DESTINATIONS & ACTIVITIES

This beach is the most well-known in the country for its beauty. The bottom of this large protected bay is surrounded by lush tropical vegetation cover. 

Also called Silver beach because of the silver color of its sand, the beach is lined with palm trees and offers a superb view over the warm waters of Bengal. With many luxury hotels located here, the place indeed being very appreciated by the wealthy citizens of Yangon who love to come here to spend their weekend.

Located at 1.328m altitude in the Shan state, the magnificent Inle Lake, 20km long, enjoys a very mild climate, renowned for the beauty of its landscapes, the fishermen of the Intha minority who row in a unique way in the world, the floating villages, or the craftsmen... 

Bagan is the most fascinating site to visit in Myanmar. The countless temples, stupas and pagodas that rise to the sky-piercing sometimes desert landscapes are worthy Indiana Jones films. A breathtaking show, a pure wonder!

This large and green city charms all its visitors. With its 150 monasteries which count among the most prestigious, and its 70,000 monks (60% of the monks of the country), the city of Mandalay possesses a strong Buddhist faith. 

Being the former capital of a dynasty that remained in power for more than 350 years, Mrauk U is 72km from the coast, on the banks of the Aungdat. It reached its peak in the 16th century, accumulating wealth and benefiting greatly from the adjacent maritime trade. 

From Hpa-An, 120 km southeast of the Golden Rock, it is a surprising landscape that passes before our eyes: karst mountains similar to those of the Guilin region in China or the land Halong Bay in northern Vietnam. A wonderful landscape and, despite everything, little frequented..

It takes its name from the fact that kings came there especially to wash their hair, because the water was, it is said, pure. Religious, mainly nuns, live there permanently and according to the legend they would be guardians of the jewels having belonged to Buddha".

Since 2005, Yangon is no longer the political capital of the country but remains undoubtedly the 1st city of the country. The city is green and few buildings emerge lush vegetation. A peaceful atmosphere emerges from the premises. 

Yangon lost its capital status in 2005 to the newly created city of Naypyidaw, about 350 km further north. Despite everything, Yangon does not cease to attract all eyes and remains the first city of the country with its 4.5 million inhabitants. It is also through this city that all travellers will necessarily pass.

Yangon is the "city of the Golden Pagodas" and lies at the confluence of the eponymous river and the Dagon river. This charming name is according to the presence of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda, the most sacred Buddhist shrine in the country, which has attracted pilgrims for 2600 years.

Yangon or Rangoon?

Rangoon's name was officially changed to Yangon in 1989, along with many other place names across the country. Although this change reflects the reality of local pronunciation, it was controversial, as the military junta making the change is not officially recognized as legitimate by some governments and citizens.

Yangon through time

Yangon was originally a small fishing village that lived at the foot of Shwedagon Pagoda. The presence of the British has left traces and many buildings of colonial architecture mark this city of Asia, without disfiguring it. With the dictatorship that took hold in the 1960s, Yangon lost momentum. The city, as if caught in a state of siege, seems asleep and many buildings in the city centre give the feeling of being somewhat tired. Despite this wear and tear of time, Yangon has not lost its beauty. Its parks, its lakes, its shady streets and all its heritages make it a very pleasant city to visit and where it is good to stroll and dream...

Circulation

The city was built and organized by the British, the same model as in the United States was conceived there: streets all parallel or perpendicular to each other, with street numbers and not names to locate themselves. It is therefore easy to find your way around but the particularity is that Yangon is the only city in the country where all transportation on two-wheels is prohibited. The number of cars is therefore impressive, which makes traffic extremely difficult at rush hour. On a map, a short distance between two tourist sites can therefore take considerable time.

Good to know

Yangon is one of the few cities in Asia that has retained its cosmopolitan charm of yesteryear: from the colonial district breathing the past, the Chinatown of the 1960s, through the Indian district and its spices, its modern downtown... The city is unique in the country and in Asia.