Myanmar

Myanmar (Burma) is a country like no other. Often described by the original backpackers of the banana pancake trail as ‘what Thailand used to be like 20 years ago’, there’s no doubt you’re going to get a unique experience when you step into the land of pagodas.

From the largest city, Yangon to the hot air ballon flights above Bagan, to a day exploring the life that thrives on Inle Lake, and taking the boat from Bagan to Mandalay, you can spend your entire time in Southeast Asia immersed just in Myanmar and not run out of things to do.

If you’re looking for an authentic travel experience, where the food, culture and people are as untouched by the commerciality of tourism as you can hope for, add Myanmar to your travel list. I spent almost a month in the country. In this section, you’ll find my travel guides to the major sights and cities.

To get started, check out my guides to:

Only got time for one stop in Myanmar? I highly recommend exploring the many golden pagodas and sights of Bagan.

Whichever itinerary you chose, you’re sure to be enchanted by the sights and people of Myanmar.

Myanmar Travel Guides

The Best Places to Visit in Myanmar (with itineraries)

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Myanmar Travel Guide - Know Before You Go

In this article I’ll explain the best and most popular places to visit in Myanmar. At the end, I include suggested itineraries for 7 days, 10 days, 2 weeks and 3 weeks in Myanmar. I’ve written more detailed guides to most of these locations and will include links below. Yangon Things to do in Yangon Watch the gold gleam at Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the oldest and most sacred Buddhist sights in Myanmar See a 66 metre (216 feet) reclining Buddha at Chaukhtatgyi Pagoda Prefer a seated Buddha? How about the 12 metre (40.5 foot) Buddha at Nga Gyi Pagoda? Take the circle line … Read more

The Best Hotels In Ngapali Beach – Myanmar

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Myanmar Itinerary Places to visit in Myanmar Ngapali Beach

In this article you will find a guide to Ngapali Beach Hotels and Restaurants in Myanmar as well as information on the local area and sights. There’s also a map at the end. I loved my 3 weeks exploring Myanmar but there is no denying that the country with it’s new tourist infrastructure can be exhausting at time. So, by the time I hit the end of my exploration of Myanmar I was beyond ready for some beach time. I spent four nights in Ngapali Beach and did a lot of exploring up and down the Ngapali main road and … Read more

The Best Things to Do in Yangon – Myanmar

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In this article you will find out the best things to do in Yangon, Myanmar, together with recommendations for where to eat and sleep. I’ve also created a map with Google maps showing all of the majors sights mentioned here. You’ll find that at the end. Myanmar Travel Videos If you’re just here for some Myanmar travel inspiration, you might want to first check out my videos – a day on Inle lake… …and taking the boat from Bagan to Mandalay… For many visitors, Yangon will be the first interaction they’ll have with Myanmar and it’s a fantastic starting point. Mandalay, while … Read more

The Best Bagan Pagodas – Which Ones to See

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Best Pagodas in Bagan Thitsarwadi Temple

There are thousands of Bagan pagodas – I know, because I’m pretty sure I saw them all. Ok, maybe not but swinging by almost 20 of them made it feel like I’d seen every pagoda that exists in the city. While it may have been exhausting at the time, it gave me a good basis for comparing the various temples. From the vast to the deserted to those teetering on the banks of the river, what follows is my recommendations for the best Bagan pagodas and which ones to see as a priority when you visit this wonderful part of Myanmar. … Read more

The Best Things to Do in Bagan – Land of Pagodas

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Myanmar itinerary places to go in Myanmar Bagan

In this article you will find out the best things to do in Bagan, Myanmar – the land of pagodas… Once upon a time, Bagan was under a siege of development. Between the 11th and 13th centuries over 10,000 temples, pagodas and monastaries were built in the city. Today, around 2,000 of them still exist; all crammed into a 13 by 8 kilometres area that has become the Bagan Archeological Zone. So, it’s safe to say, you’re going to see some temples in Bagan – whether you want to or not. Of course, that’s the major reason most tourists in … Read more

How to Take the Boat from Bagan to Mandalay

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Myanmar Itinerary Places to Visit in Myanmar Bagan

In this article you will find details of how to take the boat from Bagan to Mandalay including booking your ticket, what to expect on board, the sights along the way and a short video of the journey.  There was no way I could go to Myanmar (formerly Burma) and not travel the road to Mandalay. Rudyard Kipling had all but demanded it in his iconic poem about the city. O the road to Mandalay,Where the flyin’-fishes play,An’ the dawn comes up like thunder outer China ‘crost the Bay Rudyard Kipling, Mandalay (1890) Want a quick summary, check out my video … Read more

What You Need To Know Before Visiting Myanmar

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Myanmar travel guide - know before you go

Myanmar is unlike any other country in Southeast Asia. Having only opened up to tourism in recent years, infrastructure can be lacking and travel can be challenging but this won’t be the first Myanmar travel blog to tell you that travelling through Myanmar is totally worth it. And now is the time to go. Spend anytime in Southeast Asia and you’ll come across a fair number of old-school travellers who will be only too happy to tell you that Southeast Asia isn’t what it used to be. It’s an unhelpful comment, given you can’t turn back time. Or can you? Myanmar is … Read more

18 Best Things To Do in Inle Lake, Myanmar

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Myanmar Itinerary Places to Visit in Myanmar Inle Lake

Looking to take an Inle Lake tour? Here’s a review of the tour I took, things to do in Inle Lake, where I ate and where I stayed. As I watched the sun set over Inle Lake, I caught sight of a local fisherman who was expertly balanced at the back of his boat. In one graceful move, he raised a sinewy leg, wrapped it around an oar and, using his foot, propelled himself and his small wooden boat forward. Leg-oar. Leg-oar. Leg-oar until he was out of view. I’d heard about this unique style of rowing before I got to Inle … Read more