Myanmar (Burma)

…Water Festival, Buddhist pagodas, ancient temples, Inle Lake, beaches...

Myanmar (formerly Burma) was on our travel wish list for years and so we were very excited when it finally opened up to foreign visitors in 2012, after 50 years of military domination.  We decided to visit over the Easter holidays in 2014 as the dates lined up with Thingyan, the Burmese New Year Festival (also referred to as the Water Festival). Thingyan is a Buddhist festival that is celebrated over a period of 4-5 days before culminating in the new year celebration.  The government relaxes restrictions on gatherings and in Yangon crowds are allowed to gather on the Kandawgyi Pat Lann and Kabaraye Roads where temporary water-spraying stations (pandals) are set up. There is live music, dancing, water fights, and lots of laughing.

Myanmar is a Southeast Asian country bordering Thailand, Laos, China, Bangladesh, and India.  For our first visit we focused on the main sites (Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake) as well as Ngapali Beach, which was fairly devoid of tourists.
         
Here are highlights (DINK TRIP Tips) from our trip...for more details or to help plan your own visit, contact us!

Yangon

• Time your visit to coincide with the Water Festival and enjoy water-spraying stations & water fights with the locals
• Visit Shwedagon Pagoda before sunset and watch as it changes during sunset and dusk
• Enjoy open air music and dinner at one of the many restaurants at Lake Kandawgyi

Bagan

• Visit the main temples in the early morning and at sunset via ox cart
• Visit quieter temples via bike
• Relax by the hotel pool during the afternoon to avoid the crowds and heat

Inle Lake

• Wake up early to see sunrise over the lake
• Take a day-long boat trip to sights on the northern part of the lake (Phaung Daw Oo Paya in Tha Ley, Nga Hpe Kyaung in Nga Phe village, and the Floating gardens)
• Hike up past Inthein Village to a pagoda on a hill and enjoy the sensational views along the way
• Trek to small temples off the beaten path with no tourists
• Watch the fascinating rowing technique of the fisherman where they balance on one leg at the edge of their boat with the other leg wrapped around the oar

Ngapali Beach

• Enjoy a half-day snorkeling trip to the clear waters around Pearl Island off  the south end of the beach
• Relax on the undeveloped and uncrowded beaches
• Walk down the beach just before sunset and have sundowners at the small island bar that’s just a short wade through the water
• Dine on delicious tea leaf salad and local beer (Dagon) beachside