YANGON

Yangon (formerly Rangoon ): Yangon , the capital and gateway to Myanmar is also its principal port and administrative center. Although a simple city, Yangon is a unique blend of old world charm of colonial buildings and modern day vitality shown in the newer structures, markets and hotels. It is a city adorned with idyllic lakes, cool shady parks and lush tropical vegetation having thus earned the name the "Garden City of the East".

Yangon was founded by King Alaungpaya on the site of a small settlement called Dagon when he conquered Lower Myanmar in 1755. The name Yan-gon means "End of Strife" which was anglicized to " Rangoon " after the British annexed Myanmar in 1885.

The present day Yangon covers about 400 sq km inland from the sea on Hlaing River and has a population of around 5 million.

In this land so appropriately called the " Land of Golden Pagodas ", the Shwedagon Pagoda, the greatest of them, with its 60 tons of gold rises majestically in all its gilded splendor, towering almost 100 meters over the green city scape of Yangon as a significant landmark visible from miles around. Imposing, yet quiet, as the sun casts its first and last rays on the golden dome of the luminous Pagoda one can feel the magic in the air. Rudyard Kipling called it "a golden mystery..a winking wonder"

Built over 2,500 years ago, the Shwedagon is now considered one of the wonders of the world. It enshrines the Hair Relic of the Gautama Buddha as well as the sacred relics of three preceding Buddhas, and is the most revered of all Buddhist shrines in Myanmar .

Sule pagoda located in the centre of downtown Yangon is believed to be 2000 years old. It was the landmark used by the British in laying down the town plan for Yangon after they annexed Myanmar . In fact, to this day, it is used as a milestone from which all addresses to the north are measured. The Pagoda stands 46 metres high and is unique in that its octagonal shape continues right up to the bell and inverted bowl. The central stupa is believed to enshrine a Hair Relic of Gautama Buddha.

The Great Cave which is completely artificial was built in the vicinity of the Kaba Aye Pagoda. It is in the cave that the sixth Buddhist Synod (to coincide with the 2,500 th anniversary of the Lord Buddha's enlightenment) was held and for which it was specifically built. It is 139 metre long and 113 metre wide, and can hold 10,000 people. It resembles India 's Satta Panni Cave where the first Buddhist Synod was held.

The International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University , Yangon , Myanmar

Myanmar has carefully preserved Theravada Buddhist in its pristine form for nearly one thousand years. Now she is sharing her knowledge of Buddhism both in theory and practice with the people of the world to promote their happiness and moral well-being. Those who wish to learn Theravada Buddhist canonical texts and insight meditation in Myanmar tradition have a golden opportunity to study them from the Myanmar Buddhist scholars of high academic achievements at the same institution. The Myanmar an Pali languages are includes in the academic programmes. The medium of instruction is English.

The National Museum is situated on Pyay Road , about ten minutes walk from the Shwedagon Pagoda. It was recently constructed and has 5 floors.

Although the collection of artifacts are not spectacular and most explanations are in Burmese, there are certain interesting exhibits. In particular, the 8 metre high Sihasana Lion Throne used by King Thibaw, the last of the kings of Myanmar . The carving on the throne depicts legendary characters and animals derived from Hindu-Burmese mythology. it was taken from Myanmar by the British and in 1908 returned intact by Lord Mountbatten.

Other interesting items include the Royal Couch which had belonged to King Mindon's Queen, mannequins dressed in traditional costumes of the various ethnic groups of the country, Mandalay regalia and jewelry, gem studded arms, swords, excellent old maps and black and white photographs of the old Mandalay Palace and Yangon . Some modern paintings by talented and well known artists can also be seen in the museum.

It was originally developed in 1906 by the British on 72 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds, only a few minutes drive from downtown Yangon .

Also located on the road to Bago.

Located on the road to Bago, beyond Htaukkyant.

Bago (formerly Pegu) Situated 80 km north of Yangon . It was founded in 573 AD by two Mon princes as their Royal capital at which time it was known as Hanthawaddy. In 1539, it became important sea port when King Tabinshwehti annexed it to his Taungoo kingdom. By 1740, Bago was re-established as a Mon Capital. Subsequently in 1757, The Myanmar King Alaungpaya destroyed it. King Bodawpaya (who ruled from 1785 - 1819) rebuilt it to some extent, but Bago never again reached its previous grandeur.

The Shwemawdaw Pagoda, Kalayani Thein (Ordination Hall), the 55 m long Shwethalyaung Reclining Buddha, the four giant Buddha images of Kyaikpun Pagoda, the reconstructed Kambawza-thardi Palace of Bayintnaung, Mahazedi, Kyarketwine Monastery, Cheroot Factory, Wood carving factory, the Bago Market and the Duck Farm are the major attractions.

Thanlyin (formerly Syriam) Only 30 minutes drive from Yangon across the Bago river, Thanlyin was a major port from the 14th century until it was displaced by Yangon in 1755, and it was briefly controlled by the Portuguese adventurer de Brito at the beginning of the 17 th century.

Bagan (formerly Pagan) was founded in the 11th century . It gave rise to the dominant culture and civilization in Myanmar 's history and remains one of the world's premier archaeological sites.

It is located at the heart of the "dry zone", 685 km north of Yangon , 190 km southwest of Mandalay and stretching inland along the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River covering an area of 42 sq. km.

A side trip from Bagan, set amid lovely forest scenery, Mt. Popa is a steep sided volcanic peak rising 737 meter above the surrounding plains. The hill sides covered with natural springs, flowers, lush and thickly wooded vegetation with a totally different climate are a great contrast to the arid lands from neighbouring Bagan and surrounding plains. Thus it is called the "oasis of the dry zone".

Mount Popa , known as Myanmar 's Mt. Olympus is a special place of interest, both in the country's history and culture, for it is the abode of the feared and respected legendary "nats" (spirits) of Myanmar .

It is a small town about 15 km south of Bagan, down the Ayeyarwadday River . It is most famous as the historic home of Sa-le U Pone Nya, a Bagan era writer. U Pone Nya Museum at the Yoke Sone Monastery exhibits antique lacquer wares, wooden relief and a large standing gilded Buddha image made of lacquer. The figures carved outside the front of the building are worth seeing. Another place worth visiting is Tha-ta-na Kyaung (Keythar monastery) where Tipitaka texts are housed in a large antique lacquered cabinet.

Today, Mandalay is well known as the "City of Gem "and the second largest city in Myanmar. It is located in central Myanmar , 695 km north of Yangon with a population of over one million people.

Situated at the foot of the Mandalay Hill from which its lyrical name was taken, the city is nestled on the plains between the Ayeyarwaddy River and the mountain ranges of the Kachin and Shan states. Thus, acting as a gateway to the North and ultimately to China . It is also a major market city for upper Myanmar for the hill tribes to gather and trade. Founded by King Mindon in1857, Mandalay was the last of the capital of the Myanmar Kingdom.

Historically, Mandalay still has considerable cultural and religious significance and is the centre for learning Buddhist scriptures. It is the hub of Myanmar 's civilization and a haven of the nation's cultural heritage. It is well known for the finest gold leaf and silver crafts, marble and wood carvings, woven cotton and silks and rich ancient tapestries. It is also where the fine arts such as traditional dancing , Myanmar classical music and drama thrive.

The Mandalay hill stands majestically at an elevation of 230 meters in the north eastern edge of the city. The top of the hill is a vantage point commanding a magnificent view of the city and pagoda studded countryside.

Close to the hill top, there is a standing Buddha image known as the Shweyattaw looking out towards the Royal Palace with an outstretched hand pointing in that direction. According to legend, the Lord Buddha on a visit to the area had prophesied that in the 2400 th year of his faith, a great city would be founded at the foot of the hill. That year corresponds to the year 1857 AD by our calendar and the statue is said to represent the Buddha pointing to the city would be built.

Two huge lions guard the south western entrance to the hill and the Bobo Gyi Nat (spirit) watches over the south eastern entrance.

The walled Mandalay Palace (Nandaw), in itself a city within a city is reminiscent of the relics of the last Myanmar kingdom. King Mindon who founded the city in 1857 also founded the Palace and the fort with its imposing walls.

The Palace and housing structures were built in traditional Myanmar architectural design from teak. The massive palace walls of the fort surrounding the palace grounds form a perfect square. The four walls extend 2km around, 8m in height and 3m in thickness at the bottom, tapering to 1.5m at the crenellated top. The moat surrounding the walls is 70 meters wide, 3 meters deep and filled by a channel from the Mandalay irrigation canal.

A 33m high watch tower "Nan Myint Saung" reached by a spiral staircase offers a panoramic view of the entire compound and city scape.

The Palace was destroyed during the WWII and was rebuilt to the original architecture after the war.

Approximately 11 km south of Mandalay is the town of Amarapura . It was the capital of Konbaung Dynasty during the reign of King Bodawpaya when he moved its capital to Amarapura in 1783. Places of interest are Pahtodawgyi Pagoda,

U Bein Bridge across the Taungthaman Lake , Kyauktawgyi pagoda, Nagayon pagoda, Mahagandayone Monastery

A former capital of the Shan Kingdom , it lies across and slightly down the river from Mandalay and has interesting stupas scattered over the Sagaing Hills.

Best known of Sagaing stupas was built in 1636. It is a huge whitewashed edifice rising 46 m in height and built in the shape of a perfect hemisphere.

The clock tower near the town entrance when coming from Mandalay, was a present from Queen Victoria, (who offered an identical tower to Cape Town in South Africa ). Another version of the story has it that the clock was made in 1934 by Gillette & Johnson of England , in commemoration of George V's silver Jubilee. Part of the cost was paid by Mr. Purcell, a resident of Mandalay , descended from Armenian traders who were favourites of King Mindon and King Thibaw. Naturally, its chime copies Big Ben's.

Although a fairly long walk is required to get to these falls, the hike is worth it.

Peik Chin Myaing

This large Hindu-Buddhist shrine cave, 27 km towards Lashio and another 3.5 km off the main road, was developed by local Nepalis and later co-opted by the government as a tourist attraction in 1990. (They also managed to rename it Maha Nan Damu Sacred Cave , though everyone seems happy with the old name,) A 600m path leads through the cave, which is decorated with relatively new Buddha images and models of Myanmar 's most famous stupas, such as the Shwedagon and Kayitiyo Pagodas.

INLAY LAKE

Located in the Shan State , more than 1300m above sea level . It is a beautiful natural lake, 22.5km long and 10.2km wide. The vast lake scenery with the distant hazy mountains ranges is stunning - idyllic, mystical and picturesque beyond belief. It certainly is a completely different dimension to the Myanmar travel experience. Visitors will always remember the romantic picture of an Intha (lake resident) fisherman standing at the stern of a slender boat, rowing with one leg.

The Inthas have adapted so thoroughly to their environment that their homes are built on stilts above the water, and their vegetable fields and famous markets actually float on the lake's surface.

The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, today also known as the Golden Rock Pagoda is located on top of Kyaiktiyo Hill at about 3615 feet (1100m) above sea level, in the Mon State and approximately 130 miles (210km) from Yangon .

The pagoda was built over a hair relic more than 2,500 years ago in the life time of the Buddha. Legend has it that the Hair Relic was given to a hermit by Buddha himself. The hermit treasured the sacred relic in his hair knot until he found a boulder resembling his own head on which he could build a pagoda to enshrine it. In the Mon language, "kyaik" means pagoda and "ithi" in Pali means hermit. Thus, the name "Kyaiktiyo", derived from "Kyaik-Thi-Yo".

The pagoda is a glowing affirmation of Myanmar 's spirituality. Although small in size, it is one of the most revered and celebrated pagodas in Myanmar . Kyaiktiyo Pagoda is recognized as one of the wonders of South East Asia by a recent publication sponsored by the Tourism Authorities of ASEAN countries. It can also be qualified as one of the wonders of the world by virtue of the fact that it sits uniquely at the apex of a huge, almost egg shaped, granitoid boulder. This boulder (now completely gilded) is precariously perched on a projecting tabular rock. The gilded boulder and the rock table are two separate pieces, the boulder actually balancing off the extreme verge of the sloping surface of the rock and overhanging it by nearly half its length. This slope drops down perpendicularly into the valley below. On the other side, the rock table is separated several feet from the rest of the hill by a deep chasm, now appended by a a small foot bridge. By gently rocking the boulder, a thread can be passed between it and the table rock. When viewed from a certain angle, this separation can be appreciated by virtue of a thin beam of daylight shining through. It is not known what freakish law has kept the boulder in its precarious position for many centuries and despite several violent earthquakes. Of course, pious Buddhists attribute this to the power of Buddha's hair relic enshrined in the Pagoda.

The capital of Kayin State , can be reached from Yangon by road across a new bridge over the Thanlwin River ; or by ferry from Mawlamyine, a very scenic trip.

Another new bridge spanning the Gyaing River at Zathabyin also links Pa-an with Mawlamyine by road, and takes about an hour by car. Pa-an is the gateway to Thailand (Mae Sot) by road via Myawaddy.

Pa-an is famous among the Burmese for a Buddhist village at Thamanyat mountain, which used to be the home of the most respected and venerable monk U Winaya (now diceased) whose solid support of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi was well known throughout Myanmar. Thamayat monastery is about 40km southeast of Pa-an.

The towns-people are a mixture of Mon, Bamar and Muslim . Burmese is the primary language, but Kayin is spoken by many.

Thanbyuzayat which means " Tin shelter", situated 30 km south of Mawlamyine, was the western terminus of the infamous Burma-Siam Railway. It was built with the objective to link Thailand & Myanmar . It was dubbed the "Death Railway" by the thousands of Allied POWs and Asian coolies who were forced by Japanese military to build it. It was here that the Japanese broke into Myanmar after marching over the rugged mountain ranges separating Myanmar from Thailand via Three Pagoda Pass (Payathonzu).

A clock tower in the centre of Thanbyuzayat stands at a road junction; the southbound road leads to Ye while the westbound road leads to Kyaikkami and Setse beach. About a km and a half south of the clock tower, a locomotive and piece of track commemorating the Burma Siam Railway are on display.

The Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, which contains 3771 graves of allied POWs who died building the railway is about 1 km west of the clock tower.

Located 9 km northeast of Thanbyuzayat, Kyaikkami was a small coastal resort and missionary centre known as Amherst during the British era. The main focus of Kyaikkami is Yele Paya, perched over the sea and reached via a two level causeway.

TAUNGOO

A nother highway town, Heho is about halfway between Aungban and Shwenyaung, which is the junction for the road south to Nyaungshwe and Inle Lake . North of the town is an airstrip that fields Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways and Air Bagan flights from Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan.

Heho has a dusty market area just off the highway that hosts the largest of the five day markets in the southern area of the Shan State .

(Golden Banyan Tree, also called Yaunghwe) is a small town 3.5 km from the southern end of the lake.

The museum of Shan Chiefs ( Yaunghwe Haw Museum ), housed in a large teak and brick mansion in the northeastern part of town, was the haw (palace) of the 33 rd and last San Sao Pha - Sao Shwe Thaike, who became the first president of Myanmar in 1948, was imprisoned when Ne Win came to power, and died in Jail. The museum is the best surviving example of a Shan-style palace since the demolition of the haw sao pha (Shan lord's palace ) in Kengtung in 1991.

(Also spelt Kekku or Ketku) is best described as a vast orchard of stupas, and has only recently been opened foreign visitors. Some 40km south of Taunggyi in a region populated by the Pa-O people, the site is said to contain over two thousand stupas, most of which are only 3m to 4m high and laid out in neat rows. Constructed in a mixture of Pa-O, Shan and Bamar styles, the stupas are of brick and laetrite, and some are covered with ornate stucco motifs. Two larger stupas are also part of the collection; one contains a highly revered Buddha image.

As yet no detailed studies have been conducted to determine the age of this site, but a local legend gives it a history dating back to the 3 rd century BC (highly doubtful), when India's Buddhist Emperor, Asoka, is said to have sent missionaries to the region.

In 2000 an all-weather road was built to Kakku, making it easily accessible from Taungyi. Unfortunately, along with the new road have come concessions to tourists, both foreign and local. The site has been fenced in and paved walkways have been laid around and through the rows of stupas . Work has also begun on the restoration of the stupas themselves. Once again, it's the typical dilemma that has affected Buddhist ruins throughout Southeast Asia . While foreign visitors are drawn to these ancient sites to view them in their 'picturesque' ,ruined state, local Buddhist pilgrims come specifically to acquire religious merit by contributing money to the restoration of the ruins. Since foreign visitors to Kakku are outnumbered by local pilgrims by about 10 to one, it won't be long before Kakku 's crumbling stupas are given new coats of whitewashed stucco and topped with gleaming new golden htis (umbrellas).

KYAINGTONG

The center and capital of Eastern Shan States known as the Golden Triangle Region. 456 km northeast of Taunggyi, 163km north of the border town of Tachileik (opposite Maw Sai, Thailand ) and 787m above sea level, Kyaingtong is the historic centre for the state's Khun culture. It is the residence of many ethnic hill tribes such as the Khun, Akha, Shan, Wa and Lahus. About half the population is Buddhist, and another 17% is Christian (Baptist and Catholic) and the rest of the population belong to various animist groups.

Built around a small lake, and dotted with ageing Buddhist temples and a few examples of British colonial architecture, Kyaingtong is probably the most scenic town in the Shan States.

The main economic activity of the area is concentrated in the opium and designer drug trade.

Kyaingtong is also a strategic Myanmar government stronghold in the middle of the shifting seas of Shan and Wa insurgency and the illicit drug trade. Its position is doubly strategic considering the area is a crossroads with outlets in four different countries - Myanmar, China, Thailand and Laos.

Although Kyaingtong lies about mid-way between the Thanlwin and Mekong River valleys, it is more or less cut off from the former by a series of north-south mountain ranges. Hence, culturally, the area has more of an affinity with the nearby cultures of the Mekong - Laos, Xishuangbanna (south-eastern Yunnan Province ) and northern Thailand than for the Shan and Bamar cultures west of the Thanlwin. Indeed, culturally Kengtung feels more like some long forgotten corner of northern Thailand rather than a part of Myanmar.

Located in the Golden triangle Area, it is a border gateway opposite to Mae Sai in Thailand . Besides shopping for Shan handicrafts and eating Shan / Barmar food,

The capital and largest town of the Kachin State , Myitkyina (Near The Big River) is well known for its scenic beauty particularly at the Myitsone (confluence) where the mountain streams of Mekha and Malikha join to form the Ayeyarwaddy River , the jade mining center of Pharkant and the largest lake in Myanmar , the Indawgyi. The town holds possibilities as the starting point for visits to the many Kachin villages in the area

Most of the Kachin people living in and around Myitkyina have been strongly influenced by missionaries and there are now around 15 churches in town, mostly Baptist. The town is also home to a small Nepali community.

Highlights: In and around Myitkyina

Traditionally, the Jinghpaw Kachins are animists who recognise a spirit world presided over by Karai Kasang, a supreme deity who requires animal sacrifice. The "Duwa" (hereditary chieftains) maintain ceremonial and cultural leadership, especially with regard to the manao (also spelt manau or manaw) - the important festivals held periodically to placate or pay homage to the Jinghpaw nat. There are several types of manao, depending on the region and time of year. One of the most common types, sup manao, looks towards the future, ensuring good weather for farming and serving to ward off danger and ill-fortune. The Padang manao, on the other hand, celebrates a past victory or success.

A typical manao involves, the sacrifice of 29 cows and / or buffaloes, one for each of the 28 Jinghpaw nat plus one dedicated to all of them. Participants dance to music played on a large doubled-headed drum , brass gone, cymbal and buffalo-horn oboe. These festivities are centred on manao-taing (brightly painted totems strung with banners of red, black and white) whose colours are considered most attractive to the nat. Dancers often carry fans in imitation of bird feathers; the lead dancer wears a headdress designed to resemble the head and break of a great horn-bill. Other dances mimic the movements of horse-riding, finishing and cattle herding. There is much drinking of local churu (rice beer) and feasting on shat kada (special meal packets).

Putao is the northern most town in the Kachin State as well as the nearest town to the base camp for climbing Mount Khakhaborazi (5890m), the highest mountain in Myanmar and South East Asia . Putao and the surrounding area lie above the tropic of Cancer, in a zone characterised by subtropical conditions, up to 2000m; temperate rainforest from 2000m to 3000m; and subalpine snow forest that becomes alpine scrub, above 3000m. The highlands north of Putao are considered one of the most pristine Himalayan environments in Asia and could become a major ecotourism destination if made accessible to foreigners. The locals often refer to the surrounding peaks as the "ice mountains".

Putao itself is small and picturesque, with a population of about 10,000 people. The elevation is 402m above sea level. During the late British colonial era, a military post called Fort Hertz was based in Putao. By the end of WWII most Westerners used this name instead of Putao - it still appears on some older maps. Most of the population of around 10,000 are Kachin and Lisu, followed by Bamar, Shan and various other smaller tribal groups.

Located near the Shan State 's northern tip at an elevation of just over 1200m.has a colourful Thirimingala Market, frequented by members of several tribal groups, including the Padaung. Naungyar, towards the northern quarter of town, is inhabited by mostly Kayah people. Two small lakes and a stream add visual interest to the town.

Visit the Taung kwe Zedi on Taungkwe, a twin-peaked mountain on the edge of town, for Loikaw vistas.

Twenty kilometres southeast of Loikaw is a huge hydroelectric facility built by the Japanese as war reparation. A dam impounds the Bilu Chaung ( Bilu Canal ) , which flows from Inle Lake 120km to the north. The facility supplies most of the power in the national grid system and so is highly strategic. Nearby Lawpita Falls is said to be beautiful; however, it's in insurgent territory, so you're unlikely to be permitted to visit, despite the ceasefire.

The Tanintharyi coast, in the very southern part of Myanmar where Myanmar and Thailand share the narrow peninsula, is bounded by the beautiful islands of the Myeik Archipelago. Myeik, known to the colonials as Mergui and locally as Beik (Myeik is the written rather than spoken form) sits on a peninsula that juts out into the Andaman Sea . Because of the safe harbour offered by the peninsula and facing islands, Myeik became an important port over 500 years ago.

The original Mon inhabitants called their town, at the confluence of the Tanintharyi and Kyaukpaya River, Maw-reik, but the locale was known by several other names as well. A 1545 Portuguese expeditionary chronicle refers to "Tanancarim", somewhere along the northwest coast of the Thai-Malay Peninsula , and this Portuguese rendering became Tenasserim in later European records in reference to both Myeik and a town further upriver now known by that name. The current name for the Tanintharyi Division, Myeik is the Burmese mispronunciation of its Mon name Maw-reik.

Until recently Myeik was one of the most picturesque coastal cities in Myanmar , with a wide range of traditional colonial and vernacular architectural styles lining the streets. Increased cash flow due to the exportation of seafood to Thailand caused a mini-boom in building during the 1990s, and many old buildings were replaced by modern ones. Then in 2001, a large portion of the remaining old architecture was razed by fire.

As Myeik became an important port of entry for many European traders and envoys in the employ of the Ayuthaya court which settled in the area. The most infamous of these, Samuel White, used his position as harbour-master of both Mergui (which he called Mergen) and Tenasserim to plunder visiting ships at will and to tax the local population for every shilling he could squeeze out of them.

The British occupied the region following the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1826, so that along with Sittwe (capital of Rakhine State), Myeik became one of the first cities in Myanmar to become part of British India. The Japanese invaded in 1941, but by 1945 Myeik was back in British hands, until independence was achieved in 1948.

Lies at the foot of rocky, jungle-covered Padet Hill to the south. At 66m it's the third-longest reclining Buddha in Myanmar - but with a twist; it's a hollow cement form with an interior walkway lined with comic-strip-like jataka (stories of the Buddha's past lives) scenes as yet unfinished.

The harbour front is worth a stroll to watch stevedores loading and offloading cargo from ship big and small. Towards the southern end of the waterfront, on the eastern side of the street, you may notice what appears to be a large stone-slab box on the footpath. This is the tomb of Mary Povey White, the wife of the notorious Siamese-employed harbourmaster Samuel White. Povey died of cholera in 1862 and was entombed on the waterfront. Hardly anyone gives the tomb any notice anymore. The city has grown around it and the uninformed would be excused for thinking it enclosed a fire plug or public well.

The small port at the southernmost tip of Tanintharyi Division, and the southernmost point of mainland Myanmar (800km from Yangon and 2000km from the country's northern tip) is only separated from Thailand by a broad estuary in the Pagyan River . To the British it was known as Victoria Point and to the Thais it is known as Ko Song ( Second Island ). The Burmese name, Kawthoung (also spelt Kawthaung), is a mispronunciation of the latter.

The main business here is trade with Thailand , followed by fishing, rubber and cashews. Among the Burmese, Kawthoung is most known for producing some of the country's outstanding kickboxers. Most Kawthoung residents are bilingual in Thai and Burmese. Many residents born and raised in Kawthoung, especially Muslims, also speak Pashu, a dialect that mixes the Thai, Malay and Burmese languages.

Kawthoung's bustling waterfront is lined with teashops, money changers and shops selling Thai construction materials. Touts stroll up and down the pier area, arranging boat charters to Thailand for visitors and traders. A huge duty-free market built in pseudo-Bamar style in 1997 sits next to the harbour. Along one side of the harbour lies Cape Bayinnaung , named for King Bayinnaung, a Bamar monarch who invaded Thailand several times between 1548 and 1569. A bronze statue of Bayinnaung, outfitted in full battle gear and brandishing a sword pointed at Thailand , not exactly a welcoming sight for visiting Thais stands at the crest of a hill on the cape.

It continues south to Kawthoung and many islands lie offshore in this area. Unfortunately, there is no regular transport to any of these islands, except to the closest ones and boat charters are expensive.

This port city of the Rakhaing State sits at the mouth of the Kaladan River where it empties into the Bay of Bangal . Offshore delta islands form a wide protected channel that has served as an important harbour for many centuries. Sittwe has at least a 2000-year history of habitation, though the city only started as a trading port around 200 years ago and further developed after the British occupation of 1826.

Scottish short-story writer and novelist Hector Hugh Munro, known by his pen name Saki, was born here in 1870.

Payagyi ( Full name: Atulamarazei Pyeloun Chantha Payagui)

This temple features a large plain shed supported by pillars decorated with glass mosaic. A large sitting image of Buddha beneath the shelter was cast in 1900 in the Rakhaing style without the "royal attire" (crown and jewelled chest piece) common to many Rakhaing images. The face of the figure shines with gold, while the rest of the image is bronze. It weighs about 8680kg. Next door, the Kyayouq Kyaung features both a Sinhalese and a Myanmar style stupa.

Once a centre for one of Myanmar 's most powerful kingdoms, MRAUK U straddles the banks of Aungdat Chaung, a tributary of the Kaladan River , 72 km from the coast. The surrounding paddy fields are well watered by the annual monsoon, which brings up to 200" of rain. Also cultivated in the region are coconut, banana, jackfruit, mango, areca nut, citrus lychee and a variety of vegetables.

The Rakhaing king, Minzawmun, founded MRAUK U in 1433, although in the common practice of the times, dynastic legends endowed the kingdom with a make-believe 3000-year history. A network of chaung (streams) allowed access by large boats and even ocean vessels.

In the next century, the city became a free port that traded with the Middle East , Asia , Holland , Portugal and Spain ; elephants were one of the main commodities supplied from the Rakhaing region. A Dutchman who visited MRAUK U in the 16 th century described it as one of the richest cities in Asia , and compared it with Amsterdam and London in size and prosperity. The remains of a European quarter called Daingri Kan can still be seen southwest of town.

The MRAUK U dynasty, which lasted 352 years, was much feared by the peoples of Indian subcontinent and central Myanmar, who called the Rakhaing warlords Magh (Mrauk Oo kings even hired Japanese samurai as bodyguards against assassination. At Mrauk Oo's peak, King Minbin (1531-53) created a naval fleet of some 10,000 war boats that dominated the Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Martaban .

MRAUK U was a successor to two earlier kingdoms in the area: Dhanyawady (circa 1 st to 6 th centuries AD), the remains of which are still visible to the north. All three kingdoms blended elements of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism with Hinduism and Islam. In the late 18 th century, the Kon-baung dynasty asserted its power over the region and Marauk-Oo was integrated into the Bamar kingdoms centred around Mandalay .

After the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-26), the British Raj annexed Rakhaing and set up its administrative head-quarters in Sittwe, thus turning MRAUK U into a political backwater virtually overnight. The Burmese name gradually changed to Myo-haung ( Old City ), though the Rakhaing continued to call the town MRAUK U.

Unlike Bagan where temple ruins are strewn over a vast plain, the ruins of Mrauk U sit on or against bluffs in hilly terrain, interlaced with streams and leafy trees. Overall this lends an intimate, friendly feel to the place. In addition to the major sites about 1km to 2km northeast of town, there has recently been a great deal of renovation.

Altogether, there are around 70 named temple, stupa or city-wall sites around Mrauk U, and dozens of other unnamed sites. Only the more significant temple and stupa sites are described here. Most of the city walls are found to the eastern side of town, since the west, north and south provided natural defences in the form of hills and streams. The walls were built to fill in the gaps in these natural barriers, thus, they appear intermittently.

Palace ruins, museum walls and gates of sandstone blocks and earth are all that is left of the royal palace, constructed somewhere between 1430 and 1553. According to a Portuguese monk who had been in the area had described the palace as he had seen it -"The royal palaces .. Have massive wooden columns of such extraordinary length and straightness that one wonders there are trees so tall and so straight. The inside columns are entirely gilt, without any admixture of other materials. In the same palace there is a hall gilt from top to bottom which they call the ' Golden House' because it has a vine of the purest gold which occupies the whole roof of the hall, with a hundred and odd gourds of the same pure gold, each of the size and proportions of an average man. These idols are adorned on the fore head, breast, arm and waist with many fine precious stones, rubies, emerald and sapphires, and also with some brilliant old rock diamonds of more than ordinary size".

Unfortunately, the palace buildings were lost to fire long ago. A museum within the old palace walls contains a good collection of religious sculpture and other artifacts unearthed around MRAUK U.

The most complex and well preserved of the surviving MRAUK U temples, Shittaung (in Burmese, Sittaung) was constructed in 1535 by King Minbin, the most powerful of the Rakhaing kings. Its name means 'Shrine of the 8,000 Images', a reference to the number of holy images found inside. A maze-like floor plan, which vaguely resembles a square-cornered pinwheel, suggests the shrine was originally used for Tantric-like initiation rituals. A walk through each of the interior passages exposed the initiate to different sets of formulaic Buddhist messages carved in sandstone on the walls. With its thick walls, tiny windows and commanding views of the surrounding area, the temple may have also served as a royal fortress during times of attack.

Shittaung sits on a bluff known as Phokaung Taung and presents a layered quadrangle, studded with straight-side stupas that curve gently at the top where they are joined to their sikhara (finials). Though much fewer in number, the stupas are very reminiscent of Indonesia 's Borobudur temple in shape, general absence of ornamentation and in the way they rise from platform to platform. The large central and topmost stupa is flanked by 33 smaller stupas lined up in flaring angles to the northern and southern walls. Two significant sandstone stupas sit on the lowest platform, the circular Nay Win Paya (Sunset Pagoda) and the octagonal Nay Htwet Paya (Sunrise Stupa).

The entire monument features a motar-less assembly of laterite and sandstone blocks, carried to Mrauk U by boat along local rivers and streams. At the northern entrance to the complex stands the Shittaung Pillar, a 3m four sided obelisk brought from Wethali to Mrauk U by King Minbin in 1535. Three sides of the pillar are inscribed in Sanskrit; the earliest inscription, facing east, is for the most part illegible but has been dated to between the 3 rd and 6 th centuries, in the middle of the Dhanyawady era. The western face dates to the early 8 th century and displays a list of Rakhaing kings, while the northern face is ascribed to King Minrazagyi in 1593.

A walking tour of the monument takes one through separate passages, five if you include the reliefs on the exterior walls. The reliefs appear to represent figures from Hindu-Buddhist mythology, which are considered by the Myanmar today to be nats (spirit) that are both protecting and paying homage to the temple interior. Many of these reliefs have decayed into an unrecognizable state and some are missing altogether.

The first outer chamber inside Sittaung features arched passages along the outside wall with pairs of Buddha images sitting back-to-back. The inner wall of the 94m passage features sandstone slabs with high relief cut into six tiers. The lowest tier depicts people in Rakhaing dress engaged in festival-oriented activities (e.g. boxing, dancing, drama, wrestling) plus work related activities using elephants, water buffaloes and oxen. On the middle four tiers, over 1000 separate sculptures chronicle 550 jataka(scenes from the Buddha's pass lives). Along the top layer of reliefs, male and female figures participate in devotional activities. The teaching impetus of the reliefs perhaps implies that festival-going and making a living are lower sorts of human activities; learning about the history of Buddha represents a step up and then actually taking an active role in the religion is the highest level. Some of the reliefs bear paint remnants. Small depression along lover ledges were designed to hold oil for illumination. Nowadays the temple caretakers request a small donation to turn on electric lights in the concentric passageways.

The two inner galleries display hundreds of Buddha images in niches, while a Buddha footprint is the terminal point of the innermost passage, taking the visitor from an appreciation for the serenity and wisdom of the Buddha to the knowledge that he actually walked on this spot - or so it is said - during his post-enlightment travels. The route set by the first three passages moves in the traditional clockwise direction, but when you come to the Buddha footprint you're forced to double back counterclockwise, through the smallest and darkest chamber - a twist perhaps further indicative of Tantric influence. Due to the insulating quality of the surrounding laterite substructure, each passageway feels cooler than the last - a perfect symbol for the psychologically 'cooling' effect of the Buddhist teaching.

The best of the Buddha sculptures are reserved for the innermost sanctuary and for the large prayer hall added to the eastern side of the temple, where there was once a court yard. Throughout the monument, the images represent typical Rakhaing style, though most have been restored and many are badly painted. Several images were gathered from other monuments in the region, including the Wethali and Dhanyawady sites. One Wethali image we couldn't identify looked like it had worms crawling out of its ears.

The prayer hall itself features an impressively carved and painted wooden ceiling. A lintel around the large portico into the main chamber has been restored in the original style. A Kala (Hindu god of Time and Death) head over this entry is surrounded by deva (celestial beings), and a Brahma sits above Kala, a Hindu schema adopted by the Buddhists to show the devotion practiced by Hindu deities in the presence of the Buddha.

Andaw Paya . Less than a dozen meters to the northeast of Shittaung stands a smaller, eight-sided monument with a similar linear layout - rectangular prayer hall to the east, multispired sanctuary to the west. Sixteen zedi (stupas) are aligned in a square-cornered U-shape around the southern, northern and western platforms. As at Shittaung, small windows admit light and ventilation. In this case there are only two concentric passageways lined with Buddha niches; at the innermost core of the shrine, an eight-sided pillar support the roof.

The original construction of the shrine is ascribed to King Minhlaraza in 1521. King Minrazagyi then rebuilt Andaw in 1596 to enshrine a piece of the tooth relic supposedly brought from Sri Lanka by King Minbin in the early 16 th century. Most likely the roofline sikhara date to his later reconstruction, as their slender, terraced style is very different to the one found at Shittaung.

Said to have been constructed by order of King Minphalaung in 1571, Dukkanthein stands on a bluff 100m opposite and to the northwest of Shittaung. A loose translation of the name is ' ordination hall that spiritually reinforces the town', and it certainly looks like a huge bunker from the outside.

This compact, highly ornate building is now surrounded by rice paddies, in a secluded site accessible by a narrow path, around 300m northeast of Dukkanthein. It was built in1591, under King Minphalaun, as a repository for the Tripitaka ( Three Baskets; the Buddhist canon; only a few of the 48-such Mrauk U-period libraries have survived. Originally, it is said to have contained 30 pitaka(scripture collection) sets brought from Sri Lanka in the mid-17 th century, though at the moment it contains nothing but a pile of brick rubble.

The rectangular structure stands only 2.75m high, with a floor plan that measures 12sq meters. The monument's most distinguishing features are its five-tiered roofline and beautifully decorated east-facing entrance.

Approximately 1km northeast of the old palace walls, this graceful zedi was erected in 1629 under King Thirithudhammaraza. At this point in the development of Mrauk U architecture, the stupa had been modified into a more vertically and highly ornate form, an obvious absorption of Bamar, especially Shan-style, by way of Bagan and Ava.

Almost 10km north of Mrauk U are the remains of the Wethali (or Vesali) kingdom. According to Rakhaing chronicles, Wethali was founded in AD 327 by King Mahataing Chandra. Archaeologists believe that this kingdom lasted until the 8 th century. Of the oval-shape city boundaries that remain, only parts of the moat and walls are still visible amid the rice paddies. Many of the hillocks around this area are actually overgrown stupas. A central palace site, its walls relatively well-preserved, measures about 500m by 300m. The palace prayer hall is now used as an irrigation tank during the rainy season.

The Maharani Paya, 40km north of Mrauk U and about 10km east of the farm town of Kyokuto , sits at the northern corner of the old Dhanyawady city site. This was the original site of Mandalay 's famous Mahamuni Buddha, a huge and very old bronze image which Rakhaing kings believed provided supernatural protection for their successive kingdoms. When the Bamar, under King Bodawpaya, invaded Rakhaing in 1784, they dismantled the image into three pieces and hauled it over the Rakhiang Yoma to Amarapura to further legitimise the Konbaung dynasty.

Some Rakhaing say the Bamar unknowingly took a counterfeit figure and that the true Mahamuni image lies hidden somewhere in the jungle. Nowadays, three smaller stone images sit on the pedestal where the Mahamuni image once sat. A famous sandstone stele found there depicts a Gupta-style Buddha dating from AD 400 to AD 500.

Situated on the eastern bank of the Patherin River ( also known as the Ngawan River ) in the Ayeyarwady Delta, about 120 km west of Yangon , Pathein is the most important delta port outside the capital, despite its distance from the sea. It is surrounded by a major rice-growing area that produces the best rice available in Myanmar , including a high quality variety called pawsanmwe (fragrant) rice.

Noted for its colourful hand-painted umbrellas, the town is of some historic interest and was the scene for major clashes during the struggle for supremacy between the Mon and the Bamar . Later it became an important trade relay point for goods moving between India and Southeast Asia . The city's name may have been derived from the Burmese word for Muslim "pathi" due to the heavy presence of Arab and Indian Muslim traders here centuries ago. The colonial Britons, or more likely their imported Indian civil servants corrupted the name to Bassein.

Today, Pathein's population includes large contingent of Kayin (Karen) and Rakhaing. Although once part of a Mon kingdom, Pathein is home to only a few Mon today. The recent growth of delta trade, particularly rice exports, had contributed to a general air of prosperity in Myanmar 's fourth-largest city.

This quiet and slowly awakening beach resort is located in Thandwe, Rakhine State . Of all the Myanmar beach resorts it is the most accessible and easily the prettiest. It is the perfect get-away for those who want a few quiet days to unwind and relax before departing Myanmar . The pristine, golden sandy Ngapali beach backed by swaying palms stretching over 3 km is separated from smaller neighbouring beaches by small rocky headlands.

Hotels currently in operation on Ngapali beach all have nice bungalows with porch settings offering a relaxing way to spend time. In addition to swimming, one can rent bicycles from the hotel to tour the villages and shop at the local markets.