Also see: Our photography tour to Myanmar
For most visitors to Myanmar, Yangon is just a Port of Entry to arrive in the country. After a quick visit to Shwedagon Pagoda, they move on towards other destinations such as Inle Lake, Bagan or Mandalay. But there is much to do and see in Yangon other than Shwedagon Pagoda. Here is a quick guide to spending two days in the city.
Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon.
Yangon, Day 1
Start your day early in the Streets of Yangon. One of the most cherished experiences of Myanmar is watching the Buddhist monks and nuns walk silently in a line as they seek alms. They are normally out at the break of dawn with a small pot hanging on their shoulders. With a large number of monasteries spread across the country and very densely present in the cities, there is no specific place you need to wait for them. Just ask your hotel staff for the nearest place where they normally walk by. You can silently watch them come and go or follow them without disturbing them. Of course, you are welcome to contribute.
Not often have I seen man made landscapes being so beautiful. When the sun comes over 2000-odd pagodas that litter Bagan’s landscape and begins dispersing the gentle mist, it’s a miniature mountain-range that unfurls in front of you. The diffusing golden rays of the morning brighten the spires that stand well-above the trees and reveals a magical landscape, which, you will wish was eternal. There are no parallels to the beauty of Bagan.
It was 6 weeks ago, when were wandering in a small village in the periphery of Inle Lake. It was as idyllic as a rural setup could get. There was a stream flowing by. Paddy fields dominated the landscape with their lush-green colour. The vista of the landscape ended in distant hills decorated by rain bearing clouds. Water buffaloes wandered the open fields, grazing quietly. Sun shined occasionally through the clouds. Row-boats passed through the stream once-in-a-while. Children frolicked by the house-verandas and on the streets. Life moved slowly, gently and unassumingly.
I was lost in this happiness and had completely ignored this monastery, and the monk who stood by the window, watching the same spectacle as I did. I turned around in a moment of unawareness, and suddenly awakened by the beauty of the place. Camera shutter released in an instant.