Travelling through Myanmar
When you get the chance to be in Myanmar, I really hope that you will have a lot of time to visit different sites all over the country. I will present here some of the classics, that I visited, of course there are so many other beautiful places that should be visited too!
Travelling through Myanmar is nowadays very easy to organize, regarding transportation, you can either travel with the cheap night busses, departing a destination in the evening and then arriving at the next great place in the morning or you can take a domestic flight, depending on your budget.
Bagan
I started my trip with an overnight bus to Bagan, most of these busses are really nice and comfortable so you can sleep during the drive, depending on the driver warm clothes or earplugs are recommended, it can be quite cold in the bus and some drivers like having their music quite loud while driving.
Bagan is an ancient city, that was the capital of the Pagan Kingdom, and is famous for having the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins in the world, of which many date back from the 11th and 12th century. To visit all these impressive sites, it is recommended to get one of the e-bikes that are super easy to drive and just drive around and visit the beautiful temples and pagodas. Sunrise and sunset in Bagan are especially nice so make sure not to miss that!
Mandalay
My next stop then was Mandalay, which is the former royal capital of Myanmar and located in the north of the country. It has a lot of beautiful sights, like the royal palace but also different pagodas and monasteries. I really enjoyed the view over the city from Mandalay and was also very impressed by the World’s Largest Book, the Kuthodaw Pagoda. This book is presented in 729 white marble shrines which contain one slab inscribed on both sides each. Another popular and beautiful site is the U-Bein bridge, the longest teak footbridge located in Amarapura, which is especially beautiful during the sunset times.
Inle Lake
Afterwards I went to the Inle Lake, located in the Shan Hills and inhabited by many different tribes along the lake. Take a boat to see the one-legged fishermen, visit authentic factories on the lake and see the unique floating gardens. If you have more time around Inle Lake, it is also nice to take a bike trip around the lake or visit a vinery with beautiful view over the Lake.
Golden Rock (Kyaiktiyo Pagoda)
If you are looking for daytrips from Yangon, you should think about going to the Golden Rock (Kyaiktiyo Pagoda). This is a highly visited pilgrimage site in the Mon-state. It is a small pagoda that was built on top of a granite boulder that is covered in gold leaves. According to a legend the rock can is stabilized by Buddhas hair that keeps it from falling down the mountain. I was very impressed by the whole experience of visiting the Golden Rock, starting with the adventurous truck drive up the mountain and then discovering that there is a proper village on the mountain with markets and restaurants.
About the blogger :
Teresa S. is a tourism student at Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University & University of Applied Sciences Salzburg who join for internship at Mira Travels and lends a great hand in setting up of Myanmar Experiences Center.
Check our blog at : https://educationaltravelmyanmar.com/blog/