BAGAN :Myanmar's greatest wonder, this ancient deserted city alongside the Irrawaddy River is home to over 2000 temples and pagodas covering an area of around 40 square km. This world-heritage site is one of the most important and remarkable archaeological sites in Asia, and represents the spiritual heritage of ancient Burma.

SALAY : is a colorful old religious center in Central Myanmar, 1 ½ hours south of Bagan. In between visiting the numerous ancient monasteries, adorned with beautiful woodcarving, you can enjoy the beauty of this compact city of colonial buildings.

MOUNT POPA : Otherwise know as the "flower mountain". 700 steep stairs lead up the 737m high extinct volcano with pagodas and small temples perching at the summit. This, the abode of Myanmar's most powerful nats (sacred spirits) provides an entrancing view across the plains of upper Myanmar.

MANDALAY : last capital of the Burmese kingdom and Myanmar's second largest city. It is considered the country's cultural heartland and is an important trade center. It is home to some of Myanmar's most important pagodas as well as its finest handicraft workshops.
Three ancient capital cities, Ava, Sagaing and Amarapura, are within easy reach of Mandalay and well worth a sidetrip. Just across the Irrawaddy River and a short but fascinating boat ride away is Mingun, home to the worlds' largest bell and the earthquake-ravaged base of an unfinished pagoda, which would have been the tallest in the world.

MONYWA : a lovely town, situated on the eastern bank of the Chindwin River, and a major trade center for agricultural produce from the Surrounding Chindwin Valley. It is the gateway to the magnificent Thahboddhay Pagoda complex with its 845 stupas, 7.350 statues and almost 600,000 sacred images as well as the quite impressive sandstone Hpo Win Daung Caves.

LASHIO : this town is with over 500,000 inhabitants, most of them Chinese and Shan, is the biggest city in the Northern Shan State, and located at the southern end of the infamous Burma Road. Also of interest is the central market in the morning, where you can see some ethnic groups. The Hot Springs on the road to Mu-Se are also worth a visit.

PYIN U LWIN : Formerly a British hill station located in the Shan hills east of Mandalay at 1070 m above sea level. It features many examples of colonial architecture, transport in traditional stagecoaches and a beautiful botanical garden. It is also called the "city of flowers" as flowers bloom here all the year around, and its forested country lanes provide a welcome respite from the heat of the plains.

BAMAW : a small town which draws a lot of Lisu, Kachin and Shan participants from the surrounding tribes to the daily market. Of particular interest are the overgrown city walls of Sampanago, an old Shan Kingdom, 5km east of the town.

MYITKYINAR : situated 5 hours by car north of Bamaw at the Irrawady River in the Kachin State is famous for its abundance of fruits. While the town itself is not very interesting, it offers a good starting point for visits into the many Kachin Villages.

PUTAO : Putao is the very northern city in Myanmar at the feet of the Himalayan Mountains. The town is only reachable by flight and serves as starting point for many trekking and hiking tours through the local villages with its different tribal inhabitants and nearby mountain terrain. From this town you can start your trekking to the highest peak of Myanmar the Mt. Hkakaborazi with 5881m above sea level.

INLE LAKE : A very shallow lake, only 2 or 3 m deep, surrounded by high plateaus and overlooked by the misty Shan mountains. The lake is home to the Intha people, among others, who have adapted to their watery environment by building whole villages rising in stilts from the shallow waters. Lake dwellers have become famed for their unique leg rowing technique, and grow an array of flowers and vegetables in picturesque floating gardens and fields, tended by workers in canoes. Inle Lake is 22km long, about 11km wide and lies a comfortable 875m above sea level.

TAUNGGYI / KAKKU : Taunggyi is a bustling Mountain town on one of the major trade routes to China, its markets a magnet for tribes people from all over. The famous but little visited site of Kakku with 2478 stupas surrounding a 2000-year-old Pagoda is a 1½-hour drive through Pa-O tribal villages to the south of the city.

PINDAYA : is a peaceful little town in a beautiful rural setting. It is famous for its caves, home to a labyrinth of over 8000 Buddha images of varying sizes. Pindaya is mainly inhabited by Danu people, and the villages around Pindaya are mostly Pa-O tribe villages, although the town is a starting point for treks further afield to Palaung, Taungyo and Danu hill tribe villages.

KALAW : is a former popular British hill station on the western edge of the Shan plateau. It is a quiet town at 1320m above sea level with an atmosphere reminiscent of the colonial era. It also serves as a very good starting point for interesting treks and hikes of anything from one to five days into the surrounding mountains, home to different hill tribes such as Palaung, Pa-O, Taungthu, Taungyo and Danu, to mention but a few.

KYAING TONG (Kengtung) : is the sleepy but historic capital of the Shan state's Khun culture, strategically placed on routes between Myanmar, Thailand, China and Laos. Around Kyaing Tong, Wa, Shan, Akha and Lahu villages, can all be reached by fascinating treks.

YANGON (Rangoon) : the capital of Myanmar since 1885 when Mandalay's short period as the center of the last Burmese Kingdom ended. The city, today with an population of over five million, is lined by the Yangon River on the west and the Bago River on the south. Yangon gives a different impression from other Asian cities of similar size, seeming green and full of trees above which the shimmering stupas float. The most famous and most reverted monument in Yangon is the glittering Shwe Dagon Pagoda and a must for every visit to Myanmar. The Downtown area still features a lot of old and large colonial buildings left over from British times.

PYAY (Prome) : located on a sharp bend of the Irrawady River, is known for the nearby ruins of the ancient Pyu capital of Thayekhittaya, which has been the center of the most intensive archaeological work in Myanmar this century.

BAGO : was reputedly founded in 573 AD by two Mon princes from Thaton. During the late Mon dynastic period it became the center of the Mon kingdom. The city is also famous for its huge reclining Buddha, which measures 55m in length and was originally built in 994 AD.

KYAIKTIYO : is one of the most interesting and sacred Buddhist sites of Myanmar. The sacred boulder, covered in gold leaf, is balanced precariously on the very edge of a cliff. The legend says that the rock maintains its balance due to a precisely placed Buddha hair in the 7.3m high stupa that caps it.

MRAUK U : Once the capital of the powerful Rakhine Kingdom with a 3000-year history. In the 16th century it was an important free trade port, and is now and archaeological complex with several very interesting buildings and temples. The most impressive is the massive Shittaung temple that enshrines 80,000 images. Its interior walls are engraved with over 1,000 Buddhist figures.

BEACHES :
There are several beautiful beaches in Myanmar, all good for a relaxing time, but Ngapali is certainly the most beautiful and most accessible, via direct flights to Thandwe from Yangon and Heho. In Ngapali you will find unspoiled white sandy beaches and crystal clear water for snorkeling, sailing or wind surfing.

 

MERGUI ARCHIPELAGO :
The Mergui archipelago in the very south of Myanmar is covering an area of over ten thousand square miles and has over eight hundred tropical islands. It has just been lately reopened and rediscovered as one of “the” diving spots in South East Asia, if not the world. It is impossible to put into words the stunning beauty of the Mergui or Myeik Archipelago, which area is still pristine and nearly virtually uninhabited. The area has unlimited potential as a playground for divers, yachties, naturalists, and other pleasure seekers