Myanmar (Burma) is one of the most beautiful and untouched countries in Asia full of old empire opulence, grand pagodas, natural wonders.
To quote Rudyard Kipling “This is Burma and it will be quite unlike any land you know about”. If you’re planning a trip, here’s our pick of the top things to see and do.
Visit the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon (Rangoon)
The giant Shwedagon Pagoda is Myanmar’s gold-plated showpiece and the most sacred site in the country.
The brilliant, golden pagoda (the oldest in the world) standing close to 110m high and covered in gold leaf and 4,531 diamonds are visible from all over Yangon, with sunset the perfect time to visit.
The stupa glows in warm orange light, the air is heavy with the scent of flowers and incense and the shuffling crowds flow as one around the pagoda. Devotees take part in a lamp-lighting ceremony, where hundreds of oil lamps are lit each evening to bring good luck.
Take the road to Mandalay – Myanmar’s second city
Mandalay is Myanmar’s second-largest city, a cultural hub, and home to all things big, from the largest book in the world, and the longest teak bridge.
The photogenic U Bein teak bridge winds for nearly a mile across a shallow lake and you’ll often catch a sea of red robes swaying past, monks on their late afternoon or early morning promenade.
Other Mandalay highlights include the Shwenandaw Pagoda with walls adorned with exquisite woodcarvings, the Mahu Muni Buddha swamped in gold leaf, and the Kuthodaw Pagoda, home to the world’s largest book. Also, make time to catch the sunset at Mandalay Hill.
Cruise along the Irrawaddy River
Throughout Myanmar, river travel has been an important part of everyday life. Today is no different, take the slow and scenic route from Mandalay to Bagan, cruising along the Irrawaddy River, and can watch local life unfolding along the way.
The 1,300-mile-long Irrawaddy (navigable all the way from Yangon to Bhamo, near the Chinese border) is one of the world’s most fabled rivers, carrying barges and small passenger cruise ships. Many of the boats have shallow drafts so that they can stop at small landing places (often just a series of slippery mud steps), allowing passengers to walk into villages and remote monasteries. Local ferries make the journey from Mandalay to Bagan in one day but there are also more comfortable options along the same route with overnight stays and cabins available.
Take a balloon trip over the temples in Bagan
Bagan, located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, is home to the largest and densest concentration of temples, monuments, and ruins in the world.
Balloons over Bagan (a long-standing hot air balloon operator) takes passengers in complete safety and comfort high above the region for 45 minutes. Seeing the thousands of ancient temples spreading across the plains, appearing through the mist as the sun rises is undoubtedly one of Myanmar’s most impressive sites and not to be missed. The flights only operate in the dry season between October and March.
Allow at least a couple of days to also walk, cycle, take a horse and cart or electric motorbike to explore the temples including the impressive temples of Ananda and Dhammayangyi, the largest temple Shwezigon, and the tallest Thatbyinnyu.