Present Day Situation of Myanmar
Myanmar is a Southeast Asian nation. It is slightly dangerous presently to visit Myanmar due to the strict military regime. However, it is slowly opening up to the tourists and the numbers of tourists are rising steadily. Some areas of Lower and Upper Myanmar are closed to tourists owing to the civil war of the past. Most of the coastal resorts have recently been opened for tourists and flights of round trip on Sundays are operated by Myanmar Travel and Tours to Sandoway and Napali beaches in the dry season. Myanmar was devastated by the Tsunami in the year 2004.
Geography
The country of Myanmar is diamond in shape and its bordering countries are China, Laos, Thailand, India and Bangladesh. The Irrawaddy River passes in the middle of Myanmar and spreads out forming a delta on the southern coast. Yangon is situated on one of the numerous mouths of Irrawaddy River’s tributaries. The Irrawaddy basin is located towards the northern area of the delta and this basin along with central Myanmar is protected by a mountain range in the shape of a horse shoe. These mountains rise to a height of about 3,000m and produce varied climates. The Arakan, Naga and Chin Mountains along with the Patkai Hills are on the west. On the northern side, lie the Kachin Hills. The Shan Plateau lies to the east and extends up to the coastal ranges of Tenasserim. Central Myanmar is famed for its irrigated farming. Majority of the area is covered by dense tropical and rain forests.
Places to be Seen in Myanmar
Yangon is the capital city of Myanmar and has numerous Buddhist temples, open air bazaars, food stalls and colonial architecture. The most magnificent temple of Myanmar is the Golden Pagoda of Shwedragon and it is nearly 2,500 years old. The other famous temples are Botataung Pagoda, Sule Pagoda and Maha Pashan Guha.
The Naga-Yone enclosure in vicinity of Myinkaba is quite an interesting place to see. Here, you get to see the figure of Buddha entwined and guarded by a large cobra. The tourists must see the Golden Rock Pagoda and Pegu’s Shwemawdaw Pagoda.
Pagan is the most significant historical area of Myanmar. You can view this place best at sunrise or sunset. It had nearly over 13,000 pagodas during the golden regime of the 11 famous kings. Now, only about 3,000 pagodas remain and you can get an insight into the ancient glory by seeing the museum and market in Pagan village. See the lacquer ware workshops and the lovely temples of the Bagan and Pagan area. The famous temples of this region include Shwegugyi Temple, Gawdawpalin Temple and Thatbyinnyu Temple.
Mandalay is an ancient royal city and you get to see many stupas, palaces, pagodas and temples. Do visit the craft markets and see the workshops of stone carving and gold leaf arts. Mandalay Palace is a magnificent structure and you can see exquisite Burmese and Buddhist arts.
Activities to Pursue in Myanmar
You can seek fun and thrills in many nature based activities like rock climbing, walking, boating, trekking and safaris. The tourists can also join the cultural festivities.
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