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Luxury Travel to Inle Lake
“This is Burma, and it will be
quite unlike any land you know.” – Rudyard Kipling
Right-hand drive cars (made
for driving on the left side) being driven on the
right side of the road. Absurdly low crime rates
rivaling that of Singapore’s. US dollar bill
exchange rates dictated by the size of the
presidential portraits. The largest number of
exquisitely restored (preserved?) colonial British
architecture in the whole of Southeast Asia. And of
course, economic policies largely dictated by the
whims of its ruling military junta. In the words of
Rudyard Kipling which stills rings true even today
when describing Burma, “It will be quite unlike any
land you know.” Welcome to enigmatic Yangon.
With its pace of life so
relaxed you will think you’re whiling your time away
in the countryside, the city of Yangon charms you
with its calmness and overall eccentricity, all at
one time. Having a wide variety of enticing getaway
locations within and outside the city proper, this
metropolis of 6 million souls lives up to its name,
which translates to “End of Strife” in Burmese.
The military government may be
notorious for its time-and-again crackdown on
monk-led riots, but you have to give props for the
overall semblance of religious tolerance in the
city. Among its countless Buddhist temples, you can
also meander along to many churches and mosques,
with the government even doling out annual grants to
each and every religious community. Don’t miss out
on the much celebrated Shwedagon Pagoda, the single
most important religious site in all of Myanmar. The
imposing Pagoda is purportedly 2,500 years old, and
as such it has witnessed scores of historical
moments in Burmese history.
As is customary when in cities
such as Yangon, best buys are always located in the
markets, not shopping malls (of which there are only
a few in the city). The top place for shopping
haunts is the Bogyoke Aung San market, which sells
just about anything and everything. Textiles and
clothing, souvenir items and jewelry make up the
bulk of wares catered for Burma’s small and slowly
burgeoning number of tourists. This British-built
bazaar, with its colonial architecture and hewn with
cobblestone streets within, is located at Bogyoke
Aung San road, nearly opposite Traders Hotel.
Myanmar is slowly but surely
opening up to the outside world, whatwith the sudden
arrival of cuisines from around the world. You will
definitely realize how cosmopolitan Yangon is once
you see for yourself how easy it is to help yourself
to distinct gastronomical adventures. Don’t miss out
on trying the local cuisine, a delightful hodgepodge
of Chinese, Indian, Shan, Mon, and Rakhine
influences. Especially popular with locals is the
ubiquitous roasted duck, allegedly the world’s best.
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