Yangon
One of Buddhism's most sacred sites, the 326ft zedi (stupa) here is adorned with 27 metric tons of gold leaf, along with thousands of diamonds and other…
Must-see attractions in Myanmar (Burma)
Mandalay
To get a sense of Mandalay’s pancake-flat sprawl, climb the 760ft hill that breaks it. The walk up covered stairways on the hill's southern slope is a…
Myanmar (Burma)
This lovely 1834 teak monastery is Inwa’s most memorable individual attraction. It's supported on 267 teak posts, the largest 60ft high and 9ft in…
Chin State
The highest peak in Chin State – 10,016ft – and the third-highest in Myanmar, stunning Mt Victoria is one of the principal attractions of southern Chin…
Mandalay
Every day, thousands of colourfully dressed faithful venerate Mahamuni's 13ft-tall seated buddha, a nationally celebrated image that’s popularly believed…
Myanmar (Burma)
Following the destruction of Bago in 1757, this huge reclining buddha was overgrown by jungle and not rediscovered until 1881, when a contractor unearthed…
Yangon
Even though the museum's collection is poorly labelled and often badly lit, the treasures that lie within this cavernous building deserve a viewing. The…
Chin State
This small, heart-shaped lake has huge spiritual significance for the Mizo people, who inhabit both sides of the nearby Myanmar–India border. Rih Lake…
Myanmar (Burma)
A zedi (stupa) of washed-out gold in the midday haze and glittering perfection in the evening, the 374ft-high Shwemawdaw Paya lords it over Bago. At the…
Mandalay
Staring distantly towards Mandalay Palace, temple-topped Yankin Hill is worth climbing for views of greater Mandalay's rice-field setting and of the Shan…
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Myanmar (Burma)
If you're a fan of garden gnomes, you're going to love this place! The name of this vast hillside buddha-rama translates as '1000 buddhas'. In reality…
Myanmar (Burma)
The world’s longest teak footbridge gently curves 1300yd across shallow Taungthaman Lake, creating one of Myanmar’s most photographed sites. In dry season…
Yangon
Housed in a large metal-roofed shed, this beautiful 215ft-long reclining buddha is larger than a similar and better-known image in Bago. The statue's…
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Yangon
After many years of being off limits, this spectacular red-brick complex, which takes up a 16-acre block and was once the British seat of government for…
Mandalay
A meditative departure from the usual Burmese 'douse-it-all-in-gold-and-pastels' aesthetic, this gorgeously carved teak monastery is beloved by tourists…
Yangon
One of Yangon's, if not Myanmar's, most gorgeous buddha images is this 46ft-tall one at the Ngahtatgyi Paya, sitting in calm gold-and-white repose and…
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Myanmar (Burma)
This colourful, modern temple is famed for its staggering number of buddha images as well as its carnivalesque exterior, with a unique roof layered with…
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Myanmar (Burma)
Some 650m beyond the restaurants and souvenir stands of Hpo Win 'village' lies Shwe Ba Taung, a smaller, contrastingly different set of 46 cave chambers…
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Chin Antiques & Cultural Exhibition Centre
Chin State
Trained lawyer and maths teacher Robert Om Kee, son of Vakok vilage chief, has dedicated himself to this fascinating and tiny house museum. He'll quickly…
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Yangon
Situated next to the Nga Moe Yeik creek, this Disneyland-ish pagoda is a hoot. Larger-than-life 3D stucco depictions of the Buddha's life and practice…
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Myanmar (Burma)
A Myint is a charmingly unspoiled riverside village dominated by a series of 336 higgledy-piggledy ancient stupas in varying stages of collapse. All are…
Yangon
Also known as Royal Lake, this artificial lake built by the British as a reservoir is most attractive at sunset, when the glittering Shwedagon Paya is…
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Myanmar (Burma)
One of Monywa's biggest attractions, this rural complex of 492 buddha chambers was carved into a limestone hillside between the 14th and 18th centuries…
Myanmar (Burma)
Set atop a hill in the town centre, the stunning Shwesandaw Paya (and the surrounding pagodas and monasteries) is not only Pyay’s major point of interest,…
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Myanmar (Burma)
This centuries-old golden stupa looms over Pathein like a glittering beacon. The hti (stupa pinnacle) consists of a topmost layer made from 14lb of solid…
Yangon
Not many cities have a primary traffic circle occupied by a 2200-year-old golden temple. This 46m zedi (stupa), said to be older than Shwedagon Paya, is…
Myanmar (Burma)
From the nat shrine, start up the many steps under a covered walkway and past the rows of trinket and souvenir shops and shrines to a revered local…
Mandalay
Rock dust and cheroot smoke fill the air in this heaving grid of cramped walkways, where you'll find a mass of jade traders haggling, hawking and…
Myanmar (Burma)
Located northwest of Kyaukse, this enormous temple complex, once buried underground, but since excavated, is a fascinating historic site, but its…
Yangon
All the traditional features of a synagogue are present in this superbly maintained 1896 building: the bimah (platform holding the reading table for the…
Yangon
One of Myanmar's most respected international politicians, U Thant was UN Secretary General from 1961 to 1971. When his grandson, Thant Myint-U,…
Mandalay
This fine teak monastery-temple is noted for its carvings, particularly the interior gilded scenes from the Jataka (past-life stories of the Buddha). The…
Mandalay
Founded in 1167 by Prince Minshinzaw, exiled son of King Alaungsithu, Shwekyimyint considerably predates Mandalay itself. Minshinzaw consecrated the…
Myanmar (Burma)
Begun in 1790, Mingun Paya would have been the world’s biggest stupa if it had been completed. Work stopped in 1819 when King Bodawpaya died, and at that…
Yangon
The raw hustle and bustle of Yangon's wholesale fish market is compulsively fascinating. It's a heady assault on the senses – especially that of smell –…
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Myanmar (Burma)
This ancient site, about 5 miles east of central Pyay, makes for an enjoyable few hours of laid-back exploration, often in isolation. Known to Pali…
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Myanmar (Burma)
Built, unusually, of stucco-covered brick, this 1822 royal monastery temple is a rare survivor from the Ava era. The faded, sturdy structure looks very…
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Myanmar (Burma)
Within the green patchwork of paddies that forms a quilt over Inwa, a small temple perches on a tiny artificial island. This is Daw Gyan, a collection of…
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Coconut & Banana Wholesale Market
Yangon
Branches laded with bananas, towering piles of coconuts, bales of sugar cane and, in season, mammoth amounts of mangoes, make this busy riverside…
Yangon
Botataung’s spacious riverfront location and lack of crowds give it a more down-to-earth spiritual feeling than Shwedagon. Its most original feature is…
