10 Places To Visit In Myanmar

The charms of Myanmar exceed the expectations of any traveler once you enter their land and mix with their people.

The different states that make up the country are very different from each other, although they all have the same common denominator, that is, the kindness of its people and the beauty that we find in them.

In Myanmar, you will find the friendliest and smiling people of all Asia and you will enjoy a different trip, in contact with the local life.

Here is the list of places to visit which will make your Myanmar Holiday a memorable one.

The Shwedagon Pagoda, the holiest place for Burmese Buddhists, stands majestically on a small hill next to Yangon, the country’s main city. Walking barefoot through the complex’s marble while observing the prayers is a rewarding experience. Let yourself be hypnotized by mantras and chants while the smell of incense burns you. The sunset is the best time to visit when the Pagoda shows its maximum splendor after sunset and its bright golden glow is visible from a distance.

Its real name is Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, although it is commonly known as Golden Rock. It is the second most sacred place for Buddhism in Myanmar after the Shwedagon Pagoda, although seeing the huge mass of pilgrims that the visit anyone would say is the first. Entire families come here, where they eat and sleep on the floor of this huge room flooded with worshipers. You breathe religion and you do not see many tourists. At the top of the mountain, you will find it, the great golden rock suspended in precarious balance, defying the law of gravity. Legend says a Buddha’s hair holds it. However, beware, women are not allowed to touch the rock.

The 3 days of trekking that separates Kalaw from Lake Inle are the perfect opportunity to know the different ethnic groups that inhabit this area of the country. In the company of a guide, you will cross mountains, enormous fields of chili and small and rustic towns, where you will eat and you will sleep in the wooden houses of the villagers. They will welcome you with the best of their smiles and their innate curiosity! In addition, it does not need a great physical form since it is a walk little demanding, focused mainly to a cultural immersion in the towns of the zone and its lifestyle. See more details at http://www.myanmartour.org

Here everything revolves around the lake. Its villages on the banks with its small markets and crops on the water. The temples and pagodas that dot the environment. Craft factories of textiles and cigars. Surprise yourself with the villages of palafitos nestled in the middle of the lake and above all, with their famous fishermen and their ancestral rowing technique with one foot, the perfect photo. All this makes Lake Inle one of the most visited places in the country, and not for less.

If a train trip is famous in Myanmar that is the one that covers the route from Hsipaw to Mandalay, in 11 hours of travel. Forget all you knew about the trains and their comfort and tie the luggage in the luggage compartments of the roof, as the train shakes in all directions in its slow walk between green landscapes and hills. The highlight of the route is the Viaduct of Goteik, a huge bridge over 100 years old that crosses a spectacular gorge with a height of 250 meters.

Next to the longest teakwood bridge in the world are the most famous sunsets in the country. Pull it from end to end, feel the wood crunch beneath your feet, to finally witness the spectacular sunset under the bridge, with the silhouettes of Buddhist monks profiled against the sun as they walk through it and the small boats sail the lake.

This towering Buddha rises 130 meters above the ground, making it the second largest statue in the world. Visible from many kilometers to the round and much greater than the famous Statue of Liberty, the Buddha of LayKyun Sekkya rises imposing against the blue sky. Today you can climb 28 of its 31 floors by the stairs inside, appreciating the paintings that symbolize each of the planes of existence for Buddhism. Next to him rests another giant reclining Buddha, 101 meters. Who gives more?

The most visited and magical place of Myanmar, Bagan and its more than 2,000 temples in ruins, is the relic of a past empire. You will not find an equal sunrise, raised to the top of one of its temples you will see how the black of the night fuses in colors while hundreds of temples surrounded by mists show before your eyes. At that moment, the balloons are launched into the sky, completing a perfect postcard. You cannot lose this!

If you are looking for perfect beaches, quiet places, and clean, crystal clear water, this place can also be found in Myanmar, called Ngapali. It is located in the west of the country and getting here can be expensive, as is the accommodation. Nevertheless, the price to pay is compensated by getting this little piece of paradise in which to disconnect from the world and spend a few days in peace and harmony. Not everything can be temples!
For more information, check out Ngapali Beach Guide

Hpa-An and Mawlamyine, in the southeast of the country, hide many surprising corners. Among its karstic formations that dot the peaceful and rural environment, you will find temples built inside its caves and pagodas on its peaks. The giant Buddhas compete with thousands of small ones that flood the landscape. At dusk, you will see the sky darken with hordes of bats coming out of their caves incessantly, putting the brooch to this interesting region of Myanmar.