Don't Believe The Official Line

What you’re told might not always be the truth, so do not be afraid to dig further down.

Due diligence also means not always accepting the local perceived wisdom – that is, not without finding out for yourself. In some of the less-developed parts of the world, there’s a surprising amount of official ignorance about what goes on in the backcountry.

Maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise, because there often aren’t the resources unless something important’s involved, like oil. As long as there are no urgent political issues, large areas are left to get on with things pretty much by themselves. As happened here, in northwestern Myanmar.