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Myanmar casts a spell over visitors that is hard to break. It is unlike anywhere else in Southeast Asia – unlike, indeed, anywhere else in the world. The spell worked on Ralph Fitch, the first Englishman to visit the country and leave a record of his impressions. In 1586 he described the great, golden Shwedagon which dominates Yangon and the hearts of all Myanmar's Buddhists, as 'the fairest place, as I suppose, that is in the world'. The spell worked on Rudyard Kipling, too, when three centuries later he first cast eyes on the same great pagoda. Its golden dome seemed to say to him 'this is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know about'.

A Country Opening for Business

After more than thirty years of restrictive policies and limited access, Myanmar's military rulers have at last opened their doors to international tourism, welcoming everybody from individual travellers to group tours. Visas to visit Myanmar – unobtainable for much of the 60s, limited to 24 hours in the early 70s and to 1 week throughout the 80s – are now readily available and easy to extend. Geographical restrictions on travel too, are being swept away as one closed area after another opens to foreigners. As a consequence, there has rarely been a better chance to "Discover Myanmar".

Exploring Lower Myanmar

In 1755, when King Alaungpaya captured the small riverside settlement of Dagon from the Mons, he renamed it Yangon, or "End of Strife". One hundred and thirty years later, as the British began their conquest of Upper Myanmar, it became the new capital of the country.

The existing village of thatched huts was pulled down, and a grid system to ventilate the city during the monsoon rains was established. New civic buildings were erected in brick and stone, to make Rangoon – as Yangon became known during the colonial era – the administrative centre for "Further India" and a great trading emporium.

Today the two sides of Yangon, Buddhist city and civic centre, coexist side-by-side. Part of the charm of this crumbling metropolis of three million people is the faded imperial splendour of its wide boulevards and tree-lined streets. The shabby facades of once-proud ministries, weather-stained signs in half a dozen languages and scripts, and the extensive, rusting docks are reminders that this was once a major world port – and may yet be again.

But it is, surely, the other side of Yangon that will most entrance the visitor. For just down the road, yet a world away from the Yangon waterfront, is the towering, gilded spire of the Shwedagon Pagoda. This unworldly complex of shrines and stupas, reputedly built to preserve eight hairs of the Buddha 2,500 years ago (but restored in its current form in 1769) is best seen at dawn or at dusk, crowded with worshippers. The main spire is 98 metres high, clad in more than 60 tonnes of gold leaf, and decorated with rubies, sapphires, topaz and more than 5,000 diamonds, the largest of which, topping the spire, weighs 76 carats. Kipling called it a "winking wonder". Somerset Maugham, perhaps seeing deeper into the hearts of the people of Myanmar, likened it to "sudden hope in the dark night of the soul". All travellers to Myanmar should see the Shwedagon at least once, and marvel at the sight.

One side trip from Yangon that should be considered is the Shwemawdaw Pagoda and bustling market at Bago, just two hours by road from the capital past the war cemetery at Htaukkyan with its well tended allied graves. Another is a visit to Moulmein, the attractive capital of Mon State. Lost in a thirty year time warp, this old teak port is now accessible to the adventurous by train and ferry across the mouth of the Salween – an arduous eight hour trip – or by a 40 minute flight from Yangon.  

Mandalay and Upper Myanmar

If Yangon is the administrative capital of Myanmar, then Mandalay is its cultural heartland. This dusty, sprawling city was the capital of the Konbaung Dynasty, the last rulers of pre-colonial Myanmar, and site of the great Royal Palace built by King Mindon. Tragically, fierce fighting between the British and the Japanese during March, 1945, resulted in a fire which completely destroyed the wooden palace buildings. Today one can still visit the massive walls and moats – but don't try to walk round them in the hot season unless you're very fit, as their total length is more than eight kilometres!

Other impressive sites in Mandalay include the Mahamuni Pagoda, originally built by King Bodawpaya to house the much-venerated Mahamuni image brought from Arakan in 1784, now covered so thickly with gold leaf that it is difficult to gauge the original form. Alternatively, the energetic can climb temple-studded Mandalay Hill, which rises in the north-east of the city to a height of 236 metres and offers fine views of the palace walls and distant Irrawaddy River.

Possible day trips from Mandalay include visits to the four deserted royal cities of Sagaing, Ava, Amarapura and Mingun, all within 20 kms of the northern capital and each redolent of Myanmar's royal past.

Sagaing, easily reached by a massive 16-span bridge across the Irrawaddy, was the capital of an independent Shan kingdom during the 14th century. Today the climb up Sagaing Hill provides fine views of many scattered pagodas, the mighty Irrawaddy River, and the temple roofs of distant Mandalay.

Ava, capital of Myanmar for nearly four centuries between 1364 and 1841, is best known for the Namyin, a 27-metre high masonry watch tower which is all that remains of the palace of King Bagyidaw. Knocked off balance by an earthquake in 1838, it has taken on a precarious tilt and is sometimes known as "the leaning tower of Ava".

Amarapura, now swallowed up in the southern suburbs of Mandalay, was royal capital between 1783 and 1823. Today the chief attraction, besides the silk-weaving and bronze-casting cottage industries which flourish around the ruins, is U Bein's Bridge. This long, rickety structure crosses the shallow waters of Lake Taungthaman, and is constructed of teak timbers taken from the Palace of Ava two centuries ago.

Perhaps the best thing about Mingun, last of the deserted capitals, is getting there. Located 11 kms up stream from Mandalay, and on the opposite side of the river, the only approach is by river boat. These depart from the bottom of Mandalay's 26th Road with reasonable frequency. The journey takes 45 minutes, and costs just 10 Kyat. Mingun is renowned for two "biggests" – the Mingun Pagoda, intended by King Bodawpaya to be (at 150 metres) the largest pagoda in the world. Unfortunately the king died before the completion of his grand scheme. Construction stopped with his death in 1819, and all that remains is – surely – the largest pile of bricks in the world! Bodawpaya was also responsible for the city's other superlative, the Mingun Bell. At 90 tonnes, it is claimed to be the largest uncracked bell in the world, smaller only than the (broken) great bell of the Kremlin!

Pagan and Mount Popa

Despite the mystic aura that clings to the name of Mandalay, for most visitors the northern capital is little more than a way-station en route to a genuine wonder of the ancient world. On the arid Irrawaddy plain, 150 kilometres south-west of Mandalay, lies the ancient capital and immense archaeological treasure house of Pagan. Nothing else in Southeast Asia, unless it is Angkor Wat, quite matches the scale of Pagan. The ruins have been compared to Borobodur and Prambanan in Java, but at Pagan there are an astonishing 2,217 surviving pagodas as well as an estimated further 2,000 ruined temples, stretching across 40 square kilometres of country. The scale of Pagan is, literally, hard to grasp. In the words of one seasoned but awe-struck travel writer: "it is as if all the medieval cathedrals of Europe had been built in one small area, and then deserted, barely touched over the centuries".

Although the beginnings of Pagan date back over 1200 years, the city only entered its golden period with the accession of King Anawhrata in 1044. Just over two hundred years later, in 1287, it was abandoned – its civilisation snuffed out by Muslim soldiers from Bukhara in the service of the Mongols. But during those intervening two centuries, what a wealth of building must have gone on! And yet, what remains today can only be a shadow of the whole, since most of the city was made of perishable wood, and only the temples of brick and stone remain.

For the traveller to Myanmar, Pagan must surely be the cultural high point. The only problem is – what to see? There's just too much to try to encompass everything, so most visitors limit their rounds to a few major highlights, such as the Shwezigon, Ananda, Thatbyinnyu and Mahabodhi temples, often finishing the day by watching the sun sink beyond the Irrawaddy from the terraces of the great Gawdawpalin pagoda. A practical and pleasant way to visit the sights is by horse and cart – you will be able to visit more temples, and to get further off the beaten track.

A chartered jeep – costing around 200 Kyat – is necessary to visit Mount Popa, sometimes described as "Myanmar's Olympus". The core of an extinct volcano rising precipitously 1,520 metres above the surrounding plain, Popa is clearly visible as a solitary peak, shimmering in the heat some 50 kms south-east of Pagan. In the distant past, alchemists and occultists made the mountain's slopes their home, and in time Popa became the national focus of Nat-, or spirit-worship. The top of this isolated sugar-loaf peak, which is accessible by footpath and crowned with a complex of shrines and temple buildings, offers stunning views westward across the broad flood plains of the Irrawaddy.

Inle Lake and Taunggyi

High in the Shan Hills, on the edge of the notorious Golden Triangle, Taunggyi – the capital of Shan State – is perched at the top of a precipitous, pine-clad escarpment. Much cooler than the cities of the sultry plains, it is a quiet and friendly town of many nationalities. On market days, besides the predominant Shan, visitors will be able to see black-clad Pa-O, colourfully dressed Intha, Palaung and Taungyo, Panthay Muslims, retired Nepali Gurkhas and sometimes Kayah or Karenni peoples from further east.

The main attraction near Taunggyi is Inle Lake, shallow, long, crystal clear and calm. Here the Intha people live, hemmed in on both sides by tall hills. The Intha men are famous for rowing standing up, using one leg, whilst fishing with tall, conical traps for Inle carp and the other, smaller fish with which the lake swarms. The Intha women, champion market gardeners, use the fertile soil around the lake, as well as floating islands made of water hyacinths and mud, to grow cauliflowers, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, beans and aubergines. Inle is a simple place, but a place of plenty – both restful and sublime.

Another popular side trip from Taunggyi is to Pindaya, a small village populated by Taungyo people, situated high in the hills 100 kms west of the Shan capital. Pindaya is famous for its elaborate limestone caves, packed with literally thousands of Buddha images and worshippers. Some of the smaller chambers are only accessible on hands and knees, and in these the visitor may find ascetics practising silent meditation.

Practicalities

Transport by air on Myanmar Airways and the newer Air Mandalay links Yangon with the major tourist destinations of Mandalay, Heho and Pagan. Myanmar Railways departs Yangon for Mandalay three times a week, on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. Travel by bus and pickup is not very comfortable, but provides a genuine chance to meet the people and can be very rewarding. For those seeking a rewarding experience rather than luxury, a slow ferryboat journey down the broad Irrawaddy from Mandalay to Pagan may be just what the doctor ordered.

Visa Requirements: Visas are now issued for 28 days at Myanmar Embassies throughout Southeast Asia. Cost is about US$20; allow 48 hours processing time.

Best Time To Visit: During the cool season, November – February.

Accommodation: Hotels in Myanmar are generally quite inexpensive, but the choice is limited. In Yangon head for the newly reconditioned Strand, which shares a similar illustrious history to the Raffles in Singapore and the Oriental in Bangkok. Elsewhere MTT will direct you to approved accommodation, which is always the best available. Back-packers should head for the YMCA in Yangon and budget accommodation recommended by the MTT elsewhere. New hotels are opening fast, and standards of comfort improving all the time.

What to Take: Lightweight, tropical clothing, unless visiting Taunggyi at the height of the cold season when a sweater or jacket is necessary. For the present, Myanmar remains a conservative country, and short shorts or mini-skirts are inappropriate. Basic medical items are readily available, but expensive or unusual pharmaceuticals should be taken, as well as adequate supplies of film.

Languages: Burmese, the national language, although spoken by about 80% of the population, is a difficult, tonal language with its own unique script. Fortunately, English is also widely spoken, especially in urban centres and amongst older people.

Etiquette: Remember to remove shoes and socks in temples. Do not climb on or otherwise show lack of respect to Buddha figures. Displays of excessive personal affection in public are frowned on. Tipping is not encouraged and not yet widely expected. Always remain calm and non-confrontational. Smile... and smile again!

What to Eat: Cuisine in Myanmar lacks the sophistication and diversity of neighbouring Thailand, but it is possible to eat well and quite cheaply. Western food is available at all government hotels and restaurants, but tends to be bland and unremarkable. An exception is the Lobster Thermidor at Yangon's Strand Hotel, which is a treat not to be missed. Chinese food – Cantonese, Yunnanese and Szechuanese – is widely available in the major cities, especially Yangon and Mandalay. Indian cooking, from elaborate Moghul dishes to South Indian "Banana Leaf" curries and street-side Roti stalls is ubiquitous, a legacy of the link with the Raj.

Surprisingly, Myanmar cuisine, which combines elements of Thai and Indian traditions and can be quite excellent, is hard to find. Most people eat at home, and only recently have Myanmar entrepreneurs, emerging from a socialist economic strait-jacket, realised that authentic Myanmar cookery is in demand. The cuisine is based on fish, chicken and prawn curries, chillies, spicy condiments, and – most characteristically – ngapi, or fermented shrimp paste. As in all Southeast Asian cuisines, the staple accompaniment is rice.

A selection of favourite dishes includes Kaukswe, or chicken and coconut milk with noodles; Lethok, a spicy vegetarian salad; Mohinga, steamed fish with rice noodle soup; Kyatnarhin, a chicken and sesame curry; and Amethahnat, or beef curry garnished with coriander and lime. In Yangon, some of the best places to sample these delights are the Bamboo House and the Karaweik Restaurant by the banks of the Royal Lake.

What To Drink: Imported liquor and soft drinks, especially Chinese beer. Local Mandalay Beer is mild and rather watery, but good for quenching a thirst! Local spirits include Mandalay Rum and Padaung Whisky – worth a try, though for the fashion-conscious Burmese, Johnny Walker Red Label remains the apex of style! Drink bottled water or tea at all times; tap water is non-potable, and ice should be avoided.

What To Buy: Many of Myanmar's best antiques and curios find their way to neighbouring Thailand, but bargains can still be picked up at the Bogyoke Market in Yangon and the Zegyo Market in Mandalay. Look for bronze opium weights, elaborate kalaga wall hangings, elegant Mandalay lacquerware, cotton and silk sarongs, wood carvings and Sagaing silverware. Unless you are an expert, be wary when offered rubies, emeralds and jade.

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Text by Andrew Forbes; Photos by David Henley & Pictures From History - © CPA Media