1.Yangon

Yangon is the spot cannot be missed when getting to Myanmar. When you come here, there are many places you can visit like the magnificent Shwedagon pagoda, it will certainly catch your eyes.

Experience being tiny when standing under the 217 feet length reclining Buddha at the Chaukhtatgyi Buddha Temple or visiting Sule pagoda, which is built as a roundabout lay right on the intersection of 2 main street.

 If you are hungry, let feel full and satisfied with delicious food in ChinaTown. Also, you can stop by Bogyoke Aung San market for souvenirs, food, local costume, etc.

After that, you should reach the Kandawgyi Park to walk around in the clean and peace atmosphere or taking on the Yangon circular train, which is in the station of city center. In at least 3 hours on board, all city view and local people’s lifestyle of Yangon are kept in the memory of yours.

A local market on Yangon train railway

» Useful link: Hotels in Yangon 

2. Bagan

Bagan is the residence of over 2000 temples from the ninth to thirteenth century. Too many choices but above all, choose these spots first: Ananda Temple - best preserved, it has four towering gold Buddha in side. Next is the Dhammyangyi Temple, also is the biggest temple in Bagan or the Htilominlo temple, it is famous for the feeling of adventure that it provided because of its far location from the others.

Furthermore, what can be better when visiting Shwegugyi - one of the two tallest temple in region and enjoy the glory sunset at Shwesandaw tower? In here, forest grows mixed with time - honored temples, regards hard stone, rock platform. Mountains draw an elegant line to the background. All of these, human and nature wonder combined, create a breathtaking site.

Htilominlo Temple

About tourist activities, you can experience up in hot - air balloon, feel excite for below view. Additionally, you can go by bike or by horse around the area. If you love local activities, you cannot miss the indigenous lacquerware workshop. Seeing how they make the products and buying some of them would be really nice. When you want to eat, try the local food at the local market is in Nyuang U, there are plenty dishes in low price but taste good.

Lacquerware making process

» Useful link: Hotels in Bagan

3. Mandalay

Lying in the center of Myanmar, Mandalay completely looks like an ancient view that brought out from fairy tale. At the moment, it is the country economic center, the land of ancient Myanmar culture and also is the last survival capital of the Myanmar Royal. Though palaces still exist but they are no long be the same like the origin because of reconstruction.

Shwenandaw monastery is the only engineering which still conversed its beauty since Mandalay Palace built, it’s the place you absolutely have to visit. It was made from wood, sculptured skillfully from every single edge. How unique it is! Beyond this, you can visit Mahamuni pagoda, Kuthodaw pagoda, Ubein bridge - the oldest and longest teakwood bridge in the world or go to the surrounding areas like Sagaing Hill - home of over 400 abbeys scattered or visit Amarapura and Ava. Three of them used to be the capital of Royal.

There are local workshops for you to sightseeing like King Galon - the golden leaf workshop or rock sculptured workshop in Sagaing. This city just so glamorous now, imagine how magnificent it was in the past. Good thing for us this city’s ancient buildings didn’t collapse like Babylon kingdom. Or else, that would be a shame for human civilization.

Gold leaf beating worshop

» Useful link: Hotels in Mandalay

4. Inle Lake

Inle lake ranges the second biggest lake in Myanmar. It has a really especial ecosystem, wonderful scene, fresh air and typical peasant, figherman styles of doing agriculture.

Boats is mainly used to take a tour in the lake, which is a chance for you to integrate in rustic sight, to feel the beat of life in cottage and leaf house. Go along the lake, you will witness a really famous image of ingenuous rowing with one leg while they dip the net into water.

Others things you can also see are floating houses, floating garden dotted right on the lake. Meeting local tribes and traditional handicraft like the long neck women of Kayan, the descendant of dragon: the Pa’O tribe or watching native weaving lotus silk from lotus stem fiber in Inn Paw Khon silk village, visiting Cheroot Factory where high quality of rolled cigars are made.

 Moreover, you can go to neighboring spots like Kakku – where easy to get lost among thousands of stupas or pagodas relics in Indein or Sagar villages. Besides, it is pretty interesting to go bicycling and discovering surrounding area too. Inle lake has a simple but attractive view and you will understand why you want to leave urban life so much.

» Useful link: Hotels in Inle Lake

5. Kyaikhtiyo (Golden Rock)

One of the most famous pagodas in Myanmar is the Kyaikhtiyo pagoda. What special is it was built on an over 2500 years-old rock. Seeing by your own eyes, this giant thing lies on the edge of the mountain. The against gravity Golden Rock looks hard to believe that it can stand still itself and on its top is a holy pagoda covered with gold. Not because of its strange form that it is famous, but also goes with this pagoda is the mysterious story about Buddha that believed to had lived contemporary.

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6.Hpa An

Hpa An - a town ringed by dramatic mountains and hills became the core of a circle and reach any spot on the edge in the fastest way. Mountains contain caves and streams but in here, there’s something plus to this, again the pagodas. Some caves are highly recommended to visit are Sadan cave, Ya Thay Pyan cave, Kawgun Cave, Bat cave, Kaw Ka Thaung cave - this place has natural pool and be favored to stop by. Normally, humans engineering usually damage nature. But in this case, it seems to contrast, temples found in gigantic caves turn the caves from beautiful to magnificent.

Getting out of here, Kyauk Kalat pagoda lays peacefully in the south is waiting for you to shoot some pictures or you can go hiking to Mt Zwegabin with huge golden stupa and monastery on top. Other than cave, pagodas, you can go to Hpa An morning market for plenty of tasting food and local stuffs. Also, experience morning bicycling in peaceful but majestic view would be so awesome. Hpa An, one more destination on the list.

Kyauk Kalat pagoda

7.Kalaw

High up in Western Shan state, Kalaw is an old hill station with refreshing air and also best known for Myanmar mecca. Rolling hills like bobbing sea waves drawn in picture and thousand miles of plant field, that’s why Kalaw would be best destination for trekkers.

What can you do there? Kalaw heart is it markets, you can go to market on Aung Chan Tha street, there are many options for vegetarians or market on Minn street or go for a drink on Kon Thea street. Kalaw owns itself specific pagodas as well, you can spend time at Hnee pagoda, in which you find a 500 - year old bamboo Buddha or the Shwe U Min pagoda, where golden Buddha fill the whole cave.

At Green Hill Valley elephant camp, it is an example for Myanmar ecotourism. The camp allows visitors to stay in natural habitat and see the animal live in wildlife. Short elephant ride is available as well. Beyond these places, there are many more trekking spots you can reach.

8.Ngapali Beach

One - third of Myanmar’s boundary adjoin to the Bengal bay and Andaman sea, which is the proof of why Myanmar’s beaches so fascinating. Among these, the Ngapali just took all the tourist priority of beach destination because it has its own airport and possesses itself a charming sea sight.

Palm trees draw a frontier to mark yellow sand and green plant, long coastal beach with large yellow - white curve had created an enormous space to do all kinds of fun things. Sports activities take place in this beach every year. Just set your journey here, you won’t regret, for sure.

Local collect fish at Ngapali beach

9. Mergui Archipelago

Going further to the south, almost reach to the end of Myanmar, then catch a boat and after a while, your tiredness when moving such long way will be repaid deservedly. Mergui consists of over 800 islands. This place attracts travelers because of its pure nature beauty, which rare region in the world can still conserve. Several Islands would be recommended to tourist are Kyun Phi Lar Island, Macleod Island, the famous HorseShoe Island.

Water activities like snorkeling , diving, scuba-diving, kayaking are also available. Ecotourism is considered to be popular and being enjoyed by most tourist. The local companies also plan tours for everyone who willing to explore wild nature, to take an adventure for something new. One appealing fact, several islands here can’t be found on google map, what makes Mergui literally wild. How cool is that!

Reading to this end, you definitely set your mind destinations for a perfect trip to Myanmar. 

» You may like: Myanmar Travel Advice