ad land claim their lives are not like the "Mad Men" days of the 1960s, their lifestyles still tend to be glamorous.

Plane-hopping to clients' overseas offices, parties, long Martini lunches, and the biggest calendar event of the year — the annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity — you can follow it all through the lens of Instagram.

We've picked out some of the best advertising and marketing executives' accounts to follow on Instagram. We've weighted our rankings using a (not entirely mathematical) scale of how often the user posts, and whether their pictures are beautifully shot/aspirational/offer an insight into their working life/or simply brighten up people's Instagram feeds.

29. Tim Armstrong, AOL CEO. WHY? Armstrong only first started posting on Instagram 11 weeks ago, and it's mostly been work-related to date. But life at AOL is about to get a lot more exciting after Verizon's acquisition.

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28. Robin Grant, founder and global managing director at We Are Social. WHY? He goes to all the best social media parties.

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27. Darren Herman, VP of content services, strategy, revenue generation, and business development at Mozilla. WHY? Tennis, tech, food, and more tennis.

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We all have them — habits we think are healthy because we heard them somewhere on the news or from a health-conscious friend. And no matter how much we hate them, we just keep doing them because we think they're good for us.

Take avoiding gluten, for example. Is it really healthy?

Or taking a daily multivitamin. Healthy habit or a little bit of nonsense?

The answers to these questions might surprise you.

Have some we missed? Send them along to science(at)businessinsider.com.

Using a standing desk

A recent long-term study looking at data on nearly 4,000 US adults found no benefit in terms of overall risk of dying from standing as opposed to sitting.

In the short-term, however, standing does burn more calories per minute; so if losing weight is all you're worried about, stand on!

Using toilet seat liners

Viruses like HIV and herpes are fragile, meaning they don't survive very well outside of a nice, warm human body. By the time you sit down on a public toilet seat — even if it was recently shared by someone else — most harmful pathogens likely wouldn't be able to infect you.

Plus, your skin is a pretty effective block against any meandering microbes. (Unless, of course, you have a cut or open wound there, which could allow the bacteria to get in.)

Avoiding gluten

Unless you're one of the 1% of Americans who suffer from celiac disease, gluten probably won't have a negative effect on you. In fact, studies show that most people suffer from slight bloating and gas when they eat, whether they consume wheat or not. So go ahead and eat that bagel.

Larry Ellison, Oracle's billionaire cofounder and current CTO, is famous for his brash personality.

He's shown time and time again that he's willing to go to great lengths to win, both in business and in his extracurricular activities. 

We've rounded up the stories that best show how competitive Ellison really is. 

Ellison wants to be dominant in everything he does. On Oracle's competing with Microsoft to be the number one software company, Ellison told 60 Minutes in 2004, "We're in second place. We're trying to catch them. They're not making it easy ... They have a monopoly. We don't. Darn it."

Source: 60 Minutes

Ellison obsessed over beating Gates for years. Former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold told Vanity Fair in 1997: "I mean, the guy’s got six billion bucks. You’d think he wouldn’t be so dramatically obsessed that one guy in the Northwest is more successful. [With Larry] it’s just a mania."

Source: Vanity Fair

He led huge changes in the America's Cup sailing competition, moving away from standard catamarans to expensive, futuristic AC72s. The boats are 13 stories tall and reach speeds of up to 50 mph.

Source: Business Insider

Forget fine dining.

Across the globe, some of the best, most authentic local dishes are cooked right on the street.

From fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds in Canada to fruits covered in a sweet candy shell in China, here are 40 street foods you won't regret sinking your teeth into. 

Dürüm, in Istanbul, is a wrap made from flatbread stuffed with spiced meat like lamb, chicken, or a beef-veal combination. Then, it is topped off with fresh onions, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, an herb-yogurt sauce, and hot sauce to pack a punch.

Tang hu lu is a sweet skewered snack made from various fruits like strawberry, kiwi, oranges, bananas, and grapes coated in hard sugar. You’ll see peddlers in Shanghai, China, offering them throughout the day.

In Jamaica, jerk chicken is cooked over charcoal and seasoned with spices to produce a smoky flavor all wrapped up in a crispy layer of the chicken's skin.

The best thing a man can do for his morning routine is hit the gym. The benefits of working up a sweat before your daily grind are well-documented.

The challenge is to transform from your sweaty gym self back into something more appropriate for your office. That's where these products come in.

We asked the team at Birchbox Man to help us compile a list of the very best products to carry with you to the gym that will keep you fresh all day at the office.

1. BODY WASH/SHAMPOO: English Laundry 3-in-1 Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Wash, $20

This 3-in-1 time-saving product keeps both skin and hair hydrated with a creamy lather. The scent is also fantastic — a combination of bergamot, tarragon, and jasmine for a woodsy aroma.

2. HAIR PRODUCT: Hanz de Fuko Claymation, $18.50

Towel dry your hair and keep it in place with this cross between a wax and a soft clay. It holds well through both wind and rain, but doesn’t make hair feel greasy or stiff to the touch.

3. FACE WIPES: Ursa Major’s Face Wipes, $24

These one-time wipes exfoliate, cleanse, tone, and hydrate. Just unfold and swipe across your face and neck to get rid of any oil, grime, or sweat that may still be lingering after your shower.

4. DEODORANT: Jack Black’s Pit Boss Antiperspirant and Deodorant, $17

This invisible solid stick is gentle on skin and has a clean, citrusy scent that controls odors without being overbearing. Even if you’re out running all day and miss a shower, this stuff will still keep you smelling good.

5. ODOR PREVENTION: Bálla for Men Powder, $17

For the ultimate odor and sweat prevention, sprinkle some Bálla for Men Powder under your arms after applying your everyday deodorant. It contains talcum powder, zinc oxide, and zinc stearate to absorb moisture and stop odor and wetness, before or after your workout.

6. SORE MUSCLE SOOTHER: Lucky Tiger Head To Tail Rub, $12

If you went harder than usual at the gym, this soothing salve will help ease your overworked muscles and joints. The scent is a combination of eucalyptus, wintergreen, methanol, and peppermint that won’t overwhelm you, but will still help relieve soreness.

7. LOTION: Recipe for Men Super Smooth Body Cream, $24

After sweating and taking a hot shower, put more moisture back into your skin. This body cream has aloe and Shea butter to soften up any rough patches, while also fighting pore-clogging bacteria and preventing irritation.

SEE ALSO: The Only Three Hair Products Men Should Use

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NOW WATCH: These are the only types of jewelry men can get away with at the office

Moving into your freshman dorm room can be totally nerve-wracking. But campus living is nothing new. Harvard's oldest dorm is nearly 300 years old.

College dorms have modernized over time. Today, students have access to wireless Internet, air conditioning, and cheerful study rooms. But some things haven't changed much. A century ago, students still slept in single beds, hung family photos on their walls, and chilled with friends in their dorm rooms.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison's archives department put together a fantastic collection of photos showing how student housing has changed over the past 110 years. They kindly shared their collection with us.

This woman's dorm room from 1898 isn't much different from modern day dorms: pennants, books, and a chair for studying.

Photographs and mementos kept things homey in this room, pictured in 1899.

Male students raise their glasses in a boarding house or fraternity in this 1909 photo.

21-year-old Jacob Catalano felt like Snapchat was doing a poor job highlighting all the amazing talent that has flocked to the app in the last few years. To fix this problem, he created the site Snap Stars to keep track of all the funniest and most creative Snapchat personalities. 

We scoured the site and rounded up a list of the top Snapchatters to follow, with an example of some of their best Stories.

(Note: these Stories are filmed on and for smartphones, so either watch on your cell, or excuse the black bars on either side.) 

Sara Hopkins — also known as @Sayhop — makes sassy Snapchat Stories that sometimes include her cute pup.

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You'll be impressed by @Salliasnap's Stories, which show off her intricate artistic skills.

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If you're a Blink182 fan, this Story of @VinceValenti1 "singing" will make you laugh. Actually, all his Stories will in general.

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Apps can help solve every travel-related concern you've ever had — even those you didn't realize you may stumble upon.

We've put together the definitive list of the best travel-related mobile apps.

Whether it's helping you save money, find a restroom or WiFi, or identify the best glacier hike, these 32 apps will make you a better traveler.

AccuWeather

Packing for your destination can be tough if you don't know what to expect for weather during your trip. AccuWeather solves that problem by providing weather forecasts down to the minute. And it's really accurate too.

Available on: Android and iOS.

Cost: Free

Airbnb

The Airbnb app has some 600,000 listings in more than 34,000 cities, making it easy for travelers to find the perfect accommodation, whether it's a treehouse or a penthouse or something in between.

Travelers can message different hosts, explore destinations, and add areas to a Wish List. Hosts can also use the app to post and manage listings.  

Cost: Free

Available on: iOS, Android, Windows Phone

Citymaps

Citymaps is an interactive map that lets you see the best-rated places in the area, get a newsfeed from friends to see what they recommend, create your own collection of places and see a short review from each.

You can share your favorites by printing or sending your collections through PDFs, and you can import Foursquare lists through the new version of the app.

Available on: iOS,Android

Cost: Free