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Yangon, the capital city, is the main gateway to Myanmar. Evergreen
and cool with lush tropical trees, shady parks and idyllic lakes,
Yangon has earned the name of "The Garden City of the East". If you do
not believe it, please just take a sattellite view of green Yangon on
internet using a tool like Google Earth. In addition to those nature's
presents, Yangon is home to graceful pagodas and, churches and
monuments of British colonial era. Amongst them, the majestic
Shwedagon Pagoda is the most well-known and can be ranked alike with
Angkor Wat of Cambodia and Borobudur of Indonesia. Although Yangon is
not meant for a shopping spree, a visit to Bogyoke Aung San Market
(also known as Scott's Market) is one of the highlights in the city
sightseeing. If time permits, a stroll through the China Town in the
evening is enjoyable.
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Situated 80 km north east of Yangon, Bago makes an ideal day trip
or can also be an element of 2 days trip to Kyaikhtiyo Golden Rock
Pagoda or even a longer tour including Mawlamyine (Moulemein). It is
home to a large reclining Buddha image and the golden Shwemawdaw
Pagoda, a notable landmark in Bago. There is a noted monastery where a
stop is made to take photos of Buddhist monks standing in queue in the
late morning for their last meal of the day. Visits are also made to
an ancient ordination hall and a lively market.
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The somewhat rigorous trip to this unique pilgrimage site is always
rewarded with a fabulous sight of a huge boulder weighing 600
tons,
precariously balanced at the edge of a crag of Paung Laung Mountain
Chain, approximately 200 km Southeast of Yangon. On top of the boulder
is a delicate pagoda, enshrined with a single strand of hair relic of
Buddha, which is said to be the prime force maintaining the balance of
this huge boulder. According to a geological survey of April 1980, the
boulder had been in place since 2400 years ago and survived a series
of earthquakes. Be warned that tourism infrastructure in this region
is very basic and simple. This trip should be regarded as a soft
adventure.
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Mawlamyine is also known as Moulemein, a name given by the British
colonial settlers. Visitors to Mawlamyine are simply enchanted at the
scenic beauty and it’s temperate climate. The atmosphere of
post-colonial decay is still palpable here as this town was an
administration hub of British Raj in the early 19th Century. It’s also
an attractive and tropical town with a ride of stupa-capped hills on
one side and the sea on the others. The Kyaik Than Lan Pagoda is said
to be the spot where Rudyard Kipling caught the inspiration for his
poem, "On the road to Mandalay".
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The town of Bagan (formerly spelled as "Pagan"), central Myanmar
(Burma), situated on the left bank of the Irrawaddy River and
approximately 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Mandalay. The site of an
old capital city of Myanmar, Pagan is a pilgrimage centre and contains
ancient Buddhist shrines that have been restored and redecorated and
are in current use. Ruins of other shrines and pagodas cover a wide
area. An earthquake on July 8, 1975, severely damaged more than half
of the important structures and irreparably destroyed many of them. It
is memorable for its tranquility, as well as for its majesty. The most
interesting of the temples are Ananda Temple, Dhammayangyi Temple,
Shwezigon Pagoda, and Thatbyinnyu Temple. Beside the temples and
pagodas, also interesting to visit is unique lacquer ware industry.
There is a school for lacquerware, for which the region is noted. Take
your time to visit one of the lacquer workshops to witness how these
intricate wares are produced artistically and manually.
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A side trip from Bagan set amid lovely hill and forest scenery, Mt.
Popa is a steep-sided volcanic peak dedicated to the legendary "Nat"
spirits of Myanmar. A shrine to these feared and respected traditional
character lies at the foot of "Taungkalat", a volcanic plug. The
surrounding and the Mount Popa itself are covered with leafy and lush
forest which is abundantly filled with various species of flora and
fauna. It can be called an oasis in the central dry zone of Myanmar.
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It is second largest city and the last Royal Capital of Myanmar.
Many historical buildings and interesting sights, temples and pagodas,
with excursions to nearby attractions avail. This is also a center for
silk and cotton weaving. Mandalay is a cultural and religious center
of Buddhism, having many monasteries, famous temples and more than 700
pagodas of great beauty. The Mandalay hill, the Maha Muni Buddha Image
is the ideal descriptions of Buddhism. Mandalay houses at least a
third of the nation's 150,000 monks and nuns. Mandalay is surrounded
by its ancient neighboring cities as Mingun, Sagaing, Innwa (Ava), and
Amarapura.
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A cool hill station, over 1,000 meters above sea level, founded
during colonial times and a worthwhile side trip from Mandalay. Here
visitors can enjoy beautiful scenery, a cool climate and nostalgic
atmosphere of former days in its old buildings and botanical gardens
(now known as Kandawgyi National Park, home to diverse species of
birds, insects, orchids and trees. The sightseers will find the
markets in Pyin Oo Lwin very inviting. In the surrounding, there are
numerous water falls among which Pwe Kauk and Anisakan falls are well
known. A visit should also be made to Peik Chin Myaung Cave, 12 miles
out of Pyin Oo Lwin, filled with Buddha images.
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A completely different dimension to the Myanmar travel experience.
Here the emphasis is on lovely lake scenery, hazy distant mountains
and interesting local society. The vast lake, natural and unpolluted,
is studded with floating islands and is renowned for its scenic
beauty, unique leg-rowers and colorful local markets. This vast
picturesque lake, 900 metres above sea-level, is one of the main
tourist attractions in Myanmar. The lake, 22 km long and 10 km across,
has a population of some 150,000, many of whom live on floating
islands of vegetation. High hills rim the lake on both sides. The
lakeshore and lake islands bear 17 villages on stilts, mostly
inhabited by the Intha people.
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Kalaw stands high on the western edge of the Shan Plateau. It is 70
km west of Taungyi, about halfway along the Thazi-Taungyi road. This
was a popular hill station in the British days and it is still a
peaceful and quiet place. At an altitude of 1320 m it is also
pleasantly cool and a good place for hiking amid gnarled pines, bamboo
groves and rugged mountain scenery. A former colonial British hill
station, this small-town offers cool temperatures (Kalaw sits at 1,300
meters elevation) and plenty of trekking opportunities. The population
is a mix of Shan, Indian Muslims, Bamars and Nepalis (Gurkhas retired
from British military service), many of whom are missionary educated.
Traveling by car, it's about two hours west of Nyaungshwe on the
western edge of the Shan hills.
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Pindaya is a small quiet town perched on the bank of the placid
Botaloke Lake. Pindaya cave is a huge cavern where thousands of Buddha
images of teak wood, marble, alabaster, brick, cement and lacquer in
various size and shape are enshrined since the 11th century. Huge
monastery compounds with numerous pagodas and temples in different
stages of dilapidation are much respected by such ethnic groups as the
Shan, Danu and Paoh living in the environs of Pindaya. Visitors should
plan to stay for one or two nights in Pindaya to explore the natural
landscapes around Pindaya - the limestone caves, the ancient pagodas
and images, and the old banyan trees by a tranquil lake.
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Kyaing Tong is known for its scenic beauty and many colorful ethnic
tribes. Situated in the eastern Shan State and 452 km from Taunggyi
and 176km from Tachileik. Places of interest around Kyaingtong are,
the Spa, Naung Tong Lake, Sunn Taung Monastery, Central market and
Traditional Lacquer ware works and weaving factory.There are many
villages of various ethnic tribes resided around Kyaing Tong. The
tribes known as Gon, Lwe, Li, Wa, Lah Hu, Thai Nay, Shan, Li Shaw, Li
Su, Palaung, Akha, and we can only differentiate the tribes by
colourful dresses which is different to one another. Can observe their
tribal dances and their way of living on these mountainous regions
around Kyaing Tong.
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The Rakhing king Minzawmon founded Mrauk-U in1433. A Deutsch man
who visited Mrauk-U in the 16th century described it as one of the
richest cities in Asia, and compared with Amsterdam and London in size
and prosperity. The unique characteristics of the topography of Mrauk
U are the tiers of hills and mountains running around it. Between them
are natural passes through which access is easy. These natural passes
were fenced with earth walls and stone walls thus forming a long line
of defence walls aligned with hills and mountains. Tour highlights
include Kothaung Temple; it is the thousand of small Buddha
bas-reliefs on the walls of which make the temple so interesting,
Sakyamanaung Stupa, the bells reverts to a layered circular shape
which is mounted a decorative umbrella, Mahabodi Shwegu Stupa; scenes
from Jataka line( the past lives of Buddha in 550 Stories.) the inner
side of the passage, and Pitakateik; Buddhist library, the monument's
most distinguishing features are its five tiered roofline and
beautifully.
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In the British colonial days it was called Bassein. Pathein, the
capital of the delta region, it lies on the Ngawun river bank and is
75 miles away from the sea. This port of call is reached by road, or
by double deckers through the complex Ayeyarwady river delta region.
The landscapes are all full of rice along with crops such as sesames,
groundnuts, jute, maize, pulses, tobacco, chilies, etc. Parasol
production is synonymous with Pathein. Pathein is still an important
port of call for ferryboats carrying passengers or cargo plying
between Yangon and the northern and eastern parts of the Myanmar. So
it has a rather busy harbor area, which is fronted by a crescent of
shop houses and godowns. Rice from the delta region continues to be
exported through the port of Pathein.
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Ngwe Saung Beach Resort, opened in the year 2,000, is one of the
loveliest and most pleasant beach resorts in Myanmar. Located in the
Ayeyarwady Division, some 48 kilometres from the town of Pathein, Ngwe
Saung, with a beach frontage on the Bay of Bengal with its clear blue
waters, its white crested waves, sandy beaches and unspoiled and
pollution-free natural surroundings, is indeed one of the best places
to select for a holiday interlude of rest and relaxation. Ngwe Saung’s
silvery beach stretches in an unbroken line for some 15 kilometers.
Ngwe Saung’s natural attractions are blue waters, scenic and extensive
beaches –occasionally interrupted by stony shoreline, argent sands,
and all set against a backdrop of tropical rain forests and the
towering Rakhine mountain range.
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Undoubtedly one of the best places for a relaxing holiday is
Ngapali Beach near Thandwe (Sandoway ) in Rakkhine (Arakan) State,on
the Bay of Bengal. Actually, Ngapali is not one single beach, but a
series of beaches interspersed with small fishing villages stretching
from Mazin where the airport is located, to Lontha on Mayo Bay where
coastal steamers dock in a sheltered anchorage. It takes only 45
minutes flying time from Yangon. It is said to have been named after the Naple of Italy by a homesick
Italian. It is famous for its natural and unspotted beauty up to this
day. The beach stretches about 3 km with soft white sand fringed by
coconut palms. It serves as the best ground for sunbathing and
recreation such as beach strolling, cycling and so on. Unlike today's
beaches of Asia, it is free of noisy beachside bars, crowded people
and hawkers persuading you to buy their things. There are only natural
scenic beauty of the blue sea, white sand and the lovely sun. The sea
is cobalt blue, without any dangerous marine animals and clean. The
water here is transparent and the sea is tranquil.The best time to
visit this beach during October and May of every year.
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