An Insider’s Guide to Yangon, Myanmar
Yangon is exquisite. Since the time Myanmar opened to the rest of the world, Yangon has been at the centre of the country’s growth. The city dips in and out of its historic past as you travel around paved streets. It has embraced the modern ways of the world without releasing its grasp on its cultural roots.
I remember reading about Myanmar/Burma as a child but not a single word, not a single photo or description, happened to do justice to the sights and scenery that this beautiful country treated us to! I hope you enjoy this Insider’s Guide to Yangon, Myanmar that I have painstakingly put together for you.
Yangon is the largest city and is the heartthrob of Myanmar. This is where you will sense a lovely vibrancy in the air. This is where you will find the spectacular Shwedagon Pagoda standing witness to centuries of transitions. This is where you will interact with blithe locals who have the most endearing smiles. This is where you will uncover a perfect combination of old and new that will spark your curiosity and satiate the traveller within.
Approaching modernism at a comfortable pace makes Yangon a world apart from other major cities in Southeast Asia. And just like Carl Jung aptly puts it, “In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder there is a secret order.” I think that Yangon’s kaleidoscopic disarray incites inquisitiveness and inspires its visitors.
Charmed by the city, my husband, Vikram and I ended up staying longer than we had planned.
Our mornings in Yangon began ever so unfailingly with a hot cup of strong, dark tea brewed in a distinctive Burmese style. An addition of sweet condensed milk to the tea gave it a delicious taste and provided an energy rush which saw me through the better part of my morning.
To note: Tea houses are to Burma what pubs are to the Irish. You will find a handful of these in almost every neighbourhood around Yangon. People come together at tea houses for a cup of hot tea and snacks and talk about politics and sports. If you are visiting a tea house then you may also want to try Mohinga ~ a rice-noodle fish soup that happens to be a favourite breakfast among the locals and tourists alike.
Walking down the city streets of Yangon, I realised that I was not the only curious soul. My inquisitiveness resonated with curious glances from the locals too, who were always interested in finding out which country we were from. We’d smile and tell them that we were from India and their lips would curl up in heart-warming smiles with teeth stained by betel nut. “Ah yes, yes”, they would nod, adjust their longyi {local sarong-like skirt worn by men and women} and continue waddling down the street shading themselves from the mid-day sun with an umbrella in hand. This small exchange of words in a foreign city made us feel like we were in a familiar place ~ surrounded by happy, warm, and genuine people.
Needless to say, we loved exploring this fascinating city!
Pagodas are hardly a rarity through the length and breadth of Myanmar. Yangon has at least twelve Buddhist Temples, and each has been built with an acute sense of design. While the Shwedagon Pagoda is the highest on the list, less popular temples like the Nga Htat Gyi and Baungdawgyoke Pagoda are also beautifully designed, and provide an insight into the importance of religion and culture during the age that they were built in.
“Then, a golden mystery upheaved itself on the horizon… a beautiful winking wonder that blazed in the sun, of a shape that was neither Muslim dome nor Hindu temple-spire.” – Rudyard Kipling
This is just the kind of amazement that fills your spirit when you lay eyes on the Shwedagon Pagoda for the first time. In all the sombreness of its purpose, the pagoda makes no bones about bedazzling its visitors. In complete awe of the place, we stood there taking in everything from the details of the architecture to the monks in their maroon robes juxtaposed against the golden stupas. On the inside, the pagoda is truly striking and a place for contemplation.
Shwedagon Pagoda is a massive complex of pagodas and buildings which surround the main pagoda. The whole place is like a small hamlet on its own. While the primary pagoda draws all the attention, it is in the smaller stupas and pagodas that you will come across interesting tales about their history.
Since Shwedagon Pagoda is a tourist attraction, you will find many tourists and locals visiting the pagoda. The monks don’t mind indulging in conversation. You may not understand them all the time but they certainly add to the experience while also helping you understand the reasons for certain rituals or traditions.
We were able to engage Su Saitta, a 26-year-old resident monk in small conversation. It helped us understand the “Seven Day of the Week Buddhas” ~ including their poses and meaning. We were informed that this is in line with the Theravada Buddhism practice which is considered to be one of the oldest styles of Buddhist teachings. We explored the temple looking for the corners which were dedicated to different days of the week, as the monk had explained that we should find the corner for the day on which we were born and then water the Buddha and make a wish.
For us, Yangon’s charm was in its ability to be itself, with the least impact of westernization. It is like the wild child of South East Asia which likes to live a carefree life ~ true to its soul. We loved roaming its streets that were laid out like a labyrinth. You wouldn’t know which streets got you where, but the aimless walks were full of surprises. Not that you can do it over and over again, but you should definitely let your senses rule, and the shapes and colours guide you.
As we strolled around the streets of Yangon taking in its day-to-day life, we were spell-bound by the smaller simpler elements like pop-up stalls on the sidewalks, streets that led to dead-ends, pretty women with their thanaka-covered cheeks peeping out from under their umbrellas to sell their wares to customers… As tourists, we could just stand and gaze at everything around us without being tugged on, or lured by shop owners. The market stalls were up for the locals, so tourists did not get a lot of attention. We enjoyed looking around and taking pleasure in the ways of local life in the city without being disturbed.
In search of a market for handmade products, we landed at the Bogyoke Aung San Market ~ a lovely place for Burmese handicrafts and antiques. We found many artisans and craftsmen busy at work creating or assembling products which really reinforced the authenticity of the goods sold here {the market maintains the essence of the country’s heritage by selling products that have been created by indigenous craftsmen}. Buying products directly from these local vendors helps the local economy, and also ensures that you return home with authentic souvenirs from Myanmar!
Some areas of Yangon have transformed dramatically in the last few years while other areas continue to be a reminder of its rich cultural heritage. The peaceful and perfectly manicured Kandawgyi Park is an ideal place to cool your heels after a day of sightseeing. Much like any other park we’d been to, we spotted Burmese couples canoodling under palm trees, teenagers playing toss-a-ball, old men and women resting on wooden benches, and young parents with their toddlers strolling along the lily pads carpeted Kandawgyi Lake.
Kandawgyi park encompasses the beautiful Kandawgyi Lake which is bordered by a wooden boardwalk. We walked along the lake admiring the spectacular Kandawgyi Palace Hotel and the iconic Karaweik {a replica of a traditional Burmese Royal Boat}. This part of Yangon was very different from the vivacious streets that we had visited earlier in the day. Their presence complemented each other like the sun and the moon. While the sun is all bright and exuberant, the moon is quiet and calm.
After sipping delicious tea in the morning, we resorted to eating some at night. 🙂 We really did enjoy eating tea at a small street-side restaurant. Under the blanket of a warm November night, seated on plastic chairs arranged on the sidewalk, we enjoyed spoonful after spoonful of the simple yet incredibly delicious tea-leaf salad {fermented tea leaves, cabbage, and lots of crunchy bits seasoned with lime and fish sauce} ~ a local speciality that had become our favourite dish in Myanmar.
Yangon was the last stop on our 2-week adventure in Myanmar, but it couldn’t have offered a better conclusion to the country’s culture, its history, people, and their values. We contemplated extending our stay because we felt that the country deserved more time to be fully explored and to be completely understood. Having returned to India, we’ve talked yearningly about Myanmar, about our experiences, and our journeys through its exhilarating landscapes. We still harbour a feeling that we missed out on some key places of interest… perhaps, another time.
A few things we noticed in Yangon:
- Traditional clothing in Myanmar is very elegant. Most women love to wear bright and colourful clothes that seem to lend a very cheerful vibe to the place. Most men wear longyis paired with button-down shirts. It reminded me of the attire of men in coastal areas in India.
- While most cars had their steering wheel on the right side, we were surprised to see that the cars were driven on the right side of the road as well.
- The locals were courteous towards tourists, and communication didn’t seem like much of a problem because most shop owners could speak basic English. Surprisingly, unlike most touristy places, we did not notice people trying to scam or hassle us for money.
- You may notice traffic bottlenecks in central Yangon but it does not feel overwhelming.
- For most of our time spent in Yangon, we found a visible veil of smog in the city.
Overview: Although tourism is still in its nascent stages in Myanmar {all the more reason to visit}, the country is gently opening up to intrepid travellers from all over the world. Eco-tourism is flourishing and I have a feeling that Myanmar will soon become a favourite holiday destination. As for me, I feel a return trip would be a great way to refresh old memories and create new ones!
I want to invite you to visit Yangon, with the new expanded awareness that I hope this Insider’s Guide to Yangon, Myanmar has given you. Drop-in your comments if you’ve already been to Yangon and share your experiences!
My trip to Myanmar has been split into several posts: Bagan Travel Guide / Aureum Palace Resort / Popa Mountain Resort / Inle Lake Travel Guide / Shwe Inn Tha Floating Resort. Stay tuned for my review of the Vintage Luxury Yacht Hotel in Yangon.
Disclaimer: This review was done on an invitation from the Ministry of Tourism, Myanmar. Due judgment and care have been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review.