Buddhas &
Temples
Myanmar is one of the most
devout Buddhist coun-
tries in the world. Yangon’s
Shwedagon Paya, Manda-
lay’s Mahamuni Paya and
Bagan’s plain of temples
shouldn’t be missed, but
there are also many other
lesser-known Buddhist reli-
gious sites that will impress
you with their beauty and
spirituality.
Pyay (Prome) A 10-storeys tall,
seated buddha watches over
Pyay’s hilltop Shwesandaw Paya,
providing sweeping views of the
town (p 143 )
Win Sein Taw Ya Gawp at the
560ft-long buddha reclining
on the lush hillsides of Yadana
Taung, accessible from Maw-
lamyine (p 102 )
Mrauk U (Myohaung) Fall under
the spell of the old Rakhaing
capital, dotted with ruined and
restored temples and monaster-
ies (p 279 )
Sagaing Leafy paths shade the
routes to 500 hilltop and river-
side stupas and a community
of some 6000 monks and nuns
(p 228 )
Mt Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock)
Join the pilgrims as they fi x gold
leaf squares on this incredible
balancing boulder (p 93 )Food & Drink
Not as spicy as other South-
east Asian food, Myanmar’s
cuisine refl ects its multicul-
tural mix of people. With
the off erings ranging from
Shan-style rice-noodle curries
and soups to tamarind-fl ake
sweets in Bagan and fresh
grilled seafood in Rakha-
ing State, you’re sure to fi nd
something new and delicious.
Street eats There are street
vendors serving great, cheap
snacks and meals everywhere in
Myanmar, but the best selection
is in Yangon (p 61 )
Tea time Breakfast or an
afternoon snack at a Myanmar
teahouse is a unique experience
that provides more than a caf-
feinated kick (p 334 )
Cooking classes Learn how to
cook like a native at classes in
Bagan (p 114 )
Alcoholic beverages Raise a
glass of toddy (p 333 ) made
from the sap of the palm, or
wine produced from Shan Hills
grapes (p 191 )
Superfresh Seafood At Ngapali
Beach's restaurants (p 285 ) dine
on fi sh and shellfi sh caught the
same day in the Bay of Bengal
Ethnic Variations Hunt out Jing
Hpaw Thu (p 237 ) in Myitkyina
for authentic Kachin food, or
Shan specialties at Shan Res-
taurant (p 190 ) in TaunggyiHandicraf ts &
Shopping
Going on a shopping spree
of Myanmar’s fi ne range of
handicrafts is one of the best
ways of ensuring your tour-
ist dollars benefi t the people
rather than the military. It’s
also a wonderful eye-opener
to browse one of the many
local markets selling fresh
produce and everyday items,
photogenically laid out by
stallholders.
Markets Drop by Yangon’s
Bogyoke Aung San Market (p 67 )
for handicrafts from around the
country, and the central markets
in Pyay (p 143 ) or Sittwe (p 275 )
for colourful, lively shopping
scenes
Lacquerware Watch artisans
craft, paint and engrave
lovely bowls, cups and other
ornaments at workshops in
Myinkaba (p 123 ), New Bagan
(p 125 ) and Kengtung (p 196 )
Parasols Keep the sun off with
the graceful, painted paper
umbrellas that are a specialty of
Pathein (p 79 )
Puppets If you enjoyed the
classic marionette shows in
Mandalay, why not adopt a
puppet character of your own
(p 218 )If You
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