Yangon, the capital
city and gateway to the Union of
Myanmar, is one of the most
attractive cities in the East. Its
fringes are beautiful with pagodas,
spacious parks gardens and its
atmosphere cooled by the Kandawgyi
Lake and Inya Lake. Most of the
major Myanmar and foreign companies
are located in Yangon. The city is
the point of entry for visitors from
abroad to Myanmar by air and sea.
About 2,500 years ago, there was
probably a coastal fishing village
or a trading colony called “Okkala”.
After the construction of Shwedagon
Pagoda, the settlement grew in fame
as Dagon. King Alaungpaya of
Konbaung Dynasty founded Yangon when
he took the village of Dagon in
1755. He called the settlement as
Yangon or “End of Strife”. It
becomes a port city and a centre of
commercial functions since
pre-colonial and colonial days. The
Yangon River or Hlaing River gives
it color and peninsular look (from
aerial view) touching the city in
the east and south flanks and the
Pazundaung Creek in the west.
MANDALAY
Mandalay was the capital
of the last Myanmar Empire and is the
second largest city after Yangon. It is
about 620 km north of Yangon and is
reachable by land, waterway and flight.
It is also the gateway to upper Myanmar.
It is the seat of Myanmar handicrafts
and culture. King Mindon built the
present Palace City in 1858. Before that
time, it was known as Yadanabon, or the
City of Gems. The highlights in Mandalay
are Zaygyo Market, The old Royal Palace,
surrounded by a moat of four square
miles, the Maha Muni Shrine in the city
center, the Kuthodaw Monastery where
there is the world's largest book of
1774 slabs and Mandalay Hill from the
top of which you can enjoy the panorama
of the city. The three most impressive
are handicraft–makings, the gold-leaf
making and the bronze casting in Myanmar
way and Myanmar style. To know Mandalay
is to know Myanmar. Most-visited
tourists spots and its environs are
Mingun, Inwa (Ava), Amapura, and Pyin Oo
Lwin.
BAGAN
"He who has not visited
Bagan has not visited Myanmar yet."
Bagan was the first imperial
capital of ancient Myanmar. The end of
the 13th century witnessed the fall of Bagan dynasty in the reign of King
Narathihapate or King Tayotpaye. Bagan
had been ruled over by 55 kings 12th
century. The ruins of Bagan cover a
tract of country, measuring about 16
square miles along the east bank of
mighty Ayeyarwady. The monuments which
are now in all stages of decay were
erected mostly from the 11th - 13th
centuries AD, during which Bagan was in
its heydays. Nowadays, Bagan is the
ideal site for historical, cultural and
archaeological studies.True! Myanmar
people used to say regarding Bagan of
which they are much proud. Bagan is the
cradle of Myanmar history and Buddhist
culture. King Thamudrit built Bagan at
the very place of the settlement called
Paukkan. The mighty King Anawrahta
(1044-77) welded into one kingdom a
group of formerly independent states and
became king of the Ayeyarwady River in
the 11th century. He extended his
sovereignty down to the south. He was
the first unifier of Myanmar and the
introducer of the Theravada Buddhism in
Myanmar. The air of Bagan is filled not
only with the fragrance of vachellia,
but also with war-cries of
spear-slinging heroes on horsebacks. The
study of the history and culture of
Began means the study of the history and
culture of Myanmar. Thanks to the good
irrigation system of Bagan kings, the
wealth of Bagan increased rapidly and
the people of Bagan erected about 10,000
pagodas and temples in Bagan area. But
today they are ruined except some famous
pagodas and temples. However, Bagan
succumbed to the onslaught of the
Mongols in 1287, and Myanmar split up
into small principalities. Bagan period
was the period of affluence, creativity
and glory---- the period the rained gold
and sliver, as Myanmar people usually
put it. It was a period like that of the
renaissance period in Italy.
INLE LAKE
Inle Lake is on the plateau of Shan
State. It is in Nyaungshwe Township, not
far from Taunggyi. It is 22 km long and
11km wide. It can be reached by car or
flight via Heho from Yangon. The people
are virtually Inthas who are pious
Buddhists. Inle Lake is really indolent,
surrounded by blue mountains. It is
noted for floating market at Ywama
village, floating gardens, leg-rowers,
traditional method of fishing, the Nga
Phe Chaung Monastery with wonderful
jumping cats, and the Phaungdaw U Pagoda
festival, which is very spectacular,
usually held in the month of November. A
visit to Myanmar would be meaningless
without visiting Inle Lake.
NGAPALI BEACH
The name itself is queer and
mysterious. Nobody has yet known why it
is called Ngapali. It is only
conjectural that it is named after the
Naples of Italy or a local fish. But one
thing sure is that the beach is really
beautiful with unspoiled setting,
crystal and blue sea, snow-white sand
and gradual slope, among other things.
It scratches about five miles up to the
St. Andrew Bay, where there is a
lighthouse and a quay. There is a
nine-hole golf course close to the
beach. Swaying coconut palms, green
Alexandrian laurels and shady casuarinas
trees fringe and embellish the beach.
Ngapali's sunset against the western
horizon is really breath-taking,
nostalgic and welcoming. The best time
to visit Ngapali is between April 13-15
or 16 so as to enjoy Myanmar most
boisterous New Year Festival. There are
some fishing hamlets near Ngapali. The
beach is fringed by coconut palm groves,
casuarinas trees and Alexandrian laurel
trees. Ngapali is Myanma premier beach,
an ideal place for sun, sea and sand.
The beach stretches out to eye's end.
Tourists usually say, "Au Revoir,
Ngapali! Shall be back soon. "Seeing is
believing!
Myanmar Tour Highlights
Copyright ©2007 by Myanmar Tourism Services Co.,Ltd. (Myanmar Travel
Agent)