A horse cart driver commands his horse in Pyin Oo Lwin, about two hours drive from Mandalay.

IF you want to know about the people of Myanmar and their country, you should not only visit Yangon, the commercial capital, but also other places across the land.

When you are in Yangon, you will experience the daily hum of business in the country.

Although Yangon is not as splendid as the largest cities in Southeast Asia you will see some tall modern buildings, including the international hotels, around the city.

The landmark of the city is the spectacular gold-coloured Shwedagon Pagoda that you can see from almost every part of the city.

Your trip will never be complete without a visit to the pagoda.

The splendid sight of the pagoda will instantly catch your attention and you will want to visit it to truly appreciate its magnificence.

The Shwedagon pagoda has been standing at its place for 2500 years and represents Myanmar arts, architecture, culture and historical heritage.

Rich and poor people alike from around the country want to fulfil their desire to visit the pagoda, which is also a national symbol of the people and the country.
You can also visit other famous pagodas around the city while the beautiful parks are there for you to take rest and recreation.

You can visit Bogyoke Park which is at the heart of the city and enjoy the beautiful scenery around the lake.

Mooring at the edge of the lake, you can also see the beautiful and romantic Karaweik Palace, a replica of a classical royal barge decorated with a couple of hintha brahminy ducks, which has a restaurant and ballroom.

The Yangon Zoological Gardens is located next to Bogyoke Park and people young and old can go there to enjoy themselves and also visit an amusement park with a swimming pool, near the entrance to the zoo.

Crystal clear water around the area in Myeik is perfect for divers.

People who want to relax more freely can go to the Hlawga Wildlife Park, which is situated north of the city, and enjoy the surrounding countryside by staying in the little bungalows or ranch houses.

There are many famous restaurants around the city which serve different kinds of food including European, Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Myanmar traditional cuisines.

Evenings are the time to enjoy the restaurants with live music and fashion shows.

For those who want to enjoy the bohemian night life of the city there are night clubs with fashion shows in the downtown area.

Once you have seen the different sights of Yangon you should go to Bagan which is situated in the central part of the country.

It is 680 kilometres north of Yangon but just a one hour flight away.

You can also go there by car or bus and it will take around 14 to 16 hours. You may feel tired but you can enjoy the sight-seeing along the way.

Bagan, the ancient capital, known officially as the Bagan Archaeological Zone, is situated in an area of 42 square kilometres where you will enjoy endless views of pagodas, stupas, temples and monuments.

Bagan is said to be one of the richest archaeological sites in Southeast Asia with 2230 monuments still standing and some 1000 in ruins.

There were originally 4500 pagodas spread over the area bordering the eastern bank of Ayeyarwaddy River but about 600 structures have fallen into the river during times of flooding.

Time, man and nature, particularly earthquakes that occur roughly every two hundred years, have taken their toll on Bagan but the most important monuments have been restored to their original grandeur and there are plans to restore 287 more of the most historically important sites.

The tallest and most majestic temples are awesome, with Buddhist images in and around and on top of the structures.

Ancient Bagan, which captures the greatness of human endeavours and aspirations, is an archaeological treasure not only of the Myanmar people but also for the whole of human civilization.

It had been the capital of Myanmar for two and a half centuries (1044-1286 A.D.) when the empire reached its zenith.

Bagan city was actually founded about 107 A.D. by a group of villagers but the illustrious dynasty of temple-builders which made Bagan strong and famous started only in 1044 A.D.

It was King Anawratha, the 42nd of 55 kings of the dynasty, who headed the temple-building era. Zealous kings and the ordinary people built, it is said, over four million pagodas, large and small.

All the outstanding monuments in Bagan have their own history and significant points.

Of the famous structures, the Shwezigon Pagoda built by King Anawrahta and the Ananda Temple built by King Kyanzittha are the most popular.

Shame on you if you only have time to see a temple or two, but do make sure you visit Ananda, one of the finest largest best-preserved and most revered of all Bagan temples.

From all over the plain you will see the terraced temple shimmering in the heat, with a corncob golden hti or umbrella towering 52 meters high set on four gilded spires at the corners of a raised square platform.

Bagan’s most famous pagoda to view at sunset is the Shwesandaw, a graceful white pyramid-style pagoda with steps leading past five terraces to the circular stupa on the top.

Its roomy top terrace teems with camera-clicking travellers before sunset and offers a spectacular 360 degree panorama of Bagan.

Visitors to Bagan can stay at hotels in Nyaung U which is situated five km north of Bagan, along the Ayeyarwaddy. Nyaung U has a lively ‘restaurant row’, a colourful market and some prototype stupas found elsewhere in the archaeological zone.

The Shwezigon, situated at the west end of Nyaung U, was started by Anawrahta but not completed until the reign of Kyansittha.

Supposedly the Shwezigon was built to enshrine one of the four replicas of the Buddha tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and to mark the northern edge of the ancient city.

The stupa’s graceful bell shape became a prototype for virtually all later stupas over Myanmar.

The gilded pagoda sits on three rising terraces and is lit up impressively at dusk.

Another popular place to visit in Nyaung U is Kyanzittha Umin, the cave temple, which may actually date back to Anawrahta.

Built into a cliff face 250m southwest of Shwezigon, the long dimly lit corridors are decorated with frescoes, some of which are thought to have been painted by Bagan’s Tartar invaders during the period of the Mongol occupation after 1287.

An attendant will usually greet you with a torch for you to borrow and keys to unlock the doors.

It’s very quiet in there and you can actually see the 800-year-old brush strokes.
After that, you can take a fun boat trip from the Nyaung U jetty to see three temples just off the Ayeyarwaddy riverbank.

You can find one kilometre north the 13th century Thetkyamuni pagoda, which has a few murals inside and dark narrow steps leading up to a small terrace.

On the hill nearby is the same-era Kondawgyi Pahto, with better preserved murals and extensive views from the terrace.

Another kilometre or so north is the 11th and 12th century Kyauk Gu Ohnmin cave temple built in the side of a ravine.

The tunnels inside go on for about two or three hours walking, and some locals say the tunnel was intended to go 19 kilometres.

You can also climb on top of the temple from some new steps and the sights accessible are more difficult to reach by road.

But there is a boat trip available, which takes about two or three hours, and your driver will show you the temples.

While visiting Bagan-Nyaung U, you will get a sense of the ambition of the Bagan kings, who built as many as 4400 temples on the riverside plain over a 230-year period.

After visiting Bagan and Yangon your interest may be stimulated and you may wish to learn more about the people of the country and take other excursions.
The Inle Lake region in the eastern part of the country, Putao city in the northern mountainous region and the coastal city of Myeik and its nearby islands in the southern part are other outstanding places to visit in Myanmar.

Inle Lake at 875m above sea level is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Shan State. It is 35km long and roughly 18km wide.

The lake’s shoreline and islands are home to 17 villages on stilts, which are mostly inhabited by the Intha people.

Like the Shan, Mon and Bamar, the Intha are Buddhist and there are about 100 Buddhist monasteries around the lake, and perhaps 1000 stupas.

The hard-working Intha people living on the lake are famous for propelling their flat-bottomed boats by standing at the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar.

This strange leg-rowing technique offers relief to the arms which are also used for rowing during the long paddles from one end of the lake to the other.

This also enables the rower to better see the floating islands and water hyacinth.

It is sometimes necessary to stand up to plot a route around the obstacles and to spot fish.

They also make their living by fishing, and the floating water hyacinth is one of the major products of this region. It is used to make bags and baskets.

Tomatoes, beans, cauliflower, cabbage, eggplant, garlic, onion, betel, melon, papaya and banana are also produced. Some villagers also grow rice.

The silk dresses and clothes of Inle are popular among local and foreign visitors.

The men of Inle also produce silver and brassware as well as pottery and lacquerware.

The “Phaung Daw Oo” pagoda is the main pagoda in the Inle lake region with five small Buddha images all covered in gold.

If you would like to visit another exciting place you can go to Myeik, the coastal city in Tanintharyi Division, by air.

Myeik, which sits on a peninsula that juts out into the Andaman Sea is a picturesque city with a wide range of architectural styles lining the streets.

The city’s most venerated Buddhist temple, Theindawgyi Paya, sits on a ridge overlooking the city and harbour.

A tall gilded stupa stands on a broad platform with excellent views of the city below and islands in the distance.

Pataw Padet Island, a five-minute boat ride from the harbour, is named after two prominent hills at either end of the island.

Several religious buildings, a stupa and sculptures have been constructed on the island.

A large hollow reclining 66metre-long Buddha, Atula Shwethalyaung, lies at the foot of rocky, jungle-covered Padet hill to the south.

The harbour front is worth a stroll to watch stevedores loading and offloading cargo from ships large and small.

You can also take boat trips to nearby islands and you may see tourists who visit this offshore wonderland from Phuket or Ranong in Thailand.