Top 10 Myanmar Travel Destinations

Explore the TOP 10 best tourist destinations, tourist spots, attractions in Myanmar (Burma) for your holiday! Myanmar is one of the mysterious country in South East Asia and because of its cultural and geographical diversity has retained much of its historic and unique character. Discover the great attractions in Myanmar and the country’s wonderful uniqueness.

 

Yangon is a big and yet not modernized city, with Victorian buildings, tree-lined avenues, lakes and parks and a bustling city centre of friendly vendors, colourful stalls and people going about in their daily chores dressed traditionally in their Longyi and flip-flap sandals. The Bogyoke Aung San market (also called Scott’s Market) is a must for every visitor and so is the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda – the prominent landmark of Myanmar. The first fundament of the Shwedagon is believed to have been built more than 2000 years ago, and the pagoda is revered by Buddhist and non-Buddhists alike. Yangon is the gateway to Myanmar and has direct air links with Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Seoul, Doha, Beijing, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Guangzhou, Kunming, Nanning, Gaya and Dhaka.

Mandalay

Mandalay Fort, Myanmar.
Mandalay Fort, Myanmar.

Mandalay was the last Royal Capital of Myanmar and is located nearly 700 km north of Yangon between the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River and the Shan plateau. Mandalay is considered the centre of Burmese culture, a city of artisans and a trading centre of goods in all directions. The geometric laid out streets, the many bicycles riders, the 8 km long moth and wall around the former Royal Palace, the pagodas and monasteries abound and the sacred Mandalay Hill towering over it all, are some of its most visible features. In the vicinity of Mandalay are the former royal capitals and religious centers of Amarapura, Mingun, Inwa (Ava) and Sagaing, each worth visiting. Mandalay is another gateway to Myanmar and has direct air links with Bangkok, Singapore, Kunming and Chiang Mai.

Bagan

Bupaya Pagoda in Bagan,Myanmar
Bupaya Pagoda
 Bagan, the capital of Myanmar’s first dynasty, was built by King Anawrahta in 1044. It is located about 193 km south of Mandalay. There are over 2000 temples and stupas spreading in 42 square kilometers of desert like plain on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River. All those red bricks and stucco religious monuments were built during 11th to 13th century. The magnificent temple architecture, incredibly fine mural or frescos paintings, brilliant stucco carvings, and the most elegant Buddha images, all are telling motifs of the sublime culture of the ancient Bagan dynasties.

Inle Lake

Myanmar, Inle Lake: fishermen on the lake paddling with the help of their leg
Myanmar, Inle Lake: fishermen on the lake paddling with the help of their leg

A five kilometer long canal suddenly opens up to a wide lake with numerous villages on stilts and floating gardens against the hazy mountain ranges. Fishermen in their shallow boats cast their cone shapedbamboo down in the lake to trap the fish, and the lake dwelling framers tend to their floating gardens from their canoes. The gardens are anchored to the lake beds with long bamboo poles and host flowers or tomatoes, chilies, cauliflowers and other vegetables. The lake is situated in the Shan State, 1000 meter above sea level and is the home of the Intha people and many other ethnic minorities. Sailing among the villages you can hear the silk looms clanking and the tapping of the ironsmiths and get a glimpse of girls chatting while wrapping cigars and wave to the smiling kids looking out through the open shutters of the wooden or bamboo houses built above the water.

KALAW in the Shan State is another cool place to be during the hottest months of the year. Many ethnic minority villages around and interesting market in town. Good trekking down to Inle Lake or to Pindaya.

Pindaya

Pindaya Caves Myanmar - Shan State
Pindaya Caves Myanmar – Shan State

PINDAYA, famous for its caves housing more than 8000 Buddha images. No one seems to know how they all got there. Most of them are at least hundreds of years old while others are recent additions. They have been placed in such a way that they form a passage through the caves. Pindaya is surrounded by some very beautiful scenery.

Kyaing Tong (Keng Tung)

Jeune fille des minorites ethniques

Kyaing Tong, is a town in eastern Shan State, Myanmar and it is also the principle town of Keng Tung Township.  The weather in this area is particular cooler than compare to the tropical area of Myanmarwhich is a suitable place for those visitors who would like to enjoy plenty memorable sceneries in the chilling weather.  Kyaing Tong is geographically located in an easily accessible location to the golden triangle area.

There are plenty of shifting fields and most local community maintains their unique culture where visitors can see traditionally built huts on the mountain slopes.  As it is interconnected to the golden triangle, and where diverse ethnics group inhabitant, therefore; visitors can expect to see other cultures and traditions but not just only the traditions of Kyaing Tong itself are the main attraction of Kyaing Tong has to offer.

Kyaing Tong has plenty of hiking, mountain climbing trips in a trekking pilgrimage to nearby mountains to visit the villages of different Shan ethnic tribes, enjoy the breath-taking sceneries along the way while admiring the pagodas along the way.