It is believed that Sule Pagoda is one of the oldest temples in the world. Burmese people claim that it was built more than 3,000 years ago! It is situated in Yangon, just like the Shwedagon Pagoda.

Long Neck Tribe

Myanmar is comprised of many different ethnic groups and tribes, each with their own unique traditions. One common one is to safeguard their women from neighboring tribesmen who may try to steal them away. The answer? Ugly-fy them to make them less appealing. For example, in the Northern Chin states, women used to have their faces tattooed, but this practice was banned in the 1960s.

Also, the long-necked women of the Kayan tribe in East Myanmar, wear brass neck coils around their necks from a young age. Over the years, the weight of the brass pushes the women’s collar bone down, compressing their rib cage. Some of the women of the Kayan tribe gather at the very tourist Inle Lake where you can meet them in person.

Kalaw

Kalaw is a beautiful mountain town in the Shan State of Myanmar and the starting point for many popular multi-day treks that regularly leave for Inle Lake.

Even if you’re not doing a trek, this spot is worth a visit.

For one, besides the local trekking tourists that come through, Kalaw shows a more local side to Myanmar that you won’t find in Bagan, Mandalay, or Yangon.

There’s a bustling market where you can find clothes and local handicrafts. At 4,330 feet in elevation, it gets colder in Kalaw than other parts of the country, so this is where you can find warmer clothes that you might not have packed and interact with locals.

One of the best experiences in Kalaw is hiking up to the Thein Taung Monastery to explore the Buddhist architecture and take in the expansive views over Kalaw and its enveloping nature below. 

There’s a lot to love about this small mountain town, it’s one of the most beautiful places in Myanmar. It’s worth the journey if you’re looking for a relaxing place to spend time in nature, get to know locals, and enjoy the best parts of Burmese culture.

 

Kalaw is still relatively unknown by a lot of travelers so enjoy its non-touristy nature while you can. And, don’t forget to try a big heaping bowl of delicious Shan Noodles while you’re in town! 

Trekking from Kalaw to Inle Lake 

While most of the world’s great hikes end with a high-altitude summit, a trek from Kalaw has an endpoint of an entirely different kind.

After 61 kilometers of trekking through remote villages, becoming immersed in local life, and sleeping on monastery floors, you’ll wind up at the spectacular Inle Lake. You won’t miss the scenic overlook at all! The lake is one of the Myanmar landmarks so it’s hard to be missed when you are traveling to this country.

Red Mountain Winery

The pagodas and temples of Myanmar are absolutely breathtaking but we found ourselves in need of a down day in between busy sightseeing days. Enter Red Mountain Winery in Inle Lake!

The winery is set on a beautiful hillside with sweeping views of Inle Lake and the nearby town of Nyaung Shwe. Plus, you can ride a bicycle right up to the winery, passing through the vineyards on the way. We chose to do a tasting and found a white we loved! So we ordered a bottle and relaxed on the terrace overlooking the vineyards. A great way to spend a relaxing day during your vacation in Myanmar!

Pindaya

Not many people have heard about Pindaya, Myanmar. When I mention the most famous attraction in the area, the Pindaya Caves, a series of caves where you can find a collection of more than 8,000 Buddha sculptures, it rings a bell, followed by “Is that the only thing to do in Pindaya?”.

Well, definitely not, Pindaya is one of the most beautiful places in Myanmar, a place that is off the beaten path with a different vibe than the other areas in Myanmar.

You will be mesmerized by the unique sights and gorgeous agricultural landscape of Pindaya. Patches of various greens, browns, and yellows are woven together into a marvelous natural quilt. Boys riding their buffalos on the way to the field, motorbikes passing with huge piles for straw, rags and other miscellaneous.

Other than the Pindaya Caves and the beautiful sights in the area, be sure to visit the local artisans and family-owned workshops around Pindaya. They are much more authentic than the ones you’ll find at Inle Lake.

From drying the leaves with which the famous cheroots cigars are made to watching the different phases of making rice-paper umbrellas, we had a taste of the more authentic side of Myanmar. So if you are looking to see one of the most beautiful areas in Myanmar, where you’ll get a taste of the real rural Myanmar without the crowds, put Pindaya on your bucket list!

 

 

Golden Rock

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (also known as Golden Rock) is a giant rock covered in gold which balances at the edge of a cliff. It is a popular pilgrim site, thousands of Buddhists come to this place from all across Myanmar. According to the legend it is defying gravity thanks to Buddha’s hair. Pagoda is located at the top of Mount Kyaiktiyo, 1,100 meters above the sea level. 

The Golden Rock is the holiest place of the whole complex, where you can find several temples, smaller pagodas, and other institutions. Ladies are unfortunately not allowed to enter the inner sanctuary directly by the Golden Rock but don’t worry, you’ll get close enough to take great photos of the pagoda. 

As a foreigner, you are required to pay an entry fee. As the Golden Rock complex is a place of worship, prepare to walk the last 450 m to pagoda barefoot.

How to get to Golden Rock?

You need to get to Kinpun village, where is Golden Rock base station located. You can get there from Yangon by direct bus or by train to Kyaikto and then take a shared pick-up to Kinpun. 

There are local trucks going from Kinpun to the Golden Rock. Ride up takes about 30 minutes and it might feel a little bit like a roller coaster. It’s 1 more kilometer by walk from the upper truck station.

Bagan

Have you heard of the ancient city of Sukhothai in Thailand or Angkor Wat in Cambodia? Burma has a UNESCO World Heritage Site like this as well. The ancient city of Bagan is one of the best places to visit in Myanmar.

Watching the sunrise over Bagan is one of the bucket-list experiences in Burma. 

Secret Temple

UPDATE: The temple Is Not Accessible Anymore

A white beach, a sandbar, and delicious seafood – Ngew Saung has it all! To make things better, there’s a spot on the beach with two little pagodas to make your sunset viewing epic! The name Ngwe Saung means silver beach in Burmese and is an apt description.

The main beach of Ngwe Saung appears to be “endless” because it stretches for many kilometers. When the tide is low, a little sandbar emerges that leads to Lovers’ Island. Ngwe Saung is easy to reach from Yangon by an overnight bus and is a destination that should not be missed. It really is one of the top Myanmar beautiful places.

Mandalay

U Bein Bridge

Not to be missed when you are in Mandalay is the world’s longest teakwood bridge, one of the best tourist attractions in Myanmar. Made up of 1.2 kilometers of teak planks salvaged from an old Amarapura palace, U Bein Bridge is still very much used by the locals today.

Take a trip to Mrauk U if you are looking for stories from a glorious past and willing to discover them on your own. Yes, that’s right. A good part of Mrauk U still lies in ruins. Many pagodas are covered by thick layers of vegetation. Some of them are mounds of stone waiting to be put together. Try discovering some of these ruined pagodas while hiking up a hill in Mrauk U. You will not come back disappointed.

Apart from these discovery hikes, there are plenty of other things to do in Mrauk U. Many of the temples that have been restored look forward to welcoming tourists. The most remarkable among them are the Shittaung, the Dukkathein, and the Andaw Thein pagodas. And the best part is there are no tourists here. Mrauk U gets less than 5000 travelers every year while Bagan, its more famous counterpart, gets more than 250,000.

Therefore, if you are looking to do something really offbeat in Myanmar, head to Mrauk U. You can get here by car from Sittwe, the nearest city with an airport. The journey takes about 3 hours. And once here, do not forget to try the delicious Rakhine shrimp curry at a local eatery after your discovery hike. 

Mawlamyine

If you like nature, getting off the beaten path on a motorbike, and giant Buddhas, Mawalamyine needs to be on your radar when you are looking for Myanmar places to visit. Located 300km Southeast from Yangon, this gorgeous coastal city has a fascinating history with so much to explore. One of the highlights of our time there was riding a motorbike to the Win Sein Reclining Buddha.

At 180 meters long and 30 meters high, it is the largest reclining Buddha in the world. Inside the Buddha is a museum featuring life-sized models depicting the life of the Buddha as well as graphic scenes of hell, death, and destruction. It’s a bit freaky at times, so bring a flashlight and a friend! Besides exploring the Buddha, you can ride your motorbike along the surrounding roads leading to many other impressively large statues.

The higher up the hills you climb, the vaster the views become of green trees, mountains, and the ocean in the distance. Up on the hills, there are killer views for the sunset! We were fortunate to meet and be blessed by U Myint Oo, the then 94-year-old monk who spearheaded the building of the Buddha back in the 1990s. We also met a large group of pilgrims who were making their annual visit to work on the construction and maintenance of the Buddha. They invited us to join them for dinner in the temple where they were all sleeping for the night.

That’s what we love about this country; wherever you go there are incredible sights and kind strangers waiting to become friends. Plus, there are so many Myanmar interesting places that it’s hard not to love Burma.

Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery

A popular day trip when in Bangkok, Thailand is a visit to the Bridge On The River Kwai and Kanchanaburi. It’s one of the famous places in Myanmar that are located close to the Thai border.

This is where the Thailand- Burma railway line that was constructed by Allied prisoners of war during WWII begins. What is considerably less visited is the other end, 415km away in Thanbyuzayat, Myanmar. Around 12,000 Australian, British, Dutch and American POW died during the construction of this railway. Many of them were never repatriated so cemeteries in Thailand and Myanmar were created as a final resting place. Having been to Kanchanaburi and visiting the cemetery there I felt it was my duty as an Australian to pay a visit to the Thanbyuzayat cemetery when I was in Myanmar.

Located approximately 90 minutes south of Mawlamyine the drive takes you through small Burmese villages. As is the case with all Commonwealth cemeteries around the world the Thanbyuzayat cemetery is immaculately kept and well maintained. It looks completely out of place along a dusty road with livestock and street vendors surrounding it. Grave plaques provide names of soldiers, their ages, where they’re from and perhaps a short quote from a loved one. There are rows upon rows and it’s quite overwhelming to know that most of these men didn’t make the age of 30. Thanbyuzayat is a really moving place, and when reading the guest book of visitors who have come and found the graves of their relatives it’s enough to bring tears to your eyes.

Pin For Later:

Which of these places would you like to visit the most? Do you know any other Myanmar beautiful places? Remember, sharing is caring. Share your thoughts in comments!