Travel in Burma – Hotels, Burma Vacations, Lodging, Trips, Attractions and Travel Guide

Beautiful Burma An Exciting Vacation Getaway

Towering almost 100 metres above the green city-scape of Yangon, the Shwedagon Pagoda is the prominent landmark visible from miles around. One of the wonders of the world, the Shwedagon is believed to have been built approximately 2,500 years ago. It is the essence of Myanmar and a place that never fails to enchant. The great golden dome rises 98 metres (326 feet) above its base. The legend of the Shwedagon tells of two merchant brothers meeting the Buddha who gave them eight strands of His hair to be enshrined in Shwedagon. With the help of a number of celestial beings, the brothers and the king of this region (Myanmar) discovered the hill where the relics of the previous Buddhas had been enshrined.When the strands of the Buddha's hair were safely enshrined together with the relics of the preceeding Buddhas, a golden slab was laid on the relics chamber and a golden pagoda built on it. Over this a silver pagoda was built, then a tin pagoda~ a copper pagoda, a lead pagoda, a marble pagoda and finally an iron brick pagoda.

Burma, is located in mainland Southeast Asia. One-third of Burma is composed of uninterrupted shoreline and Threvadda Buddhism has a strong influence on the culture. Burma is the second largest country is Southeast Asia and covers and area of 261,970 square miles. Burma is well-known for being home to the “Valley of Rubies”, noted for its beautiful pigeons blood rubies and sapphires.

Burma, holds some of the most magnificent sites in the world. Standing at 321 feet tall, the Shwedagon Pagoda or “Golden Pagoda”, is hard to miss and dominates the skyline above Yangon. It is the most sacred of all pagodas and the relics of Buddhism are enshrined within its walls. Visitors must removed their shoes before they are allowed to put one foot inside the pagoda. Legend states that on the day of the week a person is born will determine their planetary post, there are eight in total with Wednesday being split into two, with one for a.m and one for p.m. Each post has a Buddha image and followers will go the alter and offer prayers and flowers and pour water on the image.

One very popular tourist attraction is the Glass Factory in old town Rangoon. It has been called the “Glass Garden” and believed by some to be one of the most beautiful glass factories in the world. Guests can view actual glass blowing close up and tour the facilities and purchase beautiful one-of-a-kind glass works in the gift shop. While in the area, tourists should check out the beautiful silk umbrellas that are sold by the local street vendors, these are also a treasured souvenir that many people take home with them.

The Myanmar Gems Museum is also located in Yangon, Burma and is dedicated entirely to the history of the precious Burmese gemstones. The Gem Mart located at the museum is a conglomeration of 82 stores, spread out over 3 floors and the stores sell high quality, raw stones such as rubies, emeralds, sapphires, pearls and jade. The semi-annual Myanmar Gem Emporium is held in the museum and draws customers and merchants from around the world.

There is also the option for visitors to take a day-cruise on the Ayeyarwady River along the “Road to Mandalay” route on the famous Orient-Express Cruise Lines. The boat will sail past the pagoda studded Sagaing Hills and on to the north passing Mandalay and will anchor at Mingun. From here guests will be able to tour the worlds largest brick built pagoda and the largest uncracked bell in the world. Later on in the day, the boat will sail again and this time dock in Mandalay and guests will take a walking tour of the city with a guide. From there guests will board a train and tour the countryside and visit more of the fabulous sites around ancient Burma.

To experience top-notch Burmese hospitality at its finest, travels will want to try the City Star Hotel in downtown Yangon, it is in close proximity to Scott Market, Chinatown, markets, shows, and other cultural and interesting locations in the city. Another option is the Dusit Inya Lake Resort, located on 37 acres of landscape grounds off the shore of Inya Lake. This venue offers convenience for tourists want to see the Golden Pagoda and other Buddhist pagodas sprinkled throughout the city. Burma remains one of the top locations that attracts tourists to Southeast Asia every year. Guests will experience a country with deep cultural values and some of the warmest hospitality in the world.