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 Yangon was formerly a village called Dagon
in the vicinity of Dala, and inhabited by Mon People
over 2000 years ago.
Yangon was founded by King Alaung-paya, who was the
founder of the third Myanmar Dynasty, having subdued all
the Mon towns and bringing them under his control. And
he made Dagon the residence of the Myanmar Kings and
changed its name to Yangon, which literally means "End
of strife", in 1755.
Being Home for about five million people, Yangon has
a unique charm with its glistening Pagodas, old colonial
buildings, tree-lined streets, bustling local markets
and tranquil lakes.
Yangon is the place in which one of the wonders of
the world, Shwedagon Pagoda is situated. The pagoda is
one of the most magnificent monuments on earth and
described by Rudyard Kipling as "a beautiful, winking
wonder". It is said that this sacred pagoda have been
built over 2,500 years ago and four relics of the four
Buddha were enshrined in it. The Pagoda is coated with
60 tons of pure gold and its sacred umbrella is set with
diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. It is said
that a huge diamond bud at the top catches the first and
last rays of the sun.
Other famous Pagodas in the city are Sule Pagoda, an
excellent landmark in the downtown area, Botataung
Pagoda, which was enshrined with a piece of hair and two
other relics of Buddha, Kaba Aye Pagoda Literally means
"world peace" and was built for the sixth Buddhist synod
and Chauk-htat-gyi, 72 meter long reclining Buddha
Image, one of the largest reclining Image of Buddha in
Myanmar.
Many old colonial style buildings are still standing
in Yangon, occupied by government offices. The City Hall
is one of the grandest, an impressive stone structure
with classical colonial style and integrated with a
Myanmar touch. The Supreme Court, High Court, General
Post Office, The Strand Hotel, Port Authority Building,
Custom House and Railways Administration Building are
also magnificent remembrances of the bygone era.
Yangon has now changed greatly as international
investment comes into Myanmar. High-rises and vehicles
increase on the road almost every day. However, the city
has a very special charm, and one which will certainly
be preserved in spite of the changing skyline.
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 Just one and a half-hour's drive, 80 Kilometres away
from Yangon, lies a city known as Bago. It used to be
the capital of the Mons and Myanmars for several
centuries. It is also known as Hanthawadi and it was the
renowned capital of the famous Myanmar King Bayintnaung
who founded the second dynasty of Myanmar in the mid
16th.century. It is said that during his reign Myanmar
Kingdom encompassed the areas of what is now Chaing Mai
and parts of Northern Thailand and Laos. Visitors can
see his palace Kan-baw-za-tha-di which was once the
centre of the largest empire in mainland Southeast Asia.
Other recommended places are Shwe-maw-daw Pagoda built
over 2,000 years ago and is even some 50 ft. higher than
the great Shwedagon, the most beautiful statue of the
reclining Shwe-tha-lyaung Buddha Image(55m Long and 16m
high) and Maha Zedi which is the most famous among the
Pagodas built by King Bayintnaung. What you shouldn't
miss either is the city's famous cheroot- making
industry.
 Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda, known as "Golden Rock", perches on
the edge of a cliff at the top of Kyaikhto Mountain,
part of the Eastern Yoma. This magnificent "Golden Rock"
is the most meditative and popular tourist attractions
in Mon State. A small stupa rests on top of a big
boulder covered in gold leaf, which balances on the
cliff thanks to a sacred hair of the Buddha enshrined or
preserved inside the stupa.
Kyaikhtiyo is 185 km from Yangon and is an important
place of pilgrimage for all Buddhist. It can be reached
either by car or by train. There is a well-beaten path
up to the top of the mountain from the base-camp called
kin-pun. Devotees usually climb up the hill about 13 km
on foot from the base-camp. However, a motor road has
been built recently up to the next camp called
Yathedaung (a bout forty minute's drive), from where it
takes only about forty five minutes to walk up. All the
tiredness along the way disappears once one reaches the
top since a spectacular view is waiting there,
especially at sunrise or sunset. On a clear day one can
see the Andaman Sea glistening in the distance.
Mawlamyine (formerly Moulmein) is perhaps one of the
famous towns in Mon State. The port of Mawlamyine is
busy and you can see boats loading and unloading. It is
also a commercial port exporting rice and wood. Nowadays
people can get there by car or train, crossing the
Thanlwin River by the longest bridge in Myanmar, which
recently was built. Myanmar's railways system was very
much in operation with main lines between Yangon and
Mawlamyine. Today the fourth largest city in Myanmar.
Many old colonial buildings still remain along the quiet
streets. Several fine Pagodas and monasteries up in the
hills above Mawlamyine give you the perfect views of the
city and its harbour.
 Rakhine (formerly Arakan), unspoilt and unexplored,
has until recently hidden some of the country's best-
kept secrets. Sittwe is the capital of Rakhine State and
has some interesting pagodas such as Thalone-daw-dat
(The leg relic of Buddha) and Pha-ya-gyi and a
fascinating monastery on the main street. The Abbot and
other monks have a wonderful collection of Buddha images
and it is well worth spending some time exploring their
'Museum'. Some images are copies but many are originals
dating from the 15th century.
Another highlight of Sittwe is the beach where a
promontory makes an ideal place to sit and absorb the
sunset. The rock formations around the promontory are
interesting and a stunning black sand beach stretches as
far as the eye can see.
 Sittwe is the gateway to Mrauk-U. The 6 hours trip
up-river from Sittwe to Mrauk-U affords an insight into
the surrounding countryside.
Until lately, it was not so easy to get information
about the ancient city Mrauk U and the area was not so
accessible.
Although it is often recommended to the adventurous
travellers, Mrauk U is a growing destination in Myanmar.
It has been described as 'a lost city' and the boat trip
from Sittwe is an interesting river route.
Mrauk U was a prosperous city in the 15th and 16th
centuries, with a lot of canals allowing large boats
access to the area.
A Dutch visitor in the 16th century is said to have
described it as one of the richest in architecture among
Asia cities. The city throve for about four centuries.
Although lacking in luxury, Mrauk U certainly abounds
with historical, cultural and natural interests. The
most well preserved temple in Mrauk U is Shithaung
Pagoda (80,000 pagodas), built in 1535 by King Minbar,
the most powerful of the Rakhine Kings.
Aparts from the temple, the area is surrounded with,
Koethaung Pagoda (90,000 Pagodas), Ratanabon Stupa,
Htukkan Thain and the ruins of the royal palace and city
walls.
Other place to visit Vesali, old capital of Rakhine,
it is far from 6 miles to the north of Mrauk U and
Mahamuni Buddha Image at Kyauk Taw town.
 Ngapali Beach is situated about 7 km away from Thandwe, one of the ancient Rakhine Capitals. It is
famous for its natural and unspoilt beauty up to this
day. The beach stretches about 3 km with soft white sand
fringed by coconut palms. It serves as the best ground
for sun-bathing and recreation such as beach-strolling,
cycling and so on. Unlike the today's beaches of Asia,
it is free if noisy beachside bars, crowded people and
hawkers persuading you to buy their things. There are
only natural scenic beauty of the blue sea, the white
sand and the lovely sun. The sea is cobalt blue, without
any dangerous animals, clean and clear with gentle
waves.
Chaung-Thar Beach is located 40 km to the west of
Pathein (Bassein) in Ayeyarwaddy Division. It is about 6
hours drive from Yangon via Pathein to Chaung-Thar
Beach. There are bungalow type hotels along the beach
with modern facilities.
 Ngwe Saung Beach is one of the beautiful beaches in
Myanmar. It is newly opened beach about 48 km from
Pathein. This unspoilt beach stretches 15 km of white
beach and crystal clear sea water. Ngwe Saung Beach can
be reached by car from the capital Yangon in
approximately 232 km 7 hours drive.
As an alternative to road travel, it is also possible
to travel from Yangon to the Pathein by boat, a journey
of approximately 16 hours through picturesque scenery,
passing homesteads and typical villages dotted along the
riverbanks.
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