Destinations
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| The
Karaweik Barge |
Shwedagon Pagoda |
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YANGON. Known in antiquity variously as Kyaiklagun, Lagun
or Dagon it rose from an obscure village on the banks of the
Hlaing(now Yangon) River to become the capital city of the country.
The most prominent landmark, at nearly 100 metres tall, is the
Shwedagon Pagoda, towering above the city as “a pyramid of gold” as
one overseas writer described. It is a glittering tower of flashing
gold, a monument to the piety of the Myanmar citizens. Legend tells
of two merchant-brothers who brought back the Holy Hairs of Lord
Gautama Buddha that were then buried inside this Pagoda. Beside the
many pagodas and monasteries Yangon also has a collection of
beautiful colonial style buildings that were constructed during the
British rule, clustered around the heart of the city near the old
Yangon Municipality building, now called the Yangon City Development
Committee. The Independent Monument, erected to commemorate the
country’s Independence in 1948 from British colonial rule, also
stands inside the Maha Bandoola Park in downtown Yangon as a beacon
of hope for Myanmar. The Kandawgyi Lake (previously called the Royal
Lake) and the Inya Lake also offer quiet solitude for those who wish
to escape the noise and bustle of the city. They also offer good
sites for bird watchers even in the midst of a busy city
environment.
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Ancient pagodas
dating between 5th & 9th century A.D. |
PYAY: Previously the British called this town Prome. It
lies about 288 kilometres to the north of Yangon. A good metalled
road and the Yangon-Pyay railways connect Yangon with Pyay. Shwe San
Daw Pagoda is the most prominent pagoda in town and also said to
have Holy Hairs buried inside for the name itself means “Golden Holy
Hairs” Other places of interest are the Baw Baw Gyi and Be Be Gyi
temples and the ancient city of Sri Ksetra said to be constructed by
the Pyu people during the period from 3rd to the 9th century A.D.
BAGAN: Bagan once stood proud on the banks
of the mighty Ayeyarwady river. It was a city where the kings were
powerful and the people were hardworking. It was also a great city
where arts and culture flourished. Now even after more than two
centuries Bagan still inspires pride among the Myanmar people.
Thousands of pagodas, now many in ruins but others with beautiful
mural paintings, the stucco sculptures and the immense brick
structures are witnesses to the era when Bagan was the Capital of
Kings
Mount Poapa
MT POPA: Rising to a height of over 1300
metres over the dusty and dry Myingyan Plains, this mountain is
likened to Mt. Olympus of ancient Greece. Many Myanmar people
worship the nat spirits, a legacy of some ancient beliefs and as on
Mt. Olyumpus they are said to make this green and cool mountain
their abode. There is the main mountain, an extinct volcano that
last breathed fire and smoke millions of years ago and a smaller
cone beside it known as the “taungkalat”. This smaller pillar of a
solidified lava pipe has an iron stairway clinging on its side and
the pilgrims climb up to worship at the pagoda on the top. The
intrepid climber, after climbing more than 700 steps, would be
rewarded with a spectacular view of the surrounding area and a
glimpse of Bagan far away in the west.
Scenes from Mandalay
MANDALAY:Reputed as the cultural centre of
the country Mandalay became the royal capital of the last Konbaung
Dynasty in 1859 A.D. The last Myanmar king was taken away into exile
to Ratanagiri in India by the British in 1885 but the Palace Walls
and the moat are still left intact up to this day. The Palace and
other buildings inside the compound however were destroyed during WW
II but many are now being re-built. Mandalay Hill, at over 250
metres, towers above the city and is dotted with many pagodas and
temples. Visitors have the option to either climb up the hill or
take the escalator to view the sunset from the top of the Hill.
Another interesting site in Mandalay is the Lawka Marazein or the
Kuthodaw Pagoda at the foot of the Hill. Inside the Pagoda compound
are smaller stupas each housing a stone slab on which the Tripitakas
or the complete text of the Buddhist Scriptures are etched. There
are 729 such slabs and it has been recorded in the Guinness Book of
World records as the World’s Largest Book!
Maha Myat Muni Buddha Image
Maha Myat Muni Buddha Image is to the
south of the town. Myanmar Buddhists believe that Lord Buddha
himself breathed life into this Image during His Lifetime and it is
treated as a living being. Every morning at dawn there is a face
washing ceremony and is crammed with devotees. A presiding monk
solemnly wash the face of the Image while the Myanmar orchestra
plays soft music. Except for the face the other parts of the Image
are covered with gold leaves and priceless pieces of gems and
jewelleries.
Pindaya Caves
PINDAYA CAVES: The town of Pindaya lies to
the west of Lake Inlay and the main attractions of this town are the
Pindaya Caves. Inside these huge limestone caves are countless
Images of Lord Buddha placed there by the devotees. Some of the
Images are hundreds of years old but some are very new. But whatever
it is Pindaya Caves are one of the most revered Buddhist pilgrimage
sites in Myanmar.
Lake Inlay Scenes
LAKE INLAY:A tranquil lake among the hazy
blue hills of southern Shan State it is also home to the Innthas.
Inside the lake are many villages with houses built on stilts. Some
unique features of Lake Inlay are the leg-rowers and the floating
gardens. Because all the villages in the lake are on water and the
only means of transportation are by boat the Innthas had adapted
themselves to use the legs wrapped around the oars to propel their
canoes. Moss and sediments are recovered from the lake bottom,
anchored with bamboo poles and plant flowers and vegetables on them.
These gardens are buoyant and float on the surface. There is also no
need to water them as the roots draw water automatically.
The Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival
PHAUNG DAW OO PAGODA: Phaung Daw Oo
pagodas are actually a collection of five Buddha Images housed
inside the pavilion in the lake. After decades of being covered
with gold leaves by thousands of devotees they had all lost
their original shapes and are now globes of pure gold. Every
October four of these Images are taken by a gilded barge around
the lake drawn by hundreds of leg-rowers. This has become the
world famous Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival.
MYITKYINA: It is the capital of Kachin
State in the far north of the country. It is also the gate way to
Putao and beyond to the icy mountains of Northern Myanmar. The
mighty Ayeyarwady River was born near this town, a union between two
swift-flowing mountain streams: the N’maihka and the Malihka. The
junction of these two mountain streams is a beautiful place,
torrents of wild water jumping over huge boulders and then coming
together to form the Ayeyarwady river and flows towards the sea. The
Kachin people celebrate the New Year Festival in January called the
Manaw Festival. All the Kachin clans come together in their
colourful dresses to celebrate this grand occasion with singing and
traditional dances.
BHAMAW: The northern most point on the
Ayeyarwady river for ships coming up from Mandalay it is just 50
miles from the Chinese border. It is a mixture of Shan, Kachin,
Myanmar, Chinese cultures that can be witnessed in the colourful
market near the jetty. Also near Bhamaw is the 2nd Defile or gorge.
It is a long and narrow gap between a high cliff on one side and
boulder strewn bank on the other side. At some places the river is
just 500 metres wide. One geographical feature of note is an outcrop
known locally as “ the parrot’s beak”, a rock overhang about
10metres above the low-water mark and shaped surprisingly as the
beak of a parrot. The passing boatmen had painted this rock to
resemble a parrot’s beak and when the waters reach this point during
the monsoon the current is very strong and no boat can pass it.
SITTWAY: Once called by the British as
Akyab it has since been re-named as Sittway. It is the capital city
of Rakhine State that faces the Bay of Bengal in the west of the
country. A spit of land jutting into the sea with rock formations
and a black sand beach are perfect spots for photographers.
Scenes from Rakhine State
MRAUK OO: Once the capital of the Rakhine
Kingdom it became lost in history when the British colonial powers
shifted the focus to Sittway. However Mrauk Oo is still famous for
its ancient pagodas and monuments built during its glory days. The
Shitthaung Pagoda and Htukkan Thein(Ordination Hall) are some of the
most spectacular pagodas in Mrauk Oo. There were many Portuguese
merchants and even soldiers serving the Mrauk Oo kings. A Portuguese
friar Father Manrique had written extensively about his days at the
Mrauk Oo Kingdom. Further up the Lemro River are villages of Chin
people, where the women still tattoo their faces according to
ancient customs.
The Beaches on the Bay of Bengal
NGAPALI: Pure white sand, crystal blue water and tall green
palm trees waving in the breeze best describe Ngapali. But this
beach on the west coast of Myanmar is different from other beaches
in other countries of the world. You can still find small fishing
villages near your international standard hotel. People still go out
in their rickety and impossibly small boats to the sea to fish or
gather such delicacies as oysters and squids and the rock lobsters
taste better here as the waters are unpolluted.
PATHEIN: It is a typical Myanmar town
on the western edge of the Ayeyarwady delta and welknown for its
beautiful girls in paper parasols. Umbrellas with bamboo frames and
covered with either cloth or oil-soaked paper is the most famous of
this town but it is also an important centre of rice production.
Chaungtha
CHAUNGTHA: It is another beach destination but with a unique
local flavour. It is the favourite spot for local Myanmar sun-lovers
and the place to go if you wish for a beach holiday that is
affordable and fun. It is just an hour’s drive from Pathein.
Kyaikhtiyo or The Golden Rock
KYAIKHTIYO: Most foreigners know it as
“Golden Rock” because the pagoda sits on a rock gilded with gold. A
huge boulder, shaped like a human’s head sits, finely balanced, on
top of another rock outcrop which it self is separated from the main
mountain by a deep chasm. Both the rock and the pagoda are covered
with gold and hence the name. And the rock on top will rock visibly
if pushed!
MAWLAMYAING: During the early period of
British colonial rule Mawlamyaing was a big port, bigger than Yangon
and shipping teak and rice to the west. On the east of the city is
the Kyaikthalan Range covered with gilded pagodas and the
Kyaikthalan Pagoda is the pagoda Kipling referred to as “the old
Moulmein Pagoda” in his epic poem “The Road To Mandalay”
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| The Southern most
point of myanmar |
Shark
Cave |
Kawthaung |
KAWTHAUNG: This is the southern most town
of Myanmar, standing opposite Ranong in Thailand. The British once
called it Victoria Point in commemoration of Queen Victoria but now
it has reverted back to its old name. As it stands on the border
with Thailand the jetty is always busy with merchants going back and
forth and fishing vessels tootting their horns. It is also the
gateway to the Myeik Archipelago where more than 800 small islands
offer memorable scuba diving and other water-sport opportunities,
including close encounters with the sharks! The secretive Salone or
Moken people, sometimes referred to as the sea gypsies roam these
waters.
