Highlights

Rumour has it the name came from a home sick Italian from Naples, but Ngapali beach is a far cry from any Italian city. It has become the go to destination for travelers craving sun, sea and sand in Myanmar, with some saying it is the most beautiful beach in the whole country. Situated in the Rakkine state, it still retains some of its regional culture and fishing village roots, with small boats out on the seas day and night bringing in fresh seafood to supply the many beach side restaurants here.   Silken white sands, clear blue waters and some unbeaten seafood options, make this place a little strip of heaven. With the sand ways on the beach being smoother than the infamously bumpy roads of the area, many locals prefer to use the beach front to pull their ox and cart, making... Continue Reading

It is the capital of Karen State and located at the eastern bank of the Thanlwin River, about 270 km east of Yangon. The caves and mountains surrounded and the serene atmosphere are the charming attractions of Hpa-an. Mount Zwegabin is the famous highlight of the area. Continue Reading

The pleasant and picturesque city of Mawlamyine, located at the mouth of the Thanlwin River, is the capital of Mon State and Myanmar’s third largest city after Yangon and Mandalay. The quiet streets filled with colonial buildings, pretty pastel coloured wooden houses and impressive pagodas make the city an agreeable place to wander. Kyaikthanlan Pagoda, perched on the ridge than runs through the town, has fantastic views across the city and river. The city is well known for its seafood, which can be seen fresh as it is dumped into the market along the Strand Road. Continue Reading

Once the capital of Shan Kingdom in the 14th century, is a peaceful religious centre of Buddhism and a popular place for meditation. Sagaing Hill, crested with pagodas rises out of the western bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River and is a fabulous vantage point to gaze across the more than 500 pagodas, temples and monasteries that litter the landscape and are home to more than 600 monks and nuns. Continue Reading

With a short and scenic trip up the Ayeyarwaddy from Mandalay you find Mingun, best known for the MingunPahtodawgyi, a huge, unfinished pagoda, which, if completed, would have stood at over 150metres and been the largest monument in the world. At 50 metres high, what remains of the pagoda is still spectacular, and climbing up its ruin’s barefoot rewards explorers with a fantastic view of the Ayeyarwady. Mingun is also home to the world’s largest working bell. Weighing 90 tons, the Mingun Bell is actually second in size to one in the Kremlin in Moscow but the Russian bell is cracked and therefore not in service. A trip from Mandalay takes around one hour upriver and 40 minutes to return, a perfect way to spend a morning or afternoon. Continue Reading

Once a city of some 170,000 inhabitants, Amarapura (‘City of Immortals’), is now just a quiet southern suburb of Mandalay. The town is well known for its numerous workshops where bronze foundries and woodcarvers creating devotional objects for the markets of Mandalay, and the looms of cotton and silk weavers produce fine longyis. Nearby U Bein Bridge, the longest teak bridge in the world is perhaps the most unique attraction. The bridge, constructed using 1700 vast teak pillars, stretches 1.2 kilometre over fertile fields and is still, over two centuries after it was built, an integral part of the community with hundreds of locals and monks making their way back and forth across it daily. The bridge is particularly popular at sunset as it provides a famous photo opportunity as the sun... Continue Reading

Bago, situated on the road to Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda (Golden Rock) and Mawlamyine, it remains a quiet and easy-going town with a lot more bicycles and motorbikes than cars. It is once the powerful capital of the second Myanmar Empire, Bago now still has plenty to see with temples and pagodas. The town is famed for its 55-metre-long reclining Shwethalyaung Buddha, its four seated Buddhas at Kyaikpun and the towering Shwemawdaw Pagoda, which is actually taller than the Shwedagon in Yangon. For something a little different a visit to the Snake Monastry to watch pilgrims make an offering to a 9metre long Burmese Python, a reincarnation of a Buddhist abbot, is certainly a strange experience. There’s a bustling market and for anyone looking to get out of the town, it’s not far until you’re... Continue Reading

The Golden Rock of Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda is one of the country’s most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites. The gold-covered boulder is said to maintain its balance thanks to a single hair of the Buddha enshrined inside the pagoda. To reach the top of the mountain, one can either make a 13-kilometre climb (allow about seven hours) or take an open truck with other pilgrims along a steep and winding road to a so-called middle camp. From there, all visitors have to walk up the remaining 4 kilometres (500 metres in altitude) on a steep track. An easy alternative for those who can’t manage the way on foot is to rent a sedan chair, which is carried by four porters to the top. Once arrived at the pagoda expect spectacular views, particularly at sunrise or sunset. The whole site has a magic... Continue Reading

Shwedagon Pagoda is the ‘heart’ of Buddhists in Myanmar. The Pagoda is believed to be 2,600 years old and there are always full with many people praying and making offerings at Shwedagon and especially on Full Moon days and religious days. Continue Reading

Bogyoke (Scott) Market (closed on every Mondays & Public Holidays) has the largest selection of Burmese handicrafts, antique, jewellery, clothing and arts. The market is a major tourist destination and known for its colonial architecture and inner cobblestone streets. Continue Reading