A stay in Yangon holds much fascination and allure in itself, but there is also much more to Myanmar to discover beyond the country’s largest city and main international gateway, in destinations like Mandalay and Bagan.
A stay in Yangon is certainly a must on any trip to Myanmar, with its interesting historical sights, bustling pace of city life, and accommodation options that include some of Asia’s finest colonial hotels, such as The Strand Yangon built in 1901 and Belmond Governor’s Residence dating from the 1920s, along with three to five star hotels in Yangon.
A must-see attraction in Yangon is the spectacular Shwedagon Pagoda, built around 2,500 years ago and can be seen on the city skyline for miles around. This and many other fascinating sights and sounds are found throughout the city, and when it’s time to venture further afield in Myanmar, Mandalay is an excellent choice.
The country’s second-largest city and Burma’s last royal capital, Mandalay lies about 440 miles north of Yangon. With a population of one million, it is an economic center and is considered the center of Burmese culture. Various elements of tradition and culture can be seen in Mandalay, also known as the ‘cycling city’ due to the preference of many of the citizens to travel by bicycle.
Air Mandalay, Air Bagan and Yangon Airways operate daily flights between Yangon and Mandalay, some of these services are non-stop and some are one-stop. Myanmar Airways International has a service once a week, on Thursdays.
In addition, Thai airlines Bangkok Airways and Thai AirAsia offer daily direct flights linking Mandalay to the Thai capital, Bangkok.
As part of plans to develop Myanmar’s airport infrastructure, Mandalay International Airport will be transformed into a logistics hub with the aim of creating direct freight transport to and from other countries in Asia and Europe. The Ministry of Transport has a long-term vision and strategy to develop Myanmar into a major passenger and cargo aviation hub for the ASEAN region. The country’s geographic location puts it within reach of non-stop flights from every continent except the Americas.
Just over 700 kilometers north of Yangon is Bagan, where the enchanting landscape offers more than 2,000 temples and stupas. The pagodas here are mostly covered in reddish color and the religious monuments found in the area were built over 1500 years ago.
Different means of transportation are available to explore this fascinating destination, be it by car, horse-drawn carriage, or bicycle. One can also enjoy an idyllic sunset boat trip along the Ayeyarwaddy River, watching the sunset while sipping a cool drink.
Air Mandalay, Air Bagan and Yangon Airways also operate daily flights between Yangon and Nyaung U (Bagan), some direct and some with a single stopover.
There are also daily flights available between Mandalay and Bagan.
Myanmar’s tourism performance is rising, with the destination receiving a record of more than 2 million foreign visitors for the first time in 2013. It recently announced a target of 3 million foreign tourists by 2014 and 5 million by 2015.
Foreign investment is also seeing a boost, including in the accommodation sector with new hotels in Myanmar adding to the room supply. Local media reported that of the 960 hotels that have been granted operating licenses in Myanmar since July 2013, 302 have opened in Mandalay and 238 in the Yangon region. The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism indicated that 48 new hotels would open in Myanmar in the coming months, representing an increase of 37,024 rooms in the room inventory.