Tropical Beaches in Dawei

If you desire to relax on a beautiful beach, with no crowds around, one of the pristine beaches in Dawei would be perfect for you. These beaches are mostly unexplored and provide you with opportunities for water sports activities such as kayaking, scuba diving, and snorkeling. Some of the beaches available to you are Maungmagan beach, Sin Htauk beach, Grandfather beach and Pa Nyit beach. San Maria beach, Teyzit beach, Nabule beach and Paradise beach are rustic and pristine beaches in Dawei that you can literally have all for yourself. A visit to a beach in Dawei provides the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the life in the city and will remind you how important the simple things in life are. There are also enough beaches in Dawei for a week of exploration, so if you enjoy beach hopping a visit to the idyllic town of Dawei will be perfect for you! So, go ahead and plan your trip to Dawei, you will feel a lot more rejuvenated, especially if you spend some time on one of the alluring beaches.

Dawei-Beach

Beach-Dawei-Myanmar

Snorkeling-in-Dawei-with-Pro-Niti-Travel

Interesting religious and cultural sights in Dawei

If you are seeking unique cultural and spiritual experiences, the town of Dawei provides some exciting options for you. Three of the sacred sites that you must visit are Myaw Yit Pagoda, Lawka Tharaphu Pagoda and Shin Maw Pagoda. Myaw Yit Pagoda is a historic religious site located on a small island approximately 6 miles south of Maungmagan beach; it is a significant location in Dawei and a sight you should not miss when you visit. The Lawka Tharaphu Pagoda is one of the largest of its kind in the world and is one of the most enduring images in the city of Dawei. The Shin Maw Pagoda is another sacred religious sight just outside of the city of Dawei that is filled with history and should also not be missed on your day trip through Dawei.

Pagoda-at-Dawei

Local-at-dawei

Snorkeling

The Tanintharyi Region Cultural Museum

The Tanintharyi Region Cultural Museum chronicles the history of Dawei, including the culture of the different groups of local people that the town is comprised of. The three main groups are the Dawei, Moken and Mon groups and you will learn the idiosyncrasies of each of these people if you visit this fascinating cultural museum in Dawei. It is highly recommended that you visit if you ever in the town.

Lathpat-thoke-Tea-Salad

Local-Food

Snorkeling

A wide variety of dining options

One of the highlights of the town of Dawei is the delectable local dining options available for you to enjoy! From top-notch Thai cuisine to street food stalls, there is a restaurant for every budget, and you are sure to have the dining experience of your life when you visit Dawei. Some of the best restaurants in the town are , Bamboo Garden Restaurant, Tavoy Kitchen, Shwe Monn Gan Restaurant and Joy House Thai Restaurant. There are also popular night markets that each include upward of fifteen stalls, serving a variety of dishes including the Malaysian chicken man and several enticing noodle dishes. These Markets are lively and happening spots in Dawei on a regular evening, and you should not miss this spectacle when you visit.

Finally, the town of Dawei offers the discerning traveller a lot of options. Whether you are seeking a relaxing tropical beach, seeing some of the unique religious and cultural monuments found anywhere in the world, learning the fascinating culture of Dawei or having the dining experience of your lifetime, the town of Dawei is a perfect destination for you.

Are you thinking to make lifetime memories in Myanmar? Explore our recommended Myanmar Adventures or you can tailor Myanmar customized Tours.

Our loyal guest shares his travel experience to Myanmar. He stayed for 6 days in Yangon and Mrauk U and visited Shwedagon Pagoda and Mrauk Temples. He wrote a blog about interesting facts of Myanmar, what he saw and what he experienced. Yangon and Mrauk U is the highlight tour of his trip and every little detail will reflect on this blog. We proudly share the blog about 6 days experience of our guest, Abhijit Dutta. We believe our viewers will get something useful tips about Myanmar Travel and how safe Mrauk-U destination.

Prologue

I had wasted 10 days of vacation and holidays during Christmas 2017 and New Year 2018 by hanging around in Singapore when I could have visited Myanmar instead. I wanted to avoid the tourists. Just as the new year started, it was time for the Chinese Lunar New Year. I became restless with wanderlust. Wondering if it might make sense, I wrote a very short email to Fiona @ Pro Niti asking if it was worth the effort to visit for 5 days. She was my travel consultant during my previous visit in May 2017, and she remembered the activities that I like. Within a day she responded with not just one but three itineraries to visit three completely different parts of her country. She had prepared the itinerary according to my likes and showcasing the beauty, the culture and the traditions of Myanmar.

Option 1 was Mrauk-U in Rakhine state, the former capital of the last Arakan Kingdom. With a small protest between some Buddhist Monks and local authorities have gone bad, we kept our options open. Fiona kept an eye on the situation and suggested that I pay an advance based only on the cheapest itinerary which was Option 2 and a backup itinerary.

Obtaining an e-Visa through the Myanmar Government’s website took less than 1 business day. And SQ had flights operated by MI at the most convenient times in both directions. Everything was ready a month before the Chinese Lunar New Year.

https://evisa.moip.gov.mm/NewApplication.aspx

15 Feb 2018 – Day 1: Yangon and a dinner

A week ago, Fiona confirmed that the Mrauk-U itinerary was a go. I reached Changi Airport with more than enough time on my hands. First on the list to do was souvenir shopping and looking for new books to read. A couple of pints of beer and a “Champion Breakfast” for lunch later at Harry’s pub, I walked over to the gate.

Singapore’s Changi International Airport

The MI flight was a little disappointing this time with the in-flight F&B service. I managed to take a nap and watch a quarter of Assassin’s Creed by the time the pilot announced that we were approaching Yangon. Walking from the aircraft, through Immigration, collecting my teeny-weeny stroller and clearing customs took not more than 15 minutes!

The first surprise was seeing Mr. Ko waiting for me. He was the one who chauffeured me around Yangon last year. While I requested Fiona to check if Mr. Tun Tun Naing would be available to guide me in Yangon, I had forgotten to request for Mr. Ko as well. Fiona being had taken care of this as well.

Shwedagon Pagoda

My initial plan was to visit Shwe Dagon Pagoda at sunset but decided to skip it. Mr. Ko drove me to the hotel – Merchant Boutique Hotel – which is a stone’s throw away from the Pagoda. Check-in was swift and smooth.

Fiona was waiting for me with all the necessary documents including travel and hotel vouchers, and a local SIM card. And a surprise – a gift of a local t-shirt and a longyi. Well……..

After a detailed briefing in her usual formal, brisk and efficient style, she took me up on my offer to buy dinner. “House of Memories” it is called these days. But, once upon a time, it used to be the office of Bogyoke Aung Sun. His office is still preserved along with his desk and the office equipment that he used. Around the walls and inside the office, hung photos of free and independent India’s first Prime Minister, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru, many with Bogyoke himself.

Shwedagon Pagoda

The F&B menu was in the style of a newspaper with the first two pages telling the history of the building. While Fiona was busy discussing with the waiter and trying to decide on what local food to order, I decided to read some history – many a secret meeting had taken place in this house about Myanmar and India’s independence from British rule; Netaji Subash Chandra Bose was kept hidden in this house for a few days for his meetings with Bogyoke.

Dinner was cooked in the way along with a couple of glasses of Myanmar Red Wine. They make some really good wine in Myanmar! Another surprise for me.

On reaching the hotel, I parked myself at the rooftop beer garden which had an unhindered view of Shwe Dagon. This was the main reason I had requested for this particular hotel – Merchant Boutique Hotel. I had a couple of pints of Myanmar Beer while I set up my tripod and camera and took some photographs of Shwe Dagon Pagoda in the night from a distance.

16 Feb 2018 – Day 2: Shwe Dagon Pagoda, Sittwe, and sailing on the Kalan River

Shwedagon Pagoda

I woke up earlier than planned, at about 3:45 AM, and decided to make use of the extra time. The excitement of visiting the majestic, 2,605-year old Shwe Dagon Pagoda for the second time, that too at sunrise, could not keep me in bed. A cup of coffee and after a seven-minute walk through a couple of back alleys I arrived at the Eastern gate of Shwe Dagon Pagoda where I was greeted with enthusiastic “Mingalabar” from the locals and the usual question if I am from India (Indu). The security folks and the temple officials at the visitor’s ticket counter were friendly as usual, and by 4:45 AM I had set foot on the sacred platform around the Pagoda.

Without any tourists and only the serious devotees, the place was quiet, calm and serene. Walking past the Southern and Western gates, I settled down at one of my favorite spots – at the North-West corner, near the Wishing Well where there were a number of devotees praying and meditating.

After absorbing the atmosphere and having taken a few photographs, I walked over to the North-East corner to wait for the Sun to rise and light up the Pagoda with the first ray of the day. There were a number of Bikhu and Bikhuni on the temples surrounding the pagoda chanting their mantras in Pali. A special treat indeed.

By the time the Sun came up over the distant horizon, the platform had turned into a beehive of activity with more devotees having flocked in for morning prayers. For a while, I kept shuttling between the North-West corner and the North-East corner trying to capture the Pagoda in its magnificent glory at sunrise.

Shwedagon Pagoda

After eating breakfast at the hotel, I left for the airport to take a domestic flight to Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state. The domestic terminal was quite awe-inspiring with a really fast internet connectivity. One of the eateries had some really bing, mouth-watering puffs that were fried to just the right golden color. Salivating just by looking at them, I settled for their signature coffee instead while I waited for my flight to be announced. The flight, an ATR operated by Air KBZ, was delayed by 20 minutes and had a short stop-over at Thandwe, a sea-side town.

On landing at Sittwe, I was met by Mr. Tun Nay Win, my local guide. Mr. Tun turned out to be quite an interesting person as I got to know him during the next two days. We took a boat from Sittwe and sailed north on the Kaladan river up to the town of Ponnagyun. The bright and hot afternoon Sun did not help, and with nothing much on either side of the river except barren lands, temporary fishing villages and fishing boats, I took a short nap. The first bottle of Myanmar beer was taking its toll. Just as we neared Ponnagyun, we got to see the Sunset behind a small Pagoda near Uritetaung Pagoda, both of which are located on a hill near the town. At Ponnagyun, we crossed the Kaladan river as we turned North-East to sail up one of the tributaries to Mrauk-U. We sailed in darkness, navigating the twists, turns and exits, between fishing nets and boats, without any light except those from the distant stars. I cannot fail but to admire the navigation skills of these Rakhine boatmen. The sky was black, with a gorgeous view of the stars and to some extent, the Milky Way, our home galaxy. The Three Wise Men shone in full glory all throughout.

Sunset in Mrauk U

The hotel, a resort located on the outskirts of the town of Mrauk-U, had a jetty of its own and we berthed there after sailing a distance of almost 67 km that took 5 hours and 17 minutes.

17 Feb 2018 – Day 3: Mrauk-U

Mrauk-U was the capital of the fourth period of the Arakan Kingdom until 1784-5 when it was conquered by the Burmese empire, leaving Mrauk-U completely devastated during the invasion. The kingdom then became a part of the Burmese kingdom. When the palace was burnt by the conquering army, the metal was taken to Mandalay, the then capital of Burma, where it was melted to make a bell that still stands in Mandalay. The architects and other Arakan scholars were also relocated to Mandalay at the same time along with a considerable portion of the people from the Arakanese population.

Today, the two (inner and outer) ancient walls of the city and the palace exist in a crumbled state with most of the city walls overgrown with vegetation. Around the city, wall are stupas built by the kings on high points (hillocks) that overlook both into the city and outside.

Traveling on a tar road that needs to be repaired, our first stop was at Mong Khong Shwe Du Pagoda, followed by Peisi Taung. While the former, a stupa, is still more or less intact, the later, a temple, is in ruins. Both Pagodas have images of the Buddha from the days of the Arakan kingdom.

Mrauk U, Rakhine

After spending time at both the Pagodas, we visited the Kho Thaung temple (“Temple of 90,000”). From a distance, this temple resembles the temple at Borobodur though is shorter in height with about 4 levels. The temple is mostly in ruins, though a lot of the images of the Buddha are still in good condition. The stupa at the center is intact with a shed built to cover the main image of the Buddha beside the stupa.

Mrauk U, Rakhine

Mrauk U, Rakhine

Mrauk U, Rakhine

Novice from Mrauk U, Rakhine

We took a short detour to view the moat, a part of the ancient city wall and gate from a hillock with a stupa, followed by a visit to Para Oak village and Alay Zee village where we watched a local lady make hand fans with bamboo by hand in the traditional way. We then took a walk on the ancient city wall to get a sight of the city inside the inner wall through the city gate.

By then it was time for lunch. A hearty local meal of fish cake, chicken, and greens with rice was what we had at the main town market in Mrauk-U city center with the locals.

After lunch, it was time to visit some of the more famous temples of Mrauk-U, the Shai-Thuang (or Shite Thuang, “Temple of 80,000”, “Temple of Victory”) and Htukkant Thein Temple. Next to the Shai-Thuang temple are two more pagodas – Andaw Thein Temple and Yadanabon Pagoda – spending some time at the former.

Mrauk U, Rakhine

Mrauk U, Rakhine

Mrauk U, Rakhine

Mrauk U, Rakhine

Mrauk U, Rakhine

Mrauk U, Rakhine

Mrauk U Temple

Last stop for the afternoon was the Lay Myet Hna Temple which is just a stone’s throw from the Htukkant Thein Temple.

And while we waited for the Sun to set, we took a break to drink some Myanmar Beer with local snacks. The view from Ratana Sanrie hill was stunning, but the sunset flattered only to deceive with low clouds blocking the best part of the sunset.

Mrauk U, Rakhine

Mrauk U, Rakhine

18 Feb 2018 – Day 4: Visiting the Chin villages

The day started with a sunrise over a landscape covered in fog and mist. I stood freezing my bare feet on the stone floor at the entrance to a stupa on a small hillock near the center of the town, overlooking what might have been the old city of Mrauk-U, the capital of the Mrauk-U kingdom for 355 years in the not too distant past, and further away, the remains of the ancient city walls. Behind me, inside the temple, was the Buddha, ever serene and smiling.

We proceeded to the local market which had already started to bustle with activity. The flower-women had set up stalls on the main street. We settled down at a local tea shop where I had a double breakfast of local food , palatar and thin rice noodles in a soup.

Mrauk U Sunset

At 9:00 AM, we drove to Lay Myo river jetty from where we took a boat to visit a couple of Chin village. The view was scenic on both sides, and as the river wound its way among the mountain ranges, we watched bamboos being floated down the river, children playing with boats or collecting pebbles near the banks. At the first Chin village, I met 4 of the elderly Chin ladies who in their youth had tattooed their faces in the Chin tradition. We spent some time walking around the village and visiting the primary school where we saw a few children attending Sunday classes with their teacher. We stopped to chat with these elderly ladies who were more than happy and excited to wear their large earrings and demanded that I take their pictures. After a short break to drink coconut water from some really big coconuts and taking photos of the Chin children, we proceeded further up river to another Chin village. Each of these Chin villages has a population of approximately 300 people whose sustenance is mostly cultivation.

a woman from Chin Village

After walking around the second Chin village, we decided to quench our thirst with some local beer before taking the boat back to Lay Myo river jetty and to the hotel.

By the time we reached Lay Myo jetty, it was late afternoon. I decided to skip the sunset and instead Mr. Tun, and I went to meet a friend of his and partake of the local rice alcohol with some spicy Rakhine food in a small shop beside the canal at the local market. Since we had not had a chance to eat lunch, the food helped. With the local food and the rice alcohol flowing, we had long and interesting discussions covering the history of Rakhine, her people, local topics, and issues. We kept eating beef curry, fish, fish cakes, etc., finally adding rice towards the end to call it. It was late in the night before we decide to call it a day.

19 Feb 2018 – Day 5: Mrauk-U-Sittwe-Yangon

We left the hotel by the same boat to return to Sittwe. Unfortunately, the tide was coming in, and sailing was a slow down river, taking almost 5 hours to reach the jetty in Sittwe. After a hurried stop at the local branch of a bank to change some money, we rushed to the airport bypassing the Old Sittwe jetty.

Mr. Tun Nay checked me in and then helped me clear immigration and custom. Interestingly, they have both even for domestic travel. After saying goodbye, Mr. Tun headed to the city to look for a bus to Mrauk-U while I went back inside the airport and into the departure hall to wait for my flight. An ATR operated by Air KBZ brought me back to Yangon in time to visit the Shwe Dagon Pagoda again, this time during sunset.

Sunset is probably the worst time to visit as I found out. The platform around the Pagoda was packed with devotees. But probably matching them in numbers were tourists from the west, gawking at and admiring the magnificence of the place, the devotees and the Theravada Buddhist way of life and worship. I spent just the amount of time that I required to get the 3-4 specific frames.

Shwedagon Pagoda

Shwedagon Pagoda Night View

Shwedagon Pagoda Night View

Mr. Ko was waiting outside to take me to Sule Shangrila where I was to spend the night. Check-in was swift and smooth once again, and in about 15 minutes, I was back on the Sule Pagoda Road to visit Sule Pagoda on foot.

During my last visit to Yangon in May 2017, my guide in Yangon, Mr. Tun had shown me a Chetty restaurant next to Sule Pagoda, and this time I decided to eat my dinner there; Palatar (Pratha) and Naan with two helpings of Mutton curry at the Chetty restaurant run by 3rd generation Tamils.

After dinner, I walked around Sule Pagoda, and it’s neighborhood before proceeding to the nearby pedestrian over a bridge that is strategically located with a view of both Sule Pagoda and Little India.

Sule Pagoda

Sule Pagoda

As I headed back to the hotel, I decided to look at the cinema theatre next door. Last year it was Bahubali 2, this year it was the controversial (and banned in some countries as it might hurt the religious sentiments of the people of that country) Padmavaat. Yes, Indian, especially Bollywood, movies are a big hit in Myanmar.

It was time for a nightcap and I headed to the Gallery Bar of the Sule Shangri-La for some “Myanmar Beer” before calling it a day, evening and night.

20 Feb 2018 – Day 6: Dala and Twantay.

My last day of the trip began with a sumptuous breakfast at the Café Sule, a breakfast buffet that covered Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Western cuisines. Teriyaki pork, dimsums, onion vada with mutton curry, sausages (pork and chicken), bacon and eggs was food for the soul to start a day.

After a big breakfast at Café Sule – the Sule Shangrila has a big spread Japanese, Chinese and Indian cuisines, in addition to Burmese. And they also keep the Halal meat. Breakfast was Teriyaki pork, onion vada with mutton curry for a change, pig, and chicken that had been turned into sausages by some curse (or blessing), bacon and eggs, and I left with Mr. Tun and Mr. Ko to wander and wonder at a different part of Yangon and Myanmar.

First stop was the jetty to take the ferry across Yangon River to the village of Dala. Three big ferries donated by Japan ferry passengers across a river. Once across at Dala, we took a trishaw. Trishaws in this part of the word are different – A cycle fitted with a side passenger car. Something like those WWII motorcycles with a sidecar.

For the next hour and a half, I was treated to the sights and sounds of Dala. The villagers are dependent on rainwater harvesting in the traditional way for their daily water requirements. 7-9 ponds spread around the village takes care of the requirements. Water from ponds covered with Lotus leaves and flowers are used for drinking, while the other ponds provide water for all other human needs.

I had the option to visit the local market, but seeing the crowd, I decided to give it a pass. Not much different from ones we still have in many cities and towns in India even now.

The highlight of the tour was when we by chance ran into the Abbott of one of the monasteries, and he decided to have a conversation with me. Mr. Tun had to become the interpreter yet again while the Abbott took us around the monastery. The devotion that people have towards the Monks and Abbotts in Myanmar left me flabbergasted. Yet the Monks and Abbotts lead the life of a Bikhu.

While we took the ferry to cross the river and were wandering in Dala, Mr. Ko drove upriver to cross the bridge across the Yangon river and reach Dala. We met up at the clock tower and proceeded to Twantay town a 45-minute drive.

Having missed the turn to Snake Pagoda, we went around the town to head back to the Pagoda. Nightmare time when I found out what the Pagoda was about, which was at the door. Live pythons were sleeping inside and around the structure. Not me in there, turn around and run!

We stopped to take a photo of a stupa built to house the remains of some monk from the past, and then went back to Twantay to visit the Shwe San Daw Pagoda. Almost a replica of Shwe Dagon Pagoda, it is about 70 feet or so shorter. Around the Pagoda on the platform are wooden houses built in the Mon style. And like Shwe Dagon, Shwe San Daw also has four entrances from the four cardinal directions. It was here that Mr. Tun told me something of significance – why Buddhists in Myanmar enter from the East and go around the platform in a clockwise direction.

We then proceeded to visit small, local pottery where the owner gave us a tour of his factory where he makes water filters from clay by hand in the traditional way. No thermometers to measure the temperature inside the kilns, but a small, tiny thing that he buys from Singapore to measure the heat and temperature inside the kiln manually.

As we headed to Yangon International airport, we had lunch of local food at a roadside tea house. A meal that consisted of water crests with mushrooms, an omelet, minced mutton in a spicy sauce flavored with tomato and of course, rice, a meal that Mr. Tun, Mr. Ko and I shared.

“Anitya,” said the Buddha Gautama. My wanderlust was not permanent this time either. It was time to go home. Enlightened a little more in some way about the people of Myanmar, their culture, their traditions, their history. And of the Arakanese people of today’s Rakhine.

Epilogue

At the departure gate in Yangon International Airport, while I waited for boarding to be announced, I found one of those never-ending, winding, meaningless, senseless Indian soap opera being telecast by a local channel on the wall TV. That too in Hindi with subtitles in Burmese. These meaningless, winding, never-ending, Indian TV soap operas seem to be a big hit in East Asia from China, through Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, all the way down to Malaysia. Does not matter even if it is still in Hindi.

We keep trying to provide useful tips and information about Myanmar travel for our viewers and our valuable guest. This time is to post about the entrance fees of popular destinations while traveling in Myanmar. We hope this entrance fees and zone fees in Myanmar infographic may help to decide your budget arrangement during your Myanmar trip.

Entrance Fees and Zone Fees in Myanmar

Before traveling to Myanmar, especially for indepedent travelers, this infographic might useful while move around from here to there in Myanmar. Hope our viewers will enjoy it. Please subscribe us for updated travel information about Myanmar. Keep in touch with us.

Mandalay

Step into the past as we guide you through the former royal capital of Myanmar, steeped in historical charm. Mandalay, the last bastion of the Konbaung Dynasty, fell to British colonial rule in 1885, marking a somber chapter in Myanmar’s history. Today, Mandalay stands as Myanmar’s second commercial hub, teeming with activity due to an influx of Chinese visitors from the eastern regions. Amidst this bustling backdrop, Mandalay boasts numerous attractions that beckon exploration. Join us as we unveil the ten most famous places in Mandalay, offering a glimpse into the city’s rich heritage and vibrant present.

1.The Shwenandaw Monastery

The Shwenandaw known as Golden Palace Monastery has its unique and magnificent beauty, formed by teak carvings depicting tales from Buddhist mythology in all of its roof and walls. The monastery was formerly a royal apartment built by King Mindon. After his death in 1878, King Thibaw (the son of King Mindon) moved the palace to the current location as he thought that the ghost of his father still existed in there. In the year 1883, it transformed into a monastery until now.

Shwenandaw Monastery

An impressive point of this monastery is that the whole monastery is built entirely by teak wood. Take relaxation and walk around monastery while watching the exceptional architectural sculptures and carvings. It is now being in renovation process but don’t worry, it is still open, and you still can explore there. Note: it is rank as Number 1 place to visit in Mandalay

2.The KuThoDaw Pagoda

One of the slabs inscribed the Tripitaka text

The KuThoDaw Pagoda is surrounded with 729 stupas arranging straight in line. Each stupa contains a marble slab carved with the Tripitaka text (the Buddhist holy book). This pagoda is constructed in 1860 by order of King Mindon Min. Because of its 729 slabs, it is mostly known as “the world’s biggest book” and is located at the foot of Mandalay Hill.

Kuthodaw Pagoda

Do not forget to take photos with the backgrounds of hundreds of white pagodas. It is visually fabulous, and the sight lines for photos are enchanting.

Are you thinking to explore Enchanting Myanmar, explore our Myanmar Tour Programs.

3.Mahamuni Buddha Temple

Mahamuni Buddha Temple is one of the major pilgrimages located in the southwest of Mandalay. Inside the temple, there is a big Buddha statue called Mahamuni Buddha Image. Some say that its origin is from Arakan brought as the but as the legendary stated that the image is one of the likenesses of Buddha, made at the time of Budda alive; two images were in paradise, and two were in India.

Mahamuni Buddha Image

Though it is a busy spot to visit, you should not skip this place as it provides you a range of authenticity of middle Myanmar. Before you exit, shop around the markets for souvenirs.

If you are an early bird, you can see the daily formal face washing rituals in the early morning about 4 am or 4:30 am.

4.Sanda Muni Pagoda

It is nearby from Kuthodaw Pagoda located at the foot of Mandalay Hill. Sanda Muni Pagoda is famous for the large iron Buddha image called Sanda Muni Buddha image and its hundreds of shrines containing inscribed marble slabs. It was built as a memorial to the death of Prince Kanaung who was murdered in 1866 along with three princes. The graves of the princes were buried on the Sanda Muni Pagoda terrace. Lately, the graves were moved to a Mandalay mausoleum.

Sanda Muni Pagoda

Since it is a worth place to visit, the history of Sanda Muni Pagoda is really interesting even for locals.

5.U Bein Bridge

Sunset near U Bein Bridge

U Bein Bridge is a should-not-miss place from Amarapura. It is almost 40 minutes drive from Mandalay, which spans over Taungthaman Lake. The bridge becomes the highlight of Mandalay tour to enjoy amazing sunset and sunrise for the travelers as well as to take awesome photographs. It was recognized as the longest teak bridge in the world using 1,086 pillars. But some small part of maintenance is made upon the needs so that you will see some of the parts are replaced with new wood.

Watching the sunset will offer a feeling of missing somebody and viewing the sunrise will release the tension of your life. Be aware of crowded with tourists and local merchants, but complaining as a touristy destination is not true. So, we recommend the travelers to take a boat to feel the full experience of a picturesque wooden structure while watching sunset or sunrise.

6.Mandalay Hill

After 45 minutes walking through covered stairs from the foot, one will reach the summit of Mandalay, which is 120 meters above sea level. The city took its name and has been a major pilgrimage site for Burmese Buddhists for nearly two centuries. Travelers can get there by taking a car ride or by foot.

Mandalay Hill

Once you reach the top of the mountain, you feel the attractive panoramic view of Mandalay City. You will see a little bit crowded people taking photographs. Watching sunset or sunrise over the hill is worth for a visit. Especially for the sunset, the atmosphere around the pagoda is calm and peaceful.

7.Maha Aung Mye Bon Zan Monastery

Maha Aung Mye Bon Zan Monastery

Places we mentioned above were mostly built with woods because of a bountiful supply of wood that time. Unlike other forms of the monastery, Maha Aung Mye Bon Zan Monastery was built of brick and stucco. The usual name of this monastery is Mal Nu Oak Monastery – in that, “Mal Nu” was the Queen who built this monastery and “Oak” means brick. It is remarked as the impressive architecture of Konbaung dynasty. It is a well-preserved and long-standing building though it endures the effect of climate and human activities since 1818.

The entrance of Maha Aung Mye Bon Zan Monastery

At there, you will see two giant lions gatekeepers as in the Burmese religious buildings. The carvings and ornamentations look alike wooden monasteries but undoubtedly outstanding.

The 1838 earthquake hit most of the vital building including this monastery. If truth to be told, it was renovated four decades later the earthquake.

8.Mingun Bell

Mingun Bell is located in Mingun Town, Sagaing Region about one and a half hours of driving from Mandalay. It was the largest functioning bell in the world until 2000 before casting Bell of Good Luck from China. Its weight is 55,555 viss (199,999 pounds or 90tons), and the weight of the bell is written on its surface as “Min Phyu Mhan Mhan Pyaw.” Those mnemonic words represent number 5 by means of the Burmese numerology.

Mingun Bell

It is now remarked as the third largest functioning bell in the world. The bell itself is impressive and crowded with locals and foreigners taking photographs in most of the time.

Here is the most popular Myanmar Tours including Bagan, Mandalay, Yangon and much more.

9.Mandalay Palace

It is the last royal palace of the last kingdom of Myanmar, Konbaung Dynasty. King Thibaw is the last king of Myanmar kingdom before captured by British Colony. Many places of the complex were destroyed during the World War II by the bomb attack, but only the royal mint and the watch tower survived. Then it was rebuilt at the start of the 1990s with some modern materials.

Mandalay Palace

Now, it became a primary tourist attraction and the heart of Mandalay. Most of the places are controlled by the military for the security reason, but the main royal mint is open. Things to do in Mandalay Palace are; climb up to the watchtower with an overview of Palace and Mandalay, taste the feel and capture the moment.

10.Jade Market

Now, the last place is the paradise of souvenir. The jade market is famous among the visitors as it let them buy hand-made jade products and also study how jade is being crafted. The market is quite busy in the morning with the sellers and buyers (dealers) because the main trades take places at that time. However this is not a tourist attraction site, it is usually crowded with tourists and local visitors. Yet there are many stalls to explore, please be careful about different pricing and different quality if you buy an expensive thing.

Jade Market

You can take the pictures of the process of making crafts but show them respect and interest. The entrance fees for this market alone is 2,500 MMK, so it is worth to pay. It is open every day except Full Moon Day of every month.

We hope this guideline may be helpful to our viewers and guest since it includes up-to-date information. As we told in above, we suggest these ten interesting places will most suitable for our guest yet Mandalay has a lot of places to visit and things to do.

Please be careful to wear scandals (or) slippers and make sure supposed to cover your knee and shoulders, especially for women because of its restriction when you visit around Mandalay and pilgrimage areas.

Myanmar, formerly knоwn аѕ Burmа, iѕ a burgеоning dеmосrасу that iѕ grаduаllу еmеrging as an exciting аnd аdvеnturоuѕ travel destination. Prеviоuѕlу a pariah ѕtаtе with an embargo оn fоrеign viѕitаtiоn, Myanmar iѕ now grаduаllу building a flеdgling tоuriѕt induѕtrу. Yеt it iѕ so recently the саѕе thаt fоrеignеrѕ can visit thе country, fоr the mоѕt раrt, it ѕtill fееlѕ vеrу much оff thе bеаtеn trасk. When you come hеrе, уоu саn feel аѕ thоugh уоu аrе оnе оf thе first реорlе to diѕсоvеr this bеаutiful аnd magical соuntrу аѕ уоu bесоmе раrt оf рutting it оn thе tоuriѕt mар.

Myanmar iѕ quitе unlikе аnуwhеrе else in Southeast Asia оr thе wоrld. Thе tеrm ‘Southeast Aѕiа’ iѕ rеgulаrlу uѕеd аѕ a саtсh-аll fоr thе соuntriеѕ south оf Chinа and north of Auѕtrаliа. While these соuntriеѕ сеrtаinlу hаvе thеir ѕimilаritiеѕ, thеу еасh rеtаin thеir оwn uniquе fеаturеѕ. Bеlоw, we’ve оutlinеd five thingѕ thаt mаkе Myanmar special аnd unique.

Thiѕ is thе one соuntrу уоu ѕhоuld viѕit thiѕ уеаr – Myanmar really dоеѕ hаvе it all: frоm bеаutiful ѕсеnеrу tо еxсiting ѕеttlеmеntѕ. Just in case you аrе not уеt convinced to choose Myanmar fоr уоur next hоlidау, hеrе are five rеаѕоnѕ tо viѕit this ѕресtасulаr part оf the wоrld with your friends.

1. Nаturаl beauty

Natural Creature of Myanmar

Myanmar really is оnе inсrеdiblу beautiful country.
Pаrаdiѕе bеасhеѕ with perfect water аnd white ѕаnd, miѕtу mountains, tаnglеd junglеѕ, majestic Inlе Lake, the widе Irrаwаddу Rivеr, thе ruggеd highlands, thе lush lоwlаndѕ – Mуаnmаr’ѕ stunning landscapes are truly brеаthtаking.

Cоmbinе thеѕе ѕtunning bасkdrорѕ with some оf thе wоrld’ѕ mоѕt wеll-рrеѕеrvеd hiѕtоriс sites аnd уоu’vе gоt pure trаvеl mаgiс.

2. Mаjеѕtiс mountains

Keng Tung Viewpoint

Mуаnmаr iѕ a wоndеrfullу rugged аnd mоuntаinоuѕ соuntrу. To the nоrth, thе Hengduan Mоuntаin forms thе bоrdеr with Chinа. There are many оthеr mоuntаin rаngеѕ running brоаdlу nоrth tо ѕоuth that gо thrоugh the соuntrу bеtwееn thе Himаlауаѕ аnd the coast. Thеѕе mоuntаinѕ ѕераrаtе thе mаjоr wаtеrсоurѕеѕ of the country, еасh оf which run thrоugh fеrtilе valleys, such аѕ the Irrаwаddу Vаllеу, whiсh is home tо mоѕt оf Burmа’ѕ population. Thеѕе mountains оffеr a haven tо nature lоvеrѕ and wildlifе watchers аnd аrе a ѕimрlу ѕtunning bасkdrор tо the sites уоu will see. Whеthеr you enjoy асtivе hоlidау ѕсаling thе heights, rеlаx in thе сооl mоuntаin аir оr ѕimрlу gаzе оn thеir beauty, thе mоuntаinѕ оf Myanmar аrе one соmреlling rеаѕоn tо pay a viѕit tо this соuntrу.

3. Bаllооnѕ оvеr Bаgаn

Ballooning in Bagan

A bit about Bаgаn: It is оnе оf Myanmar’s most viѕitеd ѕitеѕ. It iѕ inсrеdiblу ѕсеniс. Bagan соmрriѕеѕ mоrе than 2,000 аnсiеnt ѕtuраѕ which dаtеѕ back tо the 9th-century Pagan Kingdom. It iѕ роѕѕiblе to flоаt оvеr thеѕе ѕрirеѕ in a hot аir bаllооn.

Bаgаn iѕ a muѕt-ѕее. Bаllооning iѕ thе more unconventional wау оf tаking it аll in. And it is the one thаt mау nоt be роѕѕiblе fоr muсh longer dереnding on lосаl laws. If bаllооning over Bаgаn iѕ оn уоur bucket list, we rесоmmеnd not wаiting tоо lоng.

4. Bеаutiful bеасhеѕ

Ngapali Beach

Mуаnmаr hаѕ 1,200 milеѕ оf coastline along the Bау оf Bеngаl and thе Andаmаn Sеа. Nоt iѕ thе time tо explore thiѕ ѕtill rеlаtivеlу unѕроilеd соаѕtlinе, frоm thе comparatively well knоwn dеlightѕ оf thе bеасhеѕ likе Ngараli in thе соuntrу’ѕ ѕоuth west tо thе fаr mоrе difficult tо reach and therefore bliѕѕfullу unѕроilеd Tаninthаrуi аrеа. Alrеаdу buѕinеѕѕmеn are snapping uр plots of land аnd big dеvеlорmеnt will ѕurеlу soon fоllоw. Sо intrepid indереndеnt travelers should be ѕurе to viѕit this соаѕt оf реrfесt whitе sand bеасhеѕ аnd tinу fiѕhing villages bеfоrе it сhаngеѕ fоrеvеr.

5. Exhilаrаting аdvеnturе

Kalaw Trekking

Advеnturе соmеѕ in thiѕ соuntrу in a lot оf diffеrеnt wауѕ. This is a nаturаl playground where аdvеnturе-ѕееkеrѕ саn indulgе their wild ѕidе, nоt juѕt by hiking оr biking but аlѕо bу exploring in a rаngе of diffеrеnt wауѕ оn lаnd, аir or bу wаtеr. Pеrhарѕ you will еvеn trаvеl оn the bасk оf a nаtivе еlерhаnt, or tаkе a bоаt triр in a trаditiоnаl Burmеѕе сrаft. Thоѕе with a good hеаd fоr heights should head fоr thе hills оn a trekking оr climbing еxреditiоn оr flу high in a hot аir balloon over thе dеlightѕ оf Bagan. Exреriеnсе age-old cultures very diffеrеnt tо уоur оwn in rеmоtе mоuntаin and lаkе соmmunitiеѕ аnd watch thе wildlife in rеmоtе lосаtiоnѕ fаr frоm thе trаррingѕ of thе modern wоrld.

Well, after reading this above blog, we believe you will Myanmar to your travel list. Whether уоu аrе ѕееking spiritual fulfilmеnt, relaxation or a rеаl аdvеnturе, Myanmar саn deliver in ѕраdеѕ. Please do not trust the other sources which publishing false travel information of Myanmar as a scary destination to visit. Make some consideration upon the real situation and make a choice.

This blog post about Bagan is originally posted on Free Two Roam website who loves to travel around the world. The two roamers came to Myanmar with the arrangement of  Pro Niti, and they did enjoy their trip. Take a look at their experience in Bagan; it will really useful for our readers.

A daily life of local from Bagan

One of the highlights of any trip to Myanmar is a visit to Bagan. Bagan is an ancient city built on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River, in the heart of Myanmar. A long time ago it was the capital of a powerful ancient kingdom. Nowadays, its archeological zone is home to the largest concentration of Buddhist temple ruins in the world. It’s also one of the most visited places in Myanmar.

Bagan

Bagan is also nicknamed the “Land of Pagodas.” Between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries, more than ten thousands pagodas, temples, and monasteries were built over a 67 square kilometer area around the city. Over two thousand of them remain, and some are in pretty good condition, considering their age and the two large earthquakes (1975 and 2016) that have hit the area in recent times.

When we organized our trip to Myanmar (with ProNiti Travel), we made sure to allocate three days to explore this amazing old city. This was enough to develop a taste for the place and to help us understand the religious devotion of the Myanmar people.

So what’s to do in Bagan?

Go Temple hopping

There are over two thousands pagodas, temples, and monasteries in the area, so deciding which one to visit is tough. Luckily we had an excellent local guide and driver to take us to the best temples and to explain their histories. Each temple that we visited was unique with its own story to tell. That meant that even Simon didn’t get templed out! We explored many temples while in Bagan, but here are the ones that really stood out for us, that you really should visit:

Ananda Temple

The Ananda temple (also named Ananda Pahto) is located East of the old Bagan city walls, close to the Tharabar gate. Its architectural style has a Mon & North Indian influence, and this single storey temple is the most beautiful and best-preserved temple in Bagan.

Anada Temple

The temple has some distinctive features, such as its gilded sikhara (a tower like spire on top of the pagoda). You can see the reflection of the gilded sikhara from miles away, pretty much anywhere on the Bagan plains. But the best part is the four remarkable 9.5 meter high standing Buddhas that represent the four Buddhas who have attained nirvana. If you look at the Buddha images up close, they appear to be frowning. But if you step back they begin to smile; step even further, and they will be laughing. It’s pretty amazing!

After dark, the Ananda Pagoda is all lit up, creating a mystical atmosphere. Ananda suffered considerable damage during the 1975 earthquake, but it has since been completely restored.

Buddha Statue inside Anada Temple

Shwezigon Pagoda

About five kilometers North East of Old Bagan, on the edge of Nyaung U village, sits the Shwezigon Pagoda. This single storey pagoda is one of the oldest and most impressive pagodas in Bagan. The best part of this complex is the huge gold-plated pagoda that glimmers in the shining sun. It is home to some sacred Buddhist relics (including a copy of the sacred tooth relic of Kandy in Sri Lanka). Its relics make it a popular pilgrimage site.

Shwezigon Pagoda

Shwezigon Pagoda

Dhammayangyi Temple

This temple is the largest temple in Bagan, and you can see its imposing pyramid structure from far away. It was built by the tyrant King Narathu, who killed his own father to steal the throne. He then proceeded to kill his brother, the queen, and countless slaves. He oversaw the building of this temple, but it was never completed because King Narathu was murdered himself. Locals believe the temple is haunted by his sins.

Dhammayangyi Temple

Gu Byauk Gyi Pagoda

This Indian style cave temple is quite small, but it is decorated from walls to ceiling with incredible mural paintings that depict scenes from the Jataka tales, the previous lives of the Buddha. To protect the murals, photography is not allowed inside this temple.

Gu Byauk Gyi Pagoda

Htilomilo temple

The Htilomilo temple is a three-storey majestic structure, that towers 46 meters high. Built from red brick, it was originally plastered with white stucco, some of which still remains. This temple has fine plaster carvings and glazed sandstone decorations. On the first floor, you’ll find four Buddhas, one facing each of the walls. There are four Buddhas on the second floor as well, but it is closed to the public.

Htilomilo temple

Fine architecture of Htilomilo Temple

Depicting gatekeeper

Get up early to watch the sunrise

Yes, getting up before six in the morning is not ideal, and like most people I hate it. But plenty of travelers had said that waking up early to catch the sunrise in Bagan was a magical experience. So we bit the bullet and set our alarms!

Sunrise over Bagan

Our tour guide took us to a quieter temple, and at first, we were the only ones there. A few other tourists arrived later to join us. As we climbed the steps in the dark to the roof of the temple with the aid of a flashlight, it felt like a real adventure. We then sat in the cool morning air, waiting for the sun to rise; it was so peaceful. Sadly the clouds all turned up that morning, which made the sunrise a bit of a fizzer. But as the daylight replaced the night sky, it revealed many temples and pagodas on the plains surrounding us, bathing them in a beautiful light. It was a magical sight.

Take a hot air balloon ride

If you visit between October and March, you can watch the sunrise from the comfort of a hot air balloon!

From what we’ve heard, it’s the most amazing thing to do in Bagan, and should be on anyone’s bucket list. So, of course, it was on ours, and we booked it six months in advance, just to be safe!

Ballooning in Bagan

But unfortunately, luck wasn’t quite with us on this trip. With the wind blowing in the wrong direction, and with the threat of rain approaching, they had to cancel our flight for safety reasons. Let’s not panic I told myself, we have another day, so let’s try tomorrow. Sadly the next day was fully booked (and then canceled as well anyway).

If you really want to have a good chance of actually flying, don’t visit in October at the start of the season. The weather at that time can be quite changeable, and they have more frequent cancellations. Either way, don’t get your hopes up. I was so looking forward to it that I was extremely disappointed. But hey, Bagan will still be there in a few years, We’ll just have to go back and try again!

Visit one of the local villages

If you get templed out and need a break, be sure to visit one of the local villages. We visited the local village of Minnanthu, where we watched the locals make cigars, extract peanut oil, weave cotton, and harvest their fields. We were also given a village tour, including a tour of traditional living quarters.

Local house

Local grandma smoking Cigarettes

It was very interesting to see how the villagers lived, content with just the bare essentials. It really made us appreciate just how spoilt we are, and it put all of our complaints into perspective. Most of the villagers were very friendly and were happy to interact with us. Some even spoke some English and were very happy to answer any questions that we had. I always believe that the best way to really get to know a country is by seeing how its people live.

How they live

Grandma weaving cotton

Watch the sunset over Bagan

After exploring the many temples and getting lost on the vast plains of Bagan, don’t forget to sit down, relax and watch the sun go down. The temples with the best views will attract huge crowds, but some smaller or less popular temples can offer a great experience as well. Do some research by talking to the locals. They will be able to help you find a good spot. Or if like us you have a local guide, they’ll know exactly where to take you.

Watching the sunset over the thousands of pagodas and temples around us, as their color changed from a dark red to a deep orange, was truly mesmerizing.

Sunset over Bagan

Go on a sunset cruise on the Ayeyarwady River

Another great way to watch the sunset is by taking a sunset cruise over the Ayeyarwady River. You can take a taxi or e-Bike to the river, and then negotiate a boat from there. Or if you have a local guide they can organize it all for you.

Sunset cruise over Ayeyarwaddy River

Visit the local market

We’ve visited a few local markets in our lifetime, but none were quite like the one in Bagan. Bagan’s market is ultra colorful, and it attracts very little tourists. The local villagers gather every day to buy and sell produce. It’s crazily busy, but it’s a great place to wander around for an hour or two. There are very few souvenirs for sale; it’s more about seeing all of the local produce, such as dried fish, betel leaves, and lots of amazing looking vegetables. But if you wander past the meat and seafood section you might feel a little bit queazy, and you might decide that it’s a good idea to eat vegetarian food for dinner!

Local market

Selling dried fish at local market

 Take a trip to Mt Popa

If you fly to Bagan, you’ll catch a glimpse of Mt Popa as you land. This ancient volcano is about fifty-kilometers South East of Bagan, and it makes a great day trip. At Mt Popa, you’ll find the sacred Popa Taungkalat monastery, which is perched dramatically on top of a huge rocky outcrop. The monastery is entirely surrounded by sheer cliff faces and offers amazing views of the surrounding area

Mount Popa

Getting to the top of the monastery is a bit of a challenge. There are 777 steps to climb up! But the views at the top are a great reward.

Panoramic View of Mount Popa

Bare in mind that the local macaques are very cheeky and they’ll steal anything they can. Don’t bring anything that you won’t need, and hold on tight to your camera!

How to explore the many temples in Bagan?

The archaeological site is massive, and if you want to explore it properly you won’t be able to do it by foot. Never fear! There are many options available to help you see as much of it as possible.

By bike or e-bike

You can hire bikes or e-bikes from pretty much every street corner. This is the cheapest way to get around, and it also offers you the most freedom to do as you please.

E-biking around Bagan

By horse cart

This is ideal if you’d like a local guide to take you to the best spots. Most of the drivers speak a little bit of English, and they know the best routes and the nicest temples to take you to. Bare in mind that unlike bicycles, horse carts need to follow the more well-trodden tracks. So you may not be able to reach every spot that you’d like to visit.

By taxi

If the heat and the dust are not for you, then hire an air-conditioned taxi for the day. Most drivers speak English, and it is much more comfortable.

Our whole trip was organized through ProNiti Travel, and we had a local guide and a driver to take us around the temples.

Bagan Temple

Where to eat in Bagan?

Two restaurants in Bagan were the standouts on our visit to Myanmar. Both are vegetarian, but even Simon (who’s a big meat eater) loved them!

The Moon – Be Kind to Animals

This restaurant is set up in a garden on an old dusty road. That might not sound that appealing, but wait until you try their food! Try the tea leaf salad, pumpkin curry, and vegetarian rice paper rolls. I wish they had a branch here in Melbourne!

Khaing Shwe Wha

This family-owned restaurant is as good as the Moon (we couldn’t decide which one was best). Their betel leaves salad, and tomato peanut curry with coconut rice are to die for. If you’re lucky, their teenage son might even put on a marionette performance for you!

Bagan temple

As you can see, Bagan is a magical and breathtaking place, but none of our photos really pay it justice. To witness its true beauty, you really need to head there. So I hope that this post has inspired you to put the ancient city of Bagan on your bucket list. Visit soon before it gets even more touristy.

Pro Niti Community Development Programme (Pro Niti CDP)

As part of Our Commitment to Sustainable Tourism, Pro Niti Travel supports the notion of “Travel with a Cause”, where travelers and travel operators work together in unison to positively and meaningfully impact the lives of the local communities we visit and photograph. In addition to our guidelines stipulated in our support of sustainable tourism, our company also supports selected community development programmes. As we know this is a philanthropic aspiration for many people, we actively encourage our guests and all travelers to lend their support.

As of January 2018, Pro Niti Travel contributes US$5 (out of our profits from every guest booked) towards the Pro Niti CDP.  We also offer our guests the opportunity to contribute a personal donation, of any size, towards this programme when booking their tour with us. This is entirely optional, and by default on the booking form, this option is non-selected.

The communities our guests visit offer incredible opportunities for cultural exchanges, not to mention the incredible opportunities for taking photos and making new friends. However, many of these communities, in particular, the more remote-living people such as the hill tribes, seriously lack in basic needs such as clean water, sanitation, medical, and educational facilities. The needs of these people vary according to each community, so funding will be allocated based on the more dire needs.

Pro Niti Travel recently launched our Keng Tung Hill Tribe Tours in Myanmar’s Shan State near the borders of Thailand, Laos, and China’s Yunnan province. Known for the incredibly friendly and hospitable hill tribes such as the Wa, Wa Ann, Ann, Akha, Akhu and the Lahu-shi people, to name just a few, much of this area lacks many basic services. In our effort to reciprocate the hospitality of these people and their welcoming of visiting travelers, our programme will initially focus on the development of their critical lack of proper health and education needs. We are currently assessing the most critical areas of development and details will be posted here in due course.

In tandem with addressing the needs of the hill tribes of the Shan State, we will also focus on the communities our guests often visit in Chin State, in the central east of Myanmar. This region is most well known for the imposing Mount Victoria (3,053 m) locally known as Nat-Ma-Taung, and the surrounding Mountain Victoria Nature Park. Chin State is popular among travelers who come here to meet the unique Chin hill tribes to learn about their lives as hunters. Similar to the hill tribes of the Shan State, the friendly Chin people lack many basic facilities.

Pro Niti advocates total transparency. Every December we will post an update on this page detailing our progress, both in terms of our development support as well as be providing access to the financial statements of our development programmes.

Please join us. Either visit Myanmar or donate to our programme or both!

Hope to see you soon.

Explore the captivating allure of Myanmar, a country renowned for its unique culture and diverse landscapes. From adventure to cultural tours, ecotourism to water-related activities, Myanmar offers a myriad of experiences that make it a perfect one-stop destination. With a plethora of tourist destinations in Myanmar, your holiday is set to be unforgettable. When you’re in Myanmar, don’t miss out on the chance to discover the top 10 must-visit Myanmar holiday destinations that we recommend.

A highlight of Myanmar, U Bein Bridge

1. Bagan

Withstanding the test of time, with the debatable maintenance of ancient temples, it has replenished itself as an astounding city in Asia’s spotlight. It was founded by King Anawrahta in the 10th century after consolidating the entire Myanmar for the first time. Where astonishing is a panoramic sight in the sunset too which people from nearby villages and tourists alike approach to revel in, it is indeed unfair to say it has lived long enough only to suffer from the excellence. With over 2,000 pagodas and temples, it remains to tell the story, to the world, it has ever lived. One way to find out what it has to say is to visit Bagan.

Ballooning in Bagan

2. Inle Lake

Inle Lake, a part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the lake measuring 22 km long by 10 km wide, and sitting in a valley between two mountain ranges, feels like a different world to the rest of Myanmar: in villages and towns across the lake, wooden houses are built high on stilts, and fishermen steer their one-man boats with a unique rowing style, wrapping one leg around their oar Inle lake definitely is a must-not-miss during your trip in Myanmar. Around and inside the lake, you can not only relax but follow popular activities such as bicycling, hiking, boating, and/or ballooning regardless of what you do; it will certainly be worthwhile.

Inle Lake

3. Mandalay

Once the royal city of ancient Myanmar, Mandalay has now receded to the second largest city of the 21st century Myanmar. Mandalay itself is a city of royals; it remains a particular hub for cultural exploration comprising the iconic Mandalay Palace, which was once home to a lineage of the royal dynasty, and the Mandalay Hill overlooking the perfect city.

World Biggest Book, Kuthodaw Pagoda

4. Yangon

Yangon is not a city it used to be, it was back in days the capital city of Myanmar but during the ruling time of the military junta, when in the land far away was created Nay Pyi Daw, the official capital of the now Myanmar, Yangon declined to become a city more driven towards the country economy. Although its capital status expired, Yangon has not lost its due prominence.

Let alone be their astounding characters, a collection of stately colonial buildings in the city center would not be by any means less recommended to anyone despite their decaying age.

The entrance of Shwedagon Pagoda

Yangon has grasped an increasing number of tourists every year with the last year counting over 4 million. The city has myriad tourist attractions, remarkably the Shwedagon Pagoda which justifies a visit to the city all by itself and remains the supreme milestone of the country.

5. Mrauk-U

Long lost in the time, Mrauk U, the capital of a mighty Arakan kingdom, its strength reflected amidst the grandeur and scope of the structures that exist sporadically, frequented by foreign traders went into decline when the British centralized Sittwe as a regional trade center after the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1826. Nowadays, Mrauk U serves as the most prominent archaeological site in Myanmar after Bagan it even has a nickname of Little Bagan. Although they contrast in every way possible: temples look more akin to the fortress, they exist throughout the villages, on hills and rice fields. And best of all, availability no temples shut. Under the new civilian government, however, we may see changes and things are possibly not going to be the same.

Breathtaking Mrauk-U

6. Ngapali Beach

Ngapli Beach, A long white sandy beach with the bright blue waters stretching across 2.4 kilometers along the Bay of Bengal has become a highlight of the Southeast Asia finest places to relax, appealing to discerning international tourists trying to avoid the crowd. Diverse beach activities are procurable from local fishing boats, kayaking, to snorkeling or scuba diving.

Ngapali Beach

Flawlessly fascinating fishing villages can be found in the south of the bay offering a slice of local life. And kayaking, snorkeling and/or scuba diving can be arranged through hotels. Located in western Myanmar in the Rakhine State, Ngapali can be reached readily by air transport to a nearby Thandwe Airport making it easy to add to an itinerary of Myanmar major attractions.

7. Golden Rock

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (also known as Golden Rock) is a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Burma. It is a small pagoda 7.3 meters (24 ft) built on the top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaves pasted on by its male devotees.

The gravity-defying Golden Rock has always been an important religious shrine amongst the Burmese Buddhist community, but with more and more tourists visiting the country each year the oddly balanced monument has recently become a tourist attraction for the foreigner.

Golden Rock

According to legend, the Golden Rock itself is precariously perched on a strand of the Buddha’s hair. The balancing rock seems to defy gravity, as it perpetually appears to be on the verge of rolling down the hill.

8. Kalaw

Founded as a hill station in the colonial era by the British civil servants, you can easily recognize it by the way it looks on the spot. Renowned nationally as a perfect getaway atmosphere cozy, ambiance comfy, air chilly, streets leafy to escape the summer heat that will make your visit a warm experience by the locals smile and their hospitality despite the chilly air.

Kalaw Trekking

Buildings of the past remain within reach of scenic views under the refreshing climate to captivate your eyes endlessly. Perhaps it’s time for you to take a multi-day trek to Inle Lake or Pindaya to witness the lives of the local hill tribes and culture exploration while engaging with nature along the way.

9. Chin State

The land has remained green and quiet bringing peace of mind and tranquility to visitors coming for a local engagement or an intact with nature. The State additionally serves as a wonderful place for cultural exploration with the incredible Mt. Victoria, the highest mountain in the State presenting an adventurous hike opportunity and different ethnic villages atop and amidst the mountains with a picturesque mountain backdrop. Living in the wild, but embracing friendly smiles, Chins are one of the warmest people to come across.

Chin Trekking

10. Keng Tung

Occupying an extensive area in the far east of Shan State in the midst of the infamous Golden Triangle, Keng Tung hosts several opportunities to get intact with the undiscovered yet renowned ethnic minorities. One can go on for a long hike for days to nearby tribal villages including Akha famous for their sartorial practices.

Keng Tung

All the above ten destinations are the most popular for travelers to Myanmar with different tastes. The colorful mornings wait for you the moment to relax.

Please take a look at our ready-made tour programs which will create the guest a memorable trip.

Nowadays, a review is the lifeblood of the travel associated businesses such as hotels, restaurants, airlines, car rentals, travel agents and as well as tour operators. Having poor reviews on the social media or company own websites can even kick them out from the market else worse influence on the company image. We, Pro Niti Travel, value the reviews from our satisfied guest through their experience with us. All the good reviews will encourage our team to give the best service towards potential guests as well as loyal customers in the future. Among the reviews from Trip Advisor, We would like to recite the precious reviews given by one of our guest (Stanislav Piseev). He sends out an open comment while the trip with his two friends. Let’s see what he writes about Pro Niti Travel.

“It has been my dream to go to Myanmar for over five years; in July 2017 I decided that the time to arrange the trip has come. I decided that I would travel in the beginning of January 2018 for 7 days (that was the absolute maximum what I could have taken off work), but I had a long list of destinations within Myanmar on my wish list, such as Yangon, the Golden Rock, Inle Lake and Bagan (of course with ballooning).My preparation started with checking out various forums and travel blogs as initially, the plan was to organize the whole trip myself. But soon after starting my research I realized that getting the tour arranged by a local agency will not only be more convenient, taking into account the amount of travel that my wish list required, but also a lot less expensive. The option of being accompanied by English-speaking guides throughout the journey was the final argument in favor of the local agency. While I was researching, two of my friends expressed the desire to join me on this adventure.”

A monk at Bagan

“I started searching for a reliable agency onTrip Advisor, the key criteria for me was the amount of positive reviews over a long period of time. I picked the two top ones and sent out the list of what I wanted to visit.”

Please click here to see other valuable reviews of Pro Niti Travel.

Golden Rock

“Janusz from Pro Niti was the first one to respond, the next day he came back to me with the proposal of the itinerary. Soon after our first communication, our individual tour was designed. It was a great pleasure to work with Janusz as the communication was always clear; my desires were reflected in the tour program (which had a very detailed plan for every day of our journey). So the decision was made.”

Our travel consultants are always willing to assist the guest. Check out here our awesome team and how we are working.

“The life is full of surprises and our tour was not an exception. In the middle of October, the hotel where we were supposed to stay was destroyed by a terrible fire. Janusz contacted me immediately and rebooked us into a different hotel after aligning with us the options. This gave me confidence that we are in good hands of professionals. And I was right.”

At Shwedagon Pagoda

“As we arrived in Yangon we were met in the airport by Pro Niti (there were three people waiting for us), all the hotel vouchers, airline tickets, and balloon tickets were provided to us once we got in a car. By the way, all the cars were in a really good condition, equipped with AC and having water supplies on board. But not only the tour was organized perfectly in terms of bookings and logistics, the guides that accompanied us were really knowledgeable, friendly and spoke very good English. As you may know, you cannot wear any shoes or socks when you are visiting Pagodas. After you walk around like this your feet get dirty and you may hesitate to put your clean white socks back on, but our guides were well-prepared, they always had wet napkins distributed to us after every such stop. Small but really nice detail. Of course, later on, we switched to sandals and flip-flops, but clean feet feel a lot more comfortable in any footwear: Despite the amount of travel that we’ve had (only once we stayed in the same hotel two nights in a row) we have never waited a second for a driver or a guide to meet us at a scheduled time.”

Ballooning Experience in Bagan

“I would really like to thank all the staff at Pro Niti and Janusz in particular for making my dream come true. I did not expect the tour to be that well-organized (normally something does not go right at some point in time, but this tour was an exception), I admit that it was the best organization that I have experienced. I can definitely recommend this company to those who want to get a wonderful experience in Myanmar. Great job guys!”

Our team always try to play the best and ready to shape our guest memorable trip to Myanmar. If you do not know about Myanmar yet, this blog will explain the useful tips in Myanmar.

Thanks for reading this blog and give the precious time on our website. You can check out the original review here the Pro Niti Travel Page from Trip Advisor.

Pro Niti Travel believes in sustainable travel and does encourage ourselves, our team and our guests. We have been looking for help to take actions on our vision and mission. We are lucky enough to find out Travelife to start for sustainable travel practices in Myanmar. Pro Niti Travel would strive to be one of the Myanmar sustainable tour operator in very near future.

What is Travelife?

Travelife for Tour operators is a leading global sustainability scheme specifically designed for tour operators with more than 500 members from 80 countries across all continents. Travelife for Tour operators provides an integrated set of training, best practices, implementation instruments and suppliers assessment tools, leading to certification.

Min from Pro Niti Travel at MSTON launch event

On January 10, 2018, Travelife for Tour Operators has achieved the ‘GSTC-Accredited’ status. The awarded status affirms Travelife’s for Tour Operators’ commitment to promoting sustainable tourism products and services. Achieving the GSTC-Accredited status means that a certification program is following processes and procedures that have been reviewed and approved by the GSTC Accreditation Panel. Businesses certified by a GSTC-Accredited certification program can also use the GSTC language and logo when they meet all GSTC Criteria. The purpose of the GSTC programs is to recognize and reward genuine practitioners of sustainable tourism, which in turn builds confidence and credibility with consumers.

Marlon from CBI at MSTON launch event

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) establishes and manages global sustainable tourism standards with the aim of increasing sustainable tourism knowledge and practices among public and private stakeholders. The GSTC is an independent and neutral USA-registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that establishes and manages global baseline standards for sustainability in travel and tourism. The standards are two sets of GSTC Criteria: Destination Criteria and Industry Criteria, the minimum requirements for tourism businesses and destinations to pursue in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources, along with conservation and poverty alleviation. The GSTC represents a diverse and global membership, including UN agencies, leading travel companies, hotels, country tourism boards, tour operators, individuals, and communities – all strive to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism.

MSTON launch event

The Travelife certification standard follows the management logic of a travel company and is in compliance with ISO 14001, OECD, The Global Reporting Initiative, ISO 26000 and the GSTC Industry criteria. Travelife is the scheme of choice of more than 30 national and international travel associations and is affordable for micro to multinational companies.

Where are we now?

There are three stages at Travelife sustainable tourism program and now we are at engagement stage and planning to partner at the end of March. Our ultimate goal is to be travelife certified tour operator in near future. We love our country and we do encourage everyone in tourism industry including our suppliers, employees, communities and one of the most of the important people, our guests. Since we are an engaged member at Travelife, we are also very proud to be a member of MSTON (Myanmar Sustainable Tour Operator Network) which was just launched on 20 of January 2018.

Read more our commitment to sustainable travel.

Myanmar is filled with beautiful destinations that other destinations cannot offer. Among these beautiful destinations, beaches are famous and popular in both inbound and outbound tourism because of their fantastic creatures. When it says beaches, Ngapali Beach is one of the most wonderful beaches in Myanmar. One of our clients, free two roam blogger (Cindy and Simon Collins) write reviews about Ngapali beach on their blog. We proudly repost their review on our blog about Ngapali. All the credits go to the original creator (free two roam)

Visiting Myanmar’s many pagodas, temples, and ancient capitals was a big part of our recent holiday there. We loved immersing ourselves in the country’s rich culture and history. But after nearly two weeks of temple hopping, and being constantly on the go, we were exhausted. Some relaxation time was definitely in order, before flying home and getting back into the daily grind. So we were very glad that we’d arranged a little beach break in Ngapali Beach at the end of our trip.

Ngapali Beach is Myanmar’s most popular seaside destination. It is situated on the Bay of Bengal coast, in the South of the Rakhine State. Ngapali (pronounced Napally) was supposedly named after the Italian city of Naples. It has four beaches, and its main beach is renowned as one of the best beaches in South-East Asia.

Sunrise at Ngapali Beach

Why should you include Ngapali Beach on your Myanmar trip?

Ngapali Beach is one of the hidden gems of Myanmar. It’s a little slice of paradise that not many people seem to have discovered. Visiting at the start of the season (November), it almost felt like we had the place to ourselves. Compared to many other beaches in Asia, Ngapali Beach seemed empty. In November, seventy percent of the beach chairs were not being used. This made us very happy; there was no need to wake up early just to secure a sun lounge!

Sun Bathing in Ngapali

Not only is Ngapali Beach quiet, it’s also a tropical paradise. The beach is long, pristine and the sand is almost pure white. Hundreds of coconut palm trees line the beach, and the clear blue sea is really warm and inviting. Most people wouldn’t expect to find a beach rivaling some of the best in the world, in a country like Myanmar. But Ngapali Beach could give some of our Australian beaches a run for their money!

There are many hotels along Ngapali Beach, but it doesn’t have the same overdeveloped resort feel that you might find in other places, such as Cancun. It’s still underdeveloped and I hope that it stays that way. But sadly I suspect that larger scale development will soon kick in, so it’s best to visit before it changes shape forever.

What to do in Ngapali Beach?

The main reason for our stay in Ngapali Beach was to relax! We were keen to just sit on a beach chair (which we didn’t have to fight for), and watch the world go by while we worked on our tan. The views are incredible, and after so much activity in the previous two weeks, we were really happy to just put our feet up for a bit.

Seashore of Ngapali Beach

I loved watching the local ladies walk up and down the beach selling all sorts of tropical fruits, such as bananas, coconuts, mangoes, and pineapples. It didn’t matter whether or not you bought their fruits, they would always give you a big smile anyway. And no, unlike the tourist touts in Bagan or Mandalay, they never hassled you for a sale.

Vendors around Ngapali Beach

Get a Massage

Most hotels in Ngapali beach have spas that offer a range of massages. I don’t often get a massage, even though I should. My back would probably thank me for it! In Australia, they are just so expensive, and I never seem to find the time. But you just can’t say no when an hour-long massage sets you back just AU$25, and you have nothing to do all day!

I used our hotel’s Spa (Thande Beach Resort), but from what we’ve heard, later in the season, there are even massage tables on the beach. What’s not to love about a budget massage (with prices starting from AU$15) combined with an incredible view!

Scenic View of Ngapali Beach

Watch the amazing sunset

The sunsets on Ngapali beach are usually jaw-dropping, and you definitely should not miss them. Every night was a slightly different show, with each sunset more spectacular than the ones before. It’s the perfect time to take a stroll on the beach, and if you’re a photographer you will get some fantastic photos.

Picturesque Sunset of Ngapali Beach

Alternatively, you can head to one of the beach bars around half an hour before the sunset, and order a cocktail. All of the bars offer happy hour just in time for sunset. What’s better than a cocktail paired with a fabulous sunset?

Playing Chin Lone (Sapak Takraw)

Take a snorkeling trip to Pearl Island

Snorkelling in Ngapali is definitely not on par with the Maldives, but we enjoyed our snorkeling trip nonetheless.

Morning Scene at Ngapali Beach

You can book a snorkeling trip to Pearl Island from your hotel, or even better, book it on the beach. There are many locals who walk the beach trying to sell them. We booked a trip from a local guy named Chit. He wandered up and down the beach all day touting his trips. We paid US$25 for the two of us for a half-day snorkeling trip.

The next morning we met Chit on the beach, and he directed us to a traditional fishing boat with two other locals who would be our guides. We had the boat all to ourselves, and the snorkeling gear was of surprisingly decent quality. Our two friendly guides didn’t speak English, but I’m not sure this would have been any different if we’d booked with the hotel. Either way, there was no need for complex communication. They took us to different snorkeling spots, and off we jumped into the water to explore Ngapali’s underwater life.

Snorkeling at Pearl Island

We were apparently extremely lucky to spot a turtle and two stingrays during our trip. According to Chit, they are rarely seen. I also swam over a sea snake, which was the wrong kind of luck! But I’m pretty sure he was just as scared of me as I was of him, and we both swam away from each other quickly!

Our snorkeling trip was a great way to spend half a day.

Walk to the nearby fishing villages

Even if you are there to relax, you absolutely should take a stroll along this long stretch of beach. Not only is it an easy way to burn off the calories from those coconut mojitos you drank at happy hour the night before, but it’s also a great walk. At each end of the beach, you will find a fishing village.

A walk on the fisher village

If you walk south past all the hotels, and past the islet of the Pleasant View Restaurant, you will reach the traditional fishing village of Gyeik Taw. Gyeik Taw is a great place to see the locals getting on with their everyday life. It’s a totally different vibe to our immaculately groomed resort just next door. You’ll see locals unloading fish from their traditional fishing boats, packing up their nets, and sorting and spreading small fish out on the beach to dry in the sun. Sorting and drying out fish seems to be the job of the women of the village, while their husbands concentrate on catching the fish.

The process of drying the fishes

A walking dog

Sadly, as clean and pristine as the main beach was, the village beach was very dirty, with rubbish all over it. It was such a difference just wandering a few hundred meters down the beach.

Go on a hot air balloon ride

We had already taken a hot air balloon ride in Inle Lake, so we didn’t take one in Ngapali. But from what we’ve heard it’s a pretty epic experience as well. Oriental Ballooning offers daily flights for US$380 per person. Ballooning is rather pricey, which is the main reason we didn’t do it again.

Where to eat on Ngapali Beach?

The view across the sea and of the sunset is second to none, and the food is tasty and great value for money. Be sure to book if you want a front row table for sunset.

Seaview Restaurant “The Original”

Seaview is run by a hard-working local family and is located right on the beach. It’s a feet in the sand dining experience, and all of the seafood served is caught fresh that day. The view across the sea and of the sunset is second to none, and the food is tasty and great value for money. Be sure to book if you want a front row table for sunset.

The Original Sea View Restaurant

Pleasant View Islet Restaurant

This restaurant is located on an islet just offshore. It’s a great place for lunch or for sunset drinks. During low tide, you can walk straight to the restaurant, but at high tide, you need to take a very short boat ride. This seafood restaurant offers good food, but the main reason to visit is for its amazing setting and backdrop. Be warned though; prices here are about double those of the beach restaurants.

Pleasant View Islet Restaurant

Sea Queen

Sea Queen is situated very close to the beach, on the main road. This little local restaurant has excellent seafood, friendly service and it is reasonably priced.

The Green Umbrella

Also, set up right on the beach, just a few steps down from Sea View Restaurant, this restaurant offers the same beach setting and sea views. It serves delicious, fresh seafood. Even better, it also serves amazing cocktails! Head there for happy hour, when cocktails are 25% off.

Sea View Restaurant at Ngapali Beach

Where to stay on Ngapali Beach?

There is no shortage of hotels on Ngapali Beach, and they were building a few more when we visited in November 2017.

Thande Beach Hotel

We stayed at the Thande Beach Resort. It is well positioned in the centre of Ngapali Beach, and it’s close to many of the beach restaurants. It had the perfect sunset setting, although their beach bar was overpriced and their cocktails were pretty average. The rooms were large and comfortable, but the bathrooms were quite tired and in need of renovation.

Thande Beach Hotel

Bayview – The Beach Resort

This was where we originally wanted to stay but they did not have a beachfront room available at the time. This well-run hotel is at the northern end of the beach, and it has a choice of well-appointed bungalows, rooms, and suites. It’s a good choice for honeymooners, and they even have a honeymoon package.

Amara Ocean Resort

The Amara is one of the most expensive hotels, and one of the most luxurious on Ngapali Beach. It is located north of the airport, making it very isolated from the rest of Ngapali. It offers traditional style wooden bungalows that are purpose-built by hand, providing unique accommodation in harmony with its surroundings.

Ngapali Beach

How to get to Ngapali Beach?

The easiest way to get to Ngapali Beach is by plane. You can fly to Ngapali Beach direct from Yangon, Heho (Inle Lake), Bagan and Mandalay. It’s fast, safe and you won’t need any time to recover, which you might need if you travel by bus. The airfares range from $70 to over $100.

Flights arrive at Thandwe airport, and most hotels offer a pickup and drop off service, included in the price of the room. Thandwe airport is just twenty minutes away from the main beach of Ngapali, making it a very quick transfer.

Your second option is to travel by bus, but this takes over fourteen hours from Yangon, driving on very bad roads. It’s a lot cheaper at around AU$15 per person, but we wouldn’t suggest it unless you’re on a budget or really hate flying!

Myanmar Experience in 2017

If you’re heading to Myanmar soon, be sure to leave some time to chill out at Ngapali Beach, at the end of your trip. After exploring the rest of the country, you will be glad to have some time to kick back and relax, in this incredibly beautiful location. We couldn’t think of a better ending to a holiday in Myanmar.

This blog is produced by free two roam (Cindy and Simon Collins) on December 11, 2017 and Pro Niti Travel proudly share this blog about 12 Things to Do and See in Inle Lake.

If you or one of your friends thinks about how to escape from the urbanized city and get into the rural village while traveling in Myanmar, Inle Lake would be the best choice. This lake is Myanmar’s second largest, measuring twenty-two kilometers long by ten kilometers wide. This picturesque lake sits in a valley between two mountain ranges, in the Western Shan State.

While the scenery is spectacular, what makes Inle Lake truly unique is the way of life of the region’s inhabitants, the Intha community. Some in this community live entirely above water, with their houses built on top of stilts, and their only means of access being their one-person-wide, long tail, wooden boats. It’s a fantastic place to visit, and it was a great change from the communities we’d seen so far in Myanmar.

Overview of Inle Lake over Balloon

We had three full days to explore Inle Lake and its surrounds, and we didn’t get bored. There is so much to see on and around the lake that you could easily spend an entire week there. Here is a list of our favorite things to do in this area:

1- Take a boat trip on the lake

Well, this is a pretty obvious one. You simply can’t visit Inle Lake and not take a boat tour to explore the lake; it’s the area’s main attraction! Most boat tours begin from the town of Nyaung Shwe to the north of the lake, but if you are staying in a hotel around the lake, they can organize a boat to pick you up directly.

Boat trip in Inle Lake

You can hire a boat for a few hours, but we’d recommend a full day hire, including either sunset or sunrise. There is so much happening around the lake, and so much to see. You’ll watch locals going about their daily activities, see entire villages built on stilts out over the water, and marvel at floating hydroponic gardens. All boating on the lake uses the traditional, slender, long tail wooden boats, which makes the experience even more unique. Don’t forget to take your camera with you!

2- Visit the Floating Gardens

Twenty-Five percent of Inle Lake is covered in floating gardens, where locals mainly grow tomatoes, cucumbers, and a few other vegetables, in large gardens that rest on the surface of the lake. These garden beds are built up from the mud and weeds that the locals gather from the deeper parts of the lake. During your boat trip, you may see them piling up those weeds onto their boats.

Floating gardens

The tomatoes from Inle Lake are the nicest in the country and are normally picked green. They are used to make the traditional Myanmar tomato salad, that consists of sliced tomatoes, shallots, peanuts, and a lovely sesame seed dressing. It was one of our favorite dishes to eat in Myanmar.

As you check out the gardens, you’ll find many locals standing or sitting on their boats in amongst the vines, picking vegetables or pruning and weeding their gardens. Cruising past row after row of these amazing floating gardens is an incredible experience.

Picking up muds and weeds from the lake

3- Visit the stilt villages

Most of Inle’s villages are built on top of stilts out over the water. A highlight of our visit to the lake was our time spent boating around these villages. They are a photographer’s paradise. Needless to say, my camera needed a good rest at the end of the day, as did my shutter finger!

Stilted House

The main inhabitants of the villages are the local fishermen and farmers, but the villages also contain shops, schools, and small temples or pagodas; and all of those buildings are set on stilts!
As you cruise past, you will come across many locals going about their daily chores. You’ll often spot the locals bathing or doing their laundry in the lake.

Sculptor molding the iron

Some villages are working villages, which specialize in crafts such as silk and lotus root weaving, boat making, and pottery. Many of these do seem targeted at tourists, but they don’t seem to care very much whether or not you buy anything. They are happy to demonstrate their skills regardless. That’s the Burmese spirit, always smiling and always friendly.

4- Watch the sunrise and sunset

Watching the sunrise from a boat

Watching the sun rise over the lake is amazing. Perhaps getting up early is not your thing (me neither), but it’s worth it to watch the sun rise over the mountains behind the lake. The scene in front of you is nothing short of spectacular. Plus it’s so peaceful out on the water at that time. Apart from a few local fishermen beginning their day, everyone else is still asleep.

Sunset view of Inle Lake

If you really can’t wake up for sunrise, then at least make sure you catch a sunset. Sunset is a lot busier, with more tourist boats around, but it’s still pretty amazing as well.

5- Take a hot air balloon ride over the lake

Ballooning over the Lake

If you think that hot air ballooning is just found in Bagan, you’re wrong. Oriental Ballooning runs morning balloon flights in Inle Lake from October to April. These balloons are smaller than the ones in Bagan, and it’s a fair bit less popular, but the scenery during the flight is nonetheless breathtaking. Our balloon ride in Bagan was canceled, so we decided to try a flight in Inle, rather than getting a refund. We were really glad that we did. There certainly weren’t as many temples, but the views over the lake, the floating gardens, and surrounding villages were spectacular.

Panoramic view of Ballooning riding

6- Watch the traditional fishermen do their tricks

Unique fishing style of Intha

Intha fishermen have a unique leg-rowing technique. They wrap one of their legs around their oar to guide their boat through the water, leaving both of their hands-frees to handle their nets. This has become a big tourist attraction in Inle Lake, and some of them will patiently wait on the lake for the next tourist boat to come along, before performing a little fishing show. They balance on one leg, perched at the stern of their boat, holding their big conical nets. It’s a pretty incredible balancing act. Needless to say, I’d pretty quickly end up in the water if I ever tried this!

Fantastic style of rowing and fishing of Intha

The best times to see these performances are just after sunrise or around sunset. Bare in mind that if they perform for you, they will expect a tip. I can’t say I blame them, it’s probably much easier to perform for tourists a few hours a day than to spend the whole day fishing on the lake. And no doubt they make much more money as well! It’s a pretty cool performance to watch, and a fabulous photo opportunity for us anyway.

7- Shop at Inle Lake’s “five-day” market

Local market selling Handicrafts

The market is called the “Five-Day-Market” because the local people rotate the market around five different lakeside villages, over a five-day period. These markets are colorful, very picturesque and always super busy. People travel to the market from all over the region to buy and sell produce. Plus the markets are also full of tourists! Most people arrive by water, which makes finding a place to tie your boat rather tough. Somehow the boat drivers always seem to find a way to make it work, however! Trading is also conducted on small boats out on the water, so as you approach the market, expect a visit from boats full of trinkets. It is a great place to buy souvenirs.

Local vendors selling goods

8- Visit the local temples and monasteries

Jumping Cat Monastery

Just because you’re in Inle Lake, that doesn’t mean you won’t come across lots of temples. After all, the locals are predominantly Buddhist, and you’ll find temples all over the country, including Inle Lake. But unlike most places in Myanmar, in Inle Lake, you’ll also find temples on stilts!

Zedi along the lake

Over two hundred monasteries dot the lake, but the most popular one seems to be Nga Hpe Kyaung, also called the Jumping Cat Monastery. It’s a weird name I know, but it’s named after the cats that the resident monks would train to jump through hoops. But that was in the past. These days the cats can’t be bothered with any of that, and they prefer to spend their days lazying around the monastery instead. But the monastery is still worth a visit. It’s a beautiful wooden structure built on stilts, housing an impressive collection of ornate Buddhas, and of course many sleepy cats.

9- Visit the Paduang women

The Paduang women (also known as the long neck women) wear brass coils around their necks, arms, and legs. They start wearing them from an early age, and the weight of the rings pushes their collar bone down and compresses their sternum and rib cage. This makes their necks appear longer. The reason for doing this is unknown, although some say it was initially done to protect their body from tiger attacks!

Padaung women

I had never seen a long neck tribe before, so I enjoyed the visit, but nowadays it is mainly done for tourists. The friendly ladies will encourage you to take their photo and pose with them. The tip jar is never too far away!

Utensils of Paduang Women

10- Take a day trip around the beautiful countryside

If you decide to spend some time on the ground instead of on the water, take a car or bike trip around the stunning countryside surrounding Inle Lake. You’ll come across lots more villages, and endless, beautiful fields full of blindingly yellow sesame flowers. They’re so pretty! Along the way you may also get caught up in a water buffalo created traffic jam!

Buffalo grazing

11- Take a two-hour boat trip to Sagar Village

Sagar Village is a ruined royal capital situated at the far southern end of Inle Lake. It is full of ancient monasteries and pagodas. It’s a much quieter part of Inle Lake because most tourists don’t make it that far south.

A landscape of Sagar Village

However the best part of the visit to Sagar is not the village itself, but the boat journey to get there. As you leave the main body of the lake, and your boat winds down the narrower waterways on its way to Sagar, you’ll have plenty of time to lean back and enjoy your idyllic and picturesque surroundings. Although it takes some time to get there, you won’t be bored. With the hazy Blue Mountains constantly on the horizon, you’ll pass by floating farms and several more stilt villages. You’ll come across ponds covered with lotus flowers, and spot migratory birds flying above you. The whole journey there was spectacular, and the camera had another good workout!

Sagar Village

Once you arrive at the village, you’ll be welcomed by the friendly villagers and given floral necklaces and plenty of smiles. You can wander through the village and get lost amongst the crumbling stupas.

12- Visit the Pindaya Caves

A path to the Pindaya Cave

The Pindaya caves are next to the town of Pindaya, just less than two hours’ drive from Inle Lake. Set deep into the limestone hillside, these caves are stacked with over eight thousand statues of Buddha. Some date as far back as the 18th Century. The Buddhas are in all different styles and sizes and are made from white marble, bronze, emerald, painted plaster, or wood coated with gold leaf. The limestone cave reaches back about 490 feet into the hillside, and it’s a jaw-dropper. It’s an important pilgrimage site for Burmese Buddhists, and for us non Buddhists it’s a very unusual and fascinating temple to visit. It’s quite far from Inle Lake, but it was well worth the visit. If you are visiting Kalaw, then it is much closer to get to from there. Sadly we couldn’t visit Kalaw on this trip.

inside pindaya cave

All the credit of above information and photographs goes to free two roam. If you want to know more about Myanmar, visit their colorful website.

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