Ever since the authorities in Myanmar opened the boundaries of this country I had wanted to visit this amazing country. This year I finally got my opportunity. I flew from London to Bangkok, then on to Yangon. Emerging from the Yangon International Airport has been a Fantastic feeling. Here I was, in the beginning, in the most exciting and intriguing country in the world, about to bear witness to a lot of things that had remained impossible for Westerners to enjoy so long. He described a gorgeous land of lush greenery and warm hearted peaceful men and women. I was going to find out for myself.
The airport is only about ten miles to the north of the former capital city. A brief cab journey soon had me ensconced in my hotel, unpacked, checked-in and ready to go exploring. Yangon itself is a town of great complexity and several surprises. The wide paths are a throw back from its former French colonial days. There are just a few high rise buildings, many temples and everything is very green. There are water parks and much to admire. The old fashion Asian buildings are beautiful, sitting perfectly alongside the French architecture, much of that can be nicely faded out of the former glory, but all the more charming because of it.
Myanmar tourist visa
The famous Shwedagon Pagoda is magnificent. I loved this location, with its golden foliage facade and fabulous gardens. This is definitely the most well-known and admired in all of the nation, and it’s not difficult to see why. In recent years it has been visited by Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, American President Barack Obama and US Secretary of state Hilary Clinton. It’s a magnificent illustration of Buddhist Temple design, standing almost three hundred and fifty feet high.
I spent a few days in the city before flying to Bagan, where you will find an unbelievable two thousand two hundred and twenty nine temples. This sounds impressive but when you realise that these are what are abandoned, of more than ten million that were initially built here, it puts things into a completely different perspective. Bagan is so green, it’s one of the most gorgeous places I have ever seen. On spiritual importance it rivals Angkor Wat and is believed by many professors to be the center of faith for the entire area. A city of sorts has stood here for over eleven hundred decades.