Planning a 6-day exploration of Myanmar in the springtime

Allocating just 6 days for a trip to Myanmar might seem short, but with a well-organized itinerary, you won't miss out on the numerous attractions of this beautiful country.

Planning a 6-day exploration of Myanmar in the springtime

Day 1: Discover the golden symbol, Shwedagon, in Yangon City

Arriving from Vietnam, you'll fly directly to Yangon City around noon. Grab a quick meal at the airport or bring along some Vietnamese sandwiches, sausages, or cheese. After a swift lunch, head out to the city center by foot or hire a taxi to visit the golden symbol, Shwedagon. A tip to save taxi costs is to walk a segment from one station to another, where you can negotiate prices with the drivers.

You can exchange currency to Kyat from Vietnam, or switch from USD to Kyat at banks in Yangon International Airport with negligible exchange rate differences.

After a 30-minute drive from the airport, the car will stop in front of the gate of Shwedagon Pagoda. The pagoda has four gates: east, west, south, and north. International tourists must enter through the south gate, which requires an entrance fee.

Upon entering the pagoda, it is advised to avoid wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts. For female visitors wearing shorts, it is necessary to carry a sufficiently large scarf to wrap around the waist and cover the legs. Regardless of whether they are Buddhist devotees or tourists, everyone must remove their shoes and socks and walk barefoot to pay homage to the Buddha.

Shwedagon Pagoda is the golden symbol of Myanmar and the most sacred spiritual destination for its people. It earned the name 'golden symbol' because the 2,500-year-old pagoda is adorned with 90 tons of gold, adorned with thousands of diamonds, rubies, and various precious stones. Surrounding the main stupa are hundreds of smaller stupas, each a remarkable architectural feat harmoniously integrated into the whole. In some corners of the pagoda, there are viewing telescopes to allow visitors to clearly observe the 76-carat diamond perched atop the stupa.

In the afternoon, you will travel to Aung Mingalar bus station to depart for the ancient city of Bagan.

Days 2 & 3: Explore the serene and mystical ancient city of Bagan

The 11th to 13th centuries marked the peak period of Bagan's prosperity, with over 14,000 temples made of baked earth. Through historical upheavals and the earthquake of 1975, Bagan now has only over 2,000 temples under the canopy of thousands of trees emitting a fragrant scent akin to sandalwood.

Cars typically arrive in Bagan around 4 o'clock. The ancient city is most beautiful in the springtime due to the cool weather and the availability of hot air balloons for tourists to experience. In the summer, the entire region becomes as fiery hot as a desert.

You can rent a horse-drawn carriage to visit the typical temples in the Old Bagan area (this is the area where the preserved temples are located) from early morning until late afternoon. On the following day, consider renting a bicycle to roam around every nook and cranny and feel the serene atmosphere of the ancient city of Bagan.

The first activity of the day is capturing the sunrise from a high-angle perspective at Buledi Temple. To get the perfect shot, it's recommended to start around 4:30 AM. The mysterious thousand-year-old temples, made of layered stones, steep and slippery. Use a flashlight and climb slowly up the high steps to reach a position near the temple's peak. At exactly 6 AM, as the sun rises, it casts the first rays of light, creating shades of red, orange, and gold, while dispersing the mist. The characteristic thousands of temples of the Bagan region appear faintly in the distance, glowing red under the morning sun.

You can suggest the horseman to take you to the prominent Mahabodhi Temple, which is named after and has architecture very similar to the original Bodh Gaya Temple in India. This temple exists because the Bodh Gaya Temple in India was destroyed, and the Buddhist leaders of Bagan sent a delegation of artisans to help rebuild it. Upon returning to Myanmar, these artisans constructed the temple according to the prototype of the temple in India.

To replenish your energy for further exploration of the Bagan region, at noon, stop by the Golden Myanmar Buffet. There, you can indulge in various authentic Burmese dishes. The motto of the restaurant is 'All you can eat,' so you can eat until you're full. There are many dishes such as braised pork, stewed beef tendon, braised chicken, fried fish, stir-fried bitter gourd with carrot, stir-fried bitter melon, shredded sour mango, tomato sauce, bean sauce, satay, raw vegetables, cucumber, tomato, and basil leaves. After finishing the main course, desserts will be served: pickled tea leaves, shredded sour mango, and roasted sesame seeds. These three items have a unique flavor when eaten together.

After lunch, hop on a horse-drawn carriage to visit the most famous temple in the area that every visitor to Bagan must visit, the Ananda Stone Temple. This is one of the largest and best-preserved temples in Bagan, built in 1105, with a cruciform architecture, and four sides of the cube are four Buddha images made of 6-meter-high wood. Visit Ananda Temple around noon, and you will be amazed to see numerous locals and tourists lying down to sleep, as there are no fans, but every area in the temple welcomes cool breezes.

In the cool afternoon, you'll visit Dhammayangyi Temple, dating back to the 12th century, with its block-like structure resembling a pyramid. This temple carries a somber past as its name suggests – 'The Temple of Misfortune.' In ancient times, King Narathu ordered the killing of all slaves who couldn't fit bricks together tightly, to the point where not even a needle could pass through.

The perfect way to end your day in Bagan is by witnessing the sunset at the most beautiful spot in Bagan – Shwesandaw Temple, also known as the 'Temple of the Setting Sun.' According to legend, this temple was built in 1057 to preserve one of the eight hairs of the Buddha brought from India. In 30 minutes, the Bagan landscape gradually transforms as the red sun slowly descends from the sky, tinting thousands of spires purple before yielding to darkness. At this point, you'll leave Bagan, taking a night bus to the ancient capital of Mandalay.

Day 4: Rediscovering the fairy tale realm in Mandalay

You'll arrive in the ancient capital of Mandalay around 4 o'clock. Negotiate a taxi ride to visit attractions such as Mahamuni Temple, U Bein Bridge, Sagaing Hill, and the ancient capital of Inwa before returning to your hotel for check-in.

Mahamuni Temple, constructed in 1784, houses a copper Buddha statue standing 4 meters tall, weighing 6.5 tons, gilded with a 15cm thick layer of gold leaf. Arriving early at the temple, you'll witness the ritual face-washing ceremony of the Buddha. Only venerable monks and high-ranking officials in Mandalay are permitted to wash the Buddha's face. First, the monk wraps a yellow cloth around the statue's body. Then, he takes a water-filled vessel and begins the ceremonial spraying of water onto the Buddha's face. After that, the monk uses a soft sponge to wipe the Buddha's face from forehead to eyes, then to both sides of the nose. For the lips, he uses a soft brush to gently scrub. Finally, the monk uses a peacock feather fan to air-dry the water on the Buddha's face.

Before 6 AM, you'll be on U Bein Bridge to catch the sunrise. Constructed by the villagers of the ancient Amarapura village in 1800, the bridge consists of thousands of teakwood planks supported by 1,068 pillars, spanning across Taungthaman Lake. Not only is this the world's longest teakwood bridge, stretching 1.2 km, but it's also the prime spot to admire both sunrise and sunset.

Leaving U Bein, you'll head to Sagaing Hill, about 20 km southwest of downtown Mandalay. The total length of the steps leading to the hill's summit is 1 km. From the top of Sagaing Hill, you can overlook the Irrawaddy River, the longest river in Myanmar, winding around the base of the hill, surrounded by countless tall temples nestled among lush green trees.

Evenings are ideal for strolling along the riverbank and admiring the Myanmar (old) Royal Palace. The palace is designed in a square shape with long stretches of red brick walls enclosing it and surrounded by a small river. Walking along the streets, you'll also observe the lifestyle of Mandalay residents.

Days 5 & 6: Witnessing the mesmerizing dance on Inle Lake

Inle Lake is the second largest freshwater lake in Myanmar, located in the Shan State. Due to its elevation of about 800 meters above sea level, the climate is cool year-round, with early mornings being quite chilly. Travelers often choose to stop at the town of Nyaung Shwe, located north of the lake, as it's easy to rent boats to explore the beautiful scenery and the life of the people in the surrounding villages.

The ideal way to admire the scenery of Inle is to rent a boat and cruise along the water all day. The boat will take you to the central area of the lake, where it's widest and deepest. Here, you'll encounter unique artistic scenes in this lake region. Fishermen in traditional longyi skirts stand at the boat's bow, using one leg to paddle and steer the boat in the right direction. Women don't row the boat like men but sit inside and use their hands to paddle.

After over an hour navigating through various river branches and entering a narrow channel within the lake, the boat will dock at the midpoint of a long wooden bridge spanning the canal. You'll disembark and walk through rice fields to a crossroads where many bamboo baskets are stacked. Following them, you'll reach the characteristic morning market of Ywama village. Ywama is one of the 17 distinctive villages along Inle Lake with stilt houses, rice fields, and tall wooden posts carrying power lines between the riverine area.

Within Inle Lake, you'll visit traditional craft villages such as weaving lotus silk and making cheroots. You'll be amazed by the weaving workshops using fibers extracted from lotus stems in the nearby lotus ponds. The cheroot-making village offers various lacquered boxes for storing cigars. Typically, a small wooden box contains 20 cheroots wrapped in herbal grass. The main ingredients in the cigars are brown sugar, honey, banana, licorice... giving them a light and sweet taste, even women can try them.

An interesting activity each evening is the performance of chubby black cats at the Jumping Cat Monastery in Nga Phe Chaung village. As you raise your camera to take a picture, the cats will look into the lens and even strike poses.

At the end of the day, head to the widest area of Inle Lake to admire the sunset. As the sun begins to set, you'll once again witness the unique sight of leg-rowing boat dances. This performance always attracts photography enthusiasts.

On the evening of the sixth day of your journey, head to the bus station to return from Inle to Yangon city the next morning, then catch a flight back to Vietnam.

Source: Zingnews

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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour