Myanmar Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

Bagan
Discover historical Bagan. More than 13,000 pagodas once spread over this dry plain, though now there are a mere 3,000. Bagan village has a museum, market, temple and lacquerware workshops. Open temples include Shwegugyi Temple; Gawdawpalin Temple; and Thatbyinnyu Temple, the highest in Bagan.

Kyaiktiyo
Marvel at Kyaiktiyo and its incredible Golden Rock Pagoda: a 5.5m (18ft) shrine built on a gold-plated boulder balancing atop a cliff.

Lost cities
Venture outside Mandalay to several abandoned capital cities. Sagaing contains interesting pagodas, and Ava's old city walls can be traced. Take a river trip to Mingun to see the famous Mingun Bell, supposedly the world's largest uncracked hung bell. The city of Amarapura is also famous for its cotton and silk weaving.

Mandalay
Roam the old royal city of Mandalay, which is rich in palaces, stupas, temples and pagodas. Sights include the huge Shweyattaw Buddha, with its outstretched finger; the Eindawya Pagoda, covered in gold leaf; the Shwekyimyint Pagoda; the Mahumuni Pagoda or ‘Great Pagoda', housing a famous and revered Mahumuni image. Also, visit the ruins of the once-stupendous Mandalay Palace, destroyed in 1942.

Naga-Yone
Outside the capital, visit the Naga-Yone enclosure near Myinkaba, with a Buddha figure entwined and protected by a huge cobra - a combination of Buddhism and Brahman astrology.

National parks
Myanmar's has rich opportunities for ecotourism, trekking and safaris to experience in its national parks. The best parks include the Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park (northwest of Monywa); Hlawga National Park (near Yangon); Popa Mountain Park (central Myanmar); Lampi Island (Myeik Archipelago); and Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary (located in Minbu).

Pegu
Visit Pegu with its golden Shwemawdaw Pagoda and market. Just northeast is the Shwethalyaung Buddha, revered as one of the most beautiful and lifelike of reclining Buddhas, which was lost and totally overgrown by jungle in 1757, then rediscovered in the British era.

Yangon
Yangon (Rangoon) is a city of temples, markets, food stalls and ill-repaired colonial architecture. Highlights include the golden Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most spectacular Buddhist shrines in Asia; the ancient Sule Pagoda; the Botataung Pagoda, hollow inside with a mirrored maze; and the Maha Pasan Guha, or ‘Great Cave'.

Top Things to Do

Buddhist festivals
Catch one of Myanmar's frequent Buddhist festivals, many timed to coincide with the full moon. Highlights include: Amanda Pagoda Festival in January/February; Pindaya Cave Festival in March; Maha Thingyan (New Year) in March; and Thihoshin Pagoda Festival, Pakkoku, in June/July.

Buddhist retreats
Find balance and inner peace by participating in a Buddhist retreat. There are several centers for the serious study and practice of Theravada Buddhism, with the most famous of which the Mahasi Meditation Center in Yangon. Long-stay entry visas may be needed for a retreat.

Catch a show
Attend performances of Myanmar's traditional popular theater. Performances take place during religious festivals, weddings, sporting events or even funerals, and sometimes last for an entire night. See traditional dance forms (nat pwes), which pay homage to the spirit world, and catch some marionette theater (yok-thei pwe), widely practiced during the late 18th century in Mandalay.

Escape the crowds
Get off the beaten track in the country's east and northwest. Kalaw provides a cool, pine-forested escape; the caves and lake at Pindaya contain thousands of Buddha images; near Yengan village find the Padah-Lin Caves, containing prehistoric paintings. Meanwhile, Inlay Lake is famous for its floating gardens and leg-rowing fishermen. Further north, Maymyo is a charming British hill station.

Watch traditional sports
The national game, chinglone, is played in teams of six, and the object of the game is to keep a cane ball in the air for as long as possible, using any part of the body except the hands. Burmese boxing is another popular sport.

Watersports
Myanmar's lovely beaches are home to a variety of watersports. Popular spots include: Kanthaya Beach (Rakhine coast); Maung-ma-gan Beach (Taninthayi coast in the south); Ngapali Beach (Rakhine coast); and Chaung-tha Beach (west of Pathein).