Highlights of Myanmar

Putao

Meirgui Archipelago

The Mergui or Myeik islands are a group of hundreds or thousands of smaller and bigger green jewels in the Andaman Sea. Considered one of Southeast Asia’s most beautiful destinations, the Myeik Archipelago features more than 800 uninhabited and unspoilt islands. Located at the southernmost part of Myanmar. During 12 days traveling we only met one single other tourist boat. Some beaches do have shadflies, but their sheer beauty is simply overwhelming. With the crystal clear water, immaculate white sands and the rainforests right behind them make the perfect cliché picture for holiday dreams. When snorkeling, one often found marvelous sites, sometimes with lots of fish, sometimes with complete coral reefs in few meters depth. Doing dives, places did differ from the deserts of dynamite fishing to a breathtaking paradise around some rocks.

Pyay / Prome

Pyay was formerly known as Prome. Pyay is only 161 km north of Yangon and on the eastern bank of the Irrawaddy River on a lovely location, traveling along a well-maintained highway by car. You can see green paddy fields along the side of the highway.

Mawlamyine

Mawlamyine is the capital of Mon state and third largest city of Myanmar which also known as Moulmein. Situated 300 km south east of Yangon and 70 km south of Thaton, at the mouth of Thanlwin (Salween) river. Mawlamyine experiences a tropical climate with a lower humidity than in most parts of South East Asia. Its temperature averages between 25.6o C during January, its coolest month to 29.4o C in April, its hottest month. The rainy season is between June and October although the greatest rainfalls usually occur in July and August. The average annual rainfall in Mawlamyine is 190 inches. The population of Mon State is 3 million and consists mainly of Mon and Myanmar. It has a main railway station which communicates with the Burmese capital in the north and Southern. The old Death railway is also a diverted route from Mawlamyine at the town of Thanbyuzayat.

Bago

Salay

It is a lovely town about 15 km south of Bagan, down the Ayeyarwaddy River. The Sale Yok Sone Kyaung is an all-teak Monastery with magnificent carvings featuring traditional motifs, U pone Nya Museum, exhibits antique lacquer wares, wooden relief and a large standing gilded Buddha image. Another place worth visiting is Tha-ta-na Kyaung (Keythar Monastery) where Tipitaka texts are housed in a large red lacquered cabinet.

Kyaikhtiyo

Mingun

After a one hour boat ride up river from Mandalay, you can reach Mingun with its ruined Mingun Pahtodawgyi, the remains of a massive unfinished Buddhist stupa begun by King Bodawpaya in 1790. The temple was not completed, due to an astrologer claiming that, once the temple was finished, the king would die. Had the stupa been completed, it would have been the largest in the world at 150 meters. Despite its ruined state, the remains are impressive, making it the largest pile of bricks in the world.
King Bodawpaya also had a gigantic bell cast to go with his huge stupa. The Mingun Bell weighs 90 tons, and is today the largest ringing bell in the world. The weight of the bell in Burmese measurement, is 55,555 viss or peiktha (1 viss = 1.63 kg), handed down as a mnemonic "Min Hpyu Hman Hman Pyaw", with the consonants representing the number 5 in.

Inle Lake

Inle Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes of South East Asia. Lush, green and fertile, remote Inle Lake is a picture of rural tranquility. As it lying 875 km above sea level at Shan State. You can reach there by flight to Heho airport. The lake is nearly 100 km north to South but only 5 km wide and there are more than 200 villages on or around it, surrounding a population of about 150,000 and most is Intha People. Sagar (Sankar) the second lake: you can observe of local rice mill factory, making bullock cart wheels. Pristine culture and traditional life-style of the ethnic groups of Pa-O and Intha inhabited around Sankar.

Mandalay

Mandalay is the second largest city and the capital of the last Myanmar Kingdom. Mandalay is located in the central dry zone of Burma by the Irrawaddy River and 688 km north of Yangon, 64 meters (210 feet) above sea level. Its standard time zone is UTC/GMT +6:30 hours.Mandalay is the economic hub of Upper Burma and considered the center of Burmese culture.

Bagan

Bagan preeminent ancient religious cities in Southeast Asia. The ruins of Bagan city cover an area of 42 sq. km embracing over 2000 ancient pagodas and temples. The enchanting city is located in the tropical zone of the country, on the eastern bank of the Irrawaddy River about 193 kilometers south east of Mandalay. Bagan shows Myanmar architectural heritages from the 11th to mid 14th centuries. For many visitors Bagan is the more extraordinary of the two cities and this because of the view. The ruins of the more than one hundred Angkor temples stand alone and isolated in thick jungles, and only from the top of the tallest temples it is not possible to see others in the distance. Sprawling across a vast dusty plain, the ruins of Bagan are unhidden. There being no trees to obstruct the view, one may gaze over forty square miles of countryside, upon literally thousands of temples.

The Beach (sea, sun, sand)

Myanmar's best-known resort providing the visitor with un-spoilt white sand beaches fringed with coconut groves as far as the eye can see. It serves as the best ground for sunbathing and recreation such as beaches 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, clean and clear with gentle waves. There are there destinations for beach, which are Ngapali Beach, Ngwe Saung and Chaung Tha Beach.

The North

With the northern part of Myanmar geographically sharing borders with China and India, where the world highest mountains exist and being a part of Himalayas, its hill geography results exist and being a part of Himalayas, its hill geography results in a variety of climate and vegetation ranging from rain forests and alpine forest. The highest elevations are covered with snows and rocks. Such a variety makes the northern part of Myanmar and ideal destination for ecotourism and adventure tourism. Home to exotic flora and fauna, this northern part is a nature-lover’s paradise. For the adventures looking for something different off the tourist path, it is the real paradise waiting to be explored. The best time to visit northern part of Burma is from October to April. There are frequent flights from Yangon via Mandalay and Myitkyina to Putao.

Sagaing

Taunggyi, Kalaw and Pindaya

Pindaya is situated at 1164-m above sea level and is 40-km from Kalaw. Its famous for its extensive limestone caves which overlooking the Pindaya Lake and Shwe U Min Paya which is full of Buddha images of about 8000 and picturesque Boutaloke Lake. Pindaya. There are many big banyan trees lined up at the base of the Pindaya hill, Hgnatpyawtaw, a Danu village is at the end of these trees and it is most attraction of visitors.