Myanmar Explorer

After breakfast, your guide will lead you on a tour of the atmospheric colonial quarter, starting at the Sule Pagoda, whose position at the centre of a busy intersection belies its great antiquity. The flaking facades of former banks, teak traders and department stores in this district recall the heyday of British rule. Relics of an older, pre-colonial Burma dominate the collection at the National Museum, where the prize exhibit is King Mindon’s awe-inspiring ‘Lion Throne’. Yangon’s greatest sight, however, is without doubt the Shwedagon pagoda, which you’ll visit in the evening, when the setting sun envelops the great stupa in a golden glow.

A two-hour drive east of Mandalay takes you through the foothills of the Shan Plateau to Pyin Oo Lwin, where the British established their hot-season capital in the 19th century. At an altitude of 1,070m (3,510ft), the town is cool year round. A fine collection of evocative mock-Tudor mansions survives amid its leafy lanes, several of which have been converted for use as hotels. The big attraction here though is the National Kandawgyi Gardens, which were founded in 1915 and still host nearly 500 species of flowers, shrubs and trees. Sightseeing in Pyin Oo Lwin is traditionally conducted in old-style covered horse carriages, or ‘wagons’.

The ramshackle market town of Hsipaw, on the Dokhtawady River, serves as a hub for the Danu, Shan and Lisu minority people who inhabit the area. The journey there by rail from Pyin Oo Lwin involves crossing the spectacular Gokteik Viaduct. When it was erected at the end of the 19th century, the trestle bridge was the highest in the world, towering 102 metres (335ft) above river level. Trains slow to almost walking pace for the traverse, which affords superb views over a jungle-filled ravine below.

Begin your day’s sightseeing with an early morning visit to the Hsipaw’s bustling fresh produce market on the riverfront, where, if you get there early enough, you’ll see lots of minority people from the nearby hills buying and selling an exotic array of goods. The residence of the former Saopha (local ruler) and his Austrian-born wife, East Haw, stands on the north side of town – a dilapidated shadow of its former self but worth a visit before heading off to discover Hsipaw’s teak monasteries, brick pagodas and more modern temples. End the day by climbing Buddha Hill for a splendid view over the valley.

Mandalay, Myanmar’s second city the Ayeyarwady River, was founded in the 1850s by King Mindon of the Konbaung Dynasty. The perfect introduction to the city is to climb the walkway leading up Mandalay Hill, which begins at a grand entrance flanked by a pair of giant leogryphs, and ends at the Sataungpyei Temple (the scene of a fierce battle in World War II) from where the view extends to the Shan mountains. Travellers not inclined to walk will be pleased to learn it’s possible to get there by car, covering the final stretch in a glass-sided elevator!

Rise early to watch Buddhist monks filing through the streets in long lines as they beg for alms, end route to the ruins of ancient Inwa, on the souther west edge of Mandalay, which you’ll tour by bullock cart. After lunch, it’s time to cross the Ayeyarwady to Sagaing, where hundreds of gilded stupas and monasteries adorn the flanks of low hills overlooking the river. On the opposite bank, Amarapura is the day’s final destination. Climb into a punted boat for a ride around U Bein’s much-photographed teak bridge at sunset – a quintessentially Burmese spectacle.

Despite the fact it was never completed, the vast pagoda at Mingun forms an extraordinary spectacle, especially when approached on the morning boat from Mandalay, when the mighty brick edifice is highlighted to dramatic effect against its background of scrub-covered ridges.

A tour of Mandalay Palace and other religious monuments associated with the Konbaung Dynasty take up the afternoon. The undisputed highlight is the richly carved Shwenandaw monastery, the only part of the original palace to have survived the fire of WWII. In the evening, enjoy a performance of Classical Burmese music, dance or puppetry at one of several theatres in the city dedicated to traditional performing arts.

Monywa, on the Chindwin River, is the springboard for a duo of wonderful sights that often prove the unexpected high points of trips around the Mandalay region. The oldest is the Pho Win Taung cave complex, where nearly 500 chambers have been hollowed from a low limestone hill. Many enclose Buddha images, with arched ceilings and walls plastered in murals. Nearby Bodhi Tataung, a hilltop religious complex, is dominated by two gigantic Buddha statues: one reclining, one standing.

Paddoku’s gaudily decorated Buddhist shrines fill a couple of hours’ sightseeing ahead of lunch and your departure by boat to Bagan on the Ayeyarwady. The trip is a great way to experience life on Myanmar’s mightiest river, and a memorable way to approach the ruins of Burma’s ancient capital, whose strikingly gilded Lawkananda Pagoda hoves into view around late afternoon. Having checked in to your hotel, make your first foray to the site in time to watch sunset from the raised terrace of the Shwesandaw Pagoda – one of Asia’s most magical viewpoints.

Over 2,000 brick, gold and stucco stupas and temples are scattered across this wondrous archaeological site – the remains of a once glittering city that thrived on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River between the 11th and 13th centuries. Many are exquisitely decorated inside and out, holding huge Buddha images and vibrant medieval murals. Horse carts provide a leisurely way to explore the sandy lanes linking the sites, but more energetic travellers may be tempted to cover some stretches by bicycle.

Just over an hour’s drive east of Bagan across Myanmar’s sun-baked central plain, the flat landscape is interrupted in dramatic fashion by sheer-sided landform crowned by a tiny whitewashed and gilded monastery complex. This is Popa Taung Kalat, one of the region’s most revered pilgrimage sites. In addition to the wide-ranging views from the top of the rock, local people flock here to worship at a shrine dedicated to the 37 great Nat nature spirits of Burmese tradition.

Magical Inle Lake lies amid the outlying hills of the Shan Plateau. The Intha people who live in stilt villages around its fringes have evolved a unique way of life based on fishing and vegetable gardens that literally float on the surface of the lake. You can skim past them on long-tailed boats, pausing at ancient stupa sites, monasteries, temples, weaving workshops (where silk is spun from lotus stems) and fresh produce markets to which Pa-O and other minority people travel from the surrounding mountains – all wonderful photo opportunities.

So-called ‘floating markets’ are held in rotation by different villages on the shores of Inle Lake, and apart from being a rich source of souvenirs provide a great opportunity to meet local minority people such as the Pa-O, who descend from the surrounding hills to sell fresh produce and stock up on supplies, many of them dressed in traditional costume. Tours on the water typically involve stops at stilted Intha villages to see cheroot factories, floating gardens, and the Phaung Daw U Pagoda – Inle’s most revered temple.

Myanmar may not loom large on the world’s viticultural map, but the quality of wine produced at a vineyard overlooking Inle Lake is high, and improving year on year – much to the delight of restauranteurs and hoteliers across the country. Visitors are welcome to call at the Red Mountain estate near Nyaungshwe to sample its blends of Shiraz-Tempranillo, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. Fine Burmese cuisine is also served in the winery restaurant, whose terrace enjoys a wonderful view of the surrounding, vine-striped slopes.