The mouth of the Hlaing (Yangon) River has been occupied for more then 2,500 years. The village gained fame after the construction of the Shwedagon Pagoda on the highest ground in the area. The modern city of Yangon was founded by King Alaungpaya in 1755 when he captured the village called Dagon from the Mon. The city was called Yangon, meaning "end of strife". This was later changed by the British to Rangoon, under whose rule the city took on a larger commercial role as the primary port of occupied Burma.
The place to start any tour of Yangon is near the waterfront, at the Sule Pagoda. The temple had long been the heart of the city, so the British used it as the exact center when establishing the Victorian grid plan of streets in the mid-nineteenth century. The pagoda was probably built around 230 BC.
On the waterfront east of the Sule Pagoda the Strand Hotel. Built in 1901, the Strand was part of a string of hotels founded by the Sarkes brothers to serve the upper classes of the colonial powers. Their other properties include the Eastern and Oriental in Penang, Malaysia and Raffles in Singapore. Further east along the waterfront is the Botataung Pagoda, established nearly 2,000 years ago by Indian monks.
North of the city center rises the golden spire of Shwedagon Pagoda. The pagoda is nearly as old as Buddhism itself, and is the most important religeous shrine in all of Myanmar. East of the Shwedagon is the Kandawgyi, or Royal Lake. The shores of the lake are a huge park which includes an aquarium and the fantastical Karaweik Restaurant, in the shape of a huge Burmese royal barge.
Further north is the large artificially created Inya Lake. Like the Royal Lake, the shores of Inya are home to extensive parks. The area around the lake is also home to several artisans and shops selling decroative items for the home.
The only sure way to get to Yangon from outside Myanmar is by air. Almost all international flights into Myanmar land at Yangon's Mingaladon Airport. The name sounds a bit like a dinosaur, and that impression is reinforced by your arrival there, although a new terminal is under construction, and may be completed some time in 2006.
Airlines Serving Yangon Sanctions have kept most western airlines out of Myanmar, so getting there will most likely involve a transit in Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.
Although the number of hotels in Yangon doesn't come close to what you'll find in other Southeast Asian capitals, there is still a surprising range of options to choose from. The selection below reflects hotels we've stayed at or have feedback from reliable sources about. You can use the search box at the bottom of the page to compare rates from dozens of sites to find the best rates.
There aren't many restaurants catering to tourists outside of hotels in Mandalay. We found only one worth mentioning. There are probably more.
Monsoon Located on Theinbyu Road, just around the corner from the Strand Hotel, this colonial shop house serves a menu offering a selection of Southeast Asian dishes. The menu features pages for Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Expect to pay about 3,000 Kyats per person, without alcohol. Telephone +95 1 295 224.
Like most of the tropical countries of Southeast Asia, Myanmar in general and Yangon in particular is subject to the annual monsoon. As in Thailand, the year is typically divided into three seasons. From November to February is the cool season, and the best time to visit. January and February are the driest months. It stays dry through to May, but temperatures rise dramatically, although Yangon remains relatively pleasant compared to the inner plains during this hot season.
The best time to visit Yangon is from January to March. As you can see from the charts on our Yangon weather page, this is the driest time of year. Daytime temperatures are warm, but not as hot as they will be from April to June, and the nights are cool enough require a light jacket or sweater.
The crowded alleys of the Scott Market. The largest and most interesting market is the Bogyoke Aung San Market, also still known as the Scott Market. The market serves both locals as well as tourists, so you'll find a wide array of souvenir and gem stalls, as well as places carrying cosmetics, sewing supplies and cheap clothing.
The market is open every day, and consists of a warren of alleys and shops.
The National Museum in Yangon is worth a visit, if only to see the magnificent golden Lion Throne from the old Mandalay Royal Palace. The throne was one of nine that were contained in the palace, and the only one to survive. The rest of the thrones were destroyed when the British bombed the palace complex in World War II. Curiously, the throne survived thanks to the British, who had removed it to a museum in Calcutta, India in 1902.
The food stalls at one corner of the large Inya Lake. North of Yangon's city center is the large artificially created Inya Lake. Like the Royal Lake, the shores of Inya are home to extensive parks, food stalls and hotels. The area around the lake is also home to several artisans and shops selling decorative items for the home.
The park is extremely popular around sunset, when young couples walk the banks or sit on the benches lining the pavement.
The large reclining Buddha of the Kyaukhtatgyi Temple. North of Kandawgyi Lake is the Kyaukhtatgyi Temple, which houses a very large reclining Buddha. The statue is actually quite recent in construction, and apparently not very important as a religious site, but the craftsmanship is quite exquisite. The image is 70 meters (230 feet) long.
The Royal Lake, with the Karaweik Restaurant in the distance. Right in the middle of Yangon, just north of the city center and east of the Shwedagon Pagoda, is Kandawgyi Lake, also known as the Royal Lake. The lake is surrounded by verdant parks, and a raised boardwalk snakes around the edges of the water. The park is very popular with local residents, especially in the early morning and around sunset.
Dominating the skyline around Yangon is the towering golden spire of Shwedagon Pagoda. The large stupa sits on a hill just north of the city's city center, and has come to symbolize Yangon, as well as all of Myanmar.
Some of the many shrines around the base of the pagoda The shrine traces its roots back more than 2,500 years. Singuttara Hill, on which the Shwedagon Pagoda is built, was considered sacred ground even back then.
Sule Pagoda, in the middle of modern day Yangon. The place to start any tour of Yangon is near the waterfront, at the Sule Pagoda. The temple had long been the heart of the city, so the British used it as the exact center when establishing the Victorian grid plan of streets in the mid-nineteenth century. The pagoda was probably built around 230 BC, but today sits in the middle of a traffic circle.
View of the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel from the boardwalk on the Royal Lake in Yangon. The Kandawgyi hotel sits in a unique position in Yangon, right on the shores of Lake Kandawgyi (also know as the Royal Lake). The building was formerly the Natural History Museum, but was re-made into a hotel by Thai investors into a hotel. Many rooms also have a view of the Shwedagon Pagoda.
We stayed two nights in a deluxe room on the fifth (top) floor of the west wing.
