Myanmar (formerly Burma) is a Southeast Asian nation of more than 100 ethnic groups, bordering India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand.
With more than 130 national groups, Myanmar has a wealth of different cultures. Most groups live in the mountains surrounding the central plains, many in villages reached by hours of walking through jungles and deep valleys.
Tourism in Myanmar has so far been concentrated on traditional highlights: the bustling capital of Yangon, the colonial era charm of Mandalay, the temples of Bagan and tranquil beauty of Inle Lake.
However, recent political changes have stimulated tremendous interest from international visitors wishing to go beyond these highlights and discover new and authentic regions in Myanmar.
Kayah State
Kayah State is a recently opened destination in the east of Myanmar for pioneers seeking inspiring travel and an encounter with local ethnic communities.
It is one of Southeast Asia´s last frontiers for inspiring, authentic travel.
Closed for over half a century, it has been recently opened to visitors, and is now accessible by air and road,
With pristine nature, ethnic diversity and a location close to famous Inle Lake and the Thai border, Kayah provides insights into authentic local villages and traditional ways of life.
Travellers have several alternatives for enjoying Kayah's beautiful nature, participating in cultural exchange and experiencing village life.
There is the chance to follow the trail of the ancestors with local villages as guides and sample local cuisine at a jungle picnic.
The tours are targeted towards guests who wish to leave the beaten path and experience the true local culture that exists outside traditional tourist routes.
Other parts of Maynmar
The garden city of Yangon
The garden city of Yangon maintains its charm with wide, tree-lined avenues, tranquil lakes and majestic colonial architecture.
Yangon originated as a small town called Dagon on the outskirts of the ancient kingdom of Okkalapa.
In 1755 the founder of the Third Myanmar Empire, King Alaungpaya – who reigned from upper Myanmar – conquered the southern parts of the country and renamed the town Yangon, meaning End of Strife.
After the British colonised the south they turned the town it into a busy port. The British have long since departed but they left a legacy of beautiful colonial
It is now home to one of the ancient wonders of the world, Shwedagon Pagoda, a 98-metre-high stupa whose golden glow can be seen from throughout the city.
The greenery of Yangon provides an enchanting backdrop to the Shwedagon Pagoda.
According to legend, the pagoda was built 2500 years ago and was enshrined with hair relics of the Buddha.
Over the centuries, kings and commoners alike sought merit by donating gold and jewels to the stupa and the umbrella at its apex, which is now decorated with more than 80,000 pieces of jewellery and topped with a diamond-studded orb.
The platform at the base of the towering pagoda is packed with about 100 pavilions and shrines, where pilgrims from all over the country show their reverence for the Buddha. Here, visitors can see into the heart of Myanmar's Buddhists as they pray and offer flowers, incense and candles.
Tranquil Sea In The Mountains
Inle Lake lies in the cool, green hills of Shan State, an area of outstanding natural beauty and cultural diversity.
For centuries the Intha have developed their own unique lifestyle based around this beautiful body of water.
They live in stilted houses built on the lake and even grow their vegetables on floating gardens that are secured to the lake bottom with bamboo stakes.
Skilled boatmen and fishermen, the Intha are famous for their unique style of rowing in which they stand on one leg while using the other leg to push the oar through the water.
A travelling market makes the round of several villages on the lake, completing a circuit every five days and offering visitors the best chance to see the people of the region gathered together, including the Shan, Pa-O, Danu, Taung-yo and Kayah.
The Intha are also skilled in weaving colourful silk or cotton fabrics. They even produce a linenlike fabric woven out of filaments pulled from lotus stems that grow from the lake, the only material of its kind in the world.
Other crafts that can be seen in villages around the lake include pottery making, jewellery making and blacksmithing.
Above all, Inle Lake is a place of peace and tranquillity. Lakeside hotels, many of them on stilts in the local style, capture the mood perfectly.
Boats can be taken to visit stilted villages and pagodas, while those with more energy can go trekking to villages and monasteries in the hills above the lake.
One attraction not to be missed is Indein Pagoda, a collection of weathered stupas dating back to the 13th century that are reached via a pleasant boat ride along a narrow canal, where locals can be seen fishing from the banks and farmers often bathe their water buffalo.
Inle Lake lies in the cool, green hills of Shan State, an area of outstanding natural beauty and cultural diversity. For centuries the Intha have developed their own unique lifestyle based around this beautiful body of water.
Seat of Ancient Kings
Mandalay Hill is crowned by a pagoda from which visitors can enjoy a 360-degree view of the city and surrounding countryside.
With its royal palace and impressive moat sitting at the foot of a high, pagoda-topped hill, Mandalay still evokes images of a romantic, bygone era.
It remains the principal cultural and economic city of upper Myanmar. Located on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River, Mandalay also lies within easy striking distance of former colonial hill stations, ancient cities and other cultural attractions.
As the last seat of the Myanmar kings, Mandalay left a bittersweet legacy to the people.
King Mindon of the Konbaung Dynasty, who reigned from 1853 to 1878, created this capital out of the wild woodlands at the foot of Mandalay Hill.
King Mindon was a deeply religious monarch who made Mandalay and the neighbouring town of Sagaing important centres of Buddhism, with many great pagodas and hundreds of beautiful monasteries and nunneries.
Colonial City With A River View
Beyond Kyaikhtiyo is Mawlamyine, the third largest city in Myanmar and the capital of Mon State.
Beyond Kyaikhtiyo is Mawlamyine, the third largest city in Myanmar and the capital of Mon State. Once a busy seaport known as Moulmein, it is now a pleasantly quiet town with tree-shaded streets harbouring some of the most elegant examples of colonial architecture in Myanmar.
Most strikingly, near the Thanlwin River waterfront are several brilliantly coloured mosques built decades ago for the many Indians who came to the region to work for the British, while a few blocks away from the river can be found the first Baptist church to be established in the country.
Overlooking the town is a leafy ridge topped with a line of Buddhist shrines and monasteries.
The tallest structure on the hill is the golden Kyaikthanlan Paya, built in the 9th century AD and thought to have provided inspiration for the opening line of British poet Rudyard Kipling's famous poem "Mandalay" – "By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' lazy at the sea".
The pagoda provides terrific views of the waterfront and the Thanlwin River as it flows towards the Gulf of Martaban. It is a favourite spot for viewing the sunset and enjoying the evening breeze.
Out on the river itself is Gaungse Kyun (Shampoo Island), named for a ritual dating back hundreds of years to the Ava period when water from a spring on the island was used in a royal hair washing ceremony held once a year.
A short boat ride can take visitors to the island, which holds a Buddhist meditation centre as well as Sandawshin Pagoda. Other attractions in Mawlamyine include the busy zeigyo (central market) and the Mon Cultural Museum.
Ancient City of Devotion
One of the most remarkable sights in Southeast Asia, Bagan has inspired visitors to Myanmar for nearly 1000 years.
The kingdom of Bagan took root in the 8th century but only rose to glory as capital of the First Kingdom of Myanmar in the early 11th century.
Ancient chronicles say that there were once 4446 temples over its wide plains but today only 2230 remain, as recorded by UNESCO in 1988.
King Anawrahta, who ruled from 1044 to 1077, initiated the building of temples on this vast plain.
The decline of the kingdom in the late 13th century is popularly believed to have resulted from an invasion of Mongols led by Kublai Khan.
The capital was shifted from Bagan to Pinya and then to Inwa near modern-day Mandalay, where it remained for centuries.
Many of the temples were architectural wonders of their time and still inspire awe among visitors. There is hardly a trace of cement in the fine masonry work.
The massive roofs were held up by clever use of arches and barrel vaults.
The windows were arranged to throw rays of sunlight directly onto the faces of massive Buddha images within the vaulted chambers.