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Inle Lake is 22km long and about 11km wide. The lake is at 1328 metres above sea level. Inle is one of the most popular tourist destination in the Shan State.

The lake is full of floating vegetations and houses. The lake dwellers are one-legged rowers. They are well-known for it. They are called as “Inthar” meaning people of the lake. There are about 18 villages around the lake. They are Buddhist and about a hundred Buddhist monasteries can be found. A lot small pagodas can be found too.

The floating water hyacinth are the major products of this region. Many hand made products such as bags, baskets are made from water hyacinth. Other vegetations are tomatoes, beans, cauliflower, cabbage, eggplant, garlic, onion, betel, melon, papaya and banana. Some villagers also grow rice.
The Inthars also make their living by fishing. The silk dresses and clothes of Inle are popular among local and foreign visitors. Inle also produces silverware.

Major Attractions
Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda – The main pagoda in the Inle lake is called as “Phaung Daw Oo” Pagoda. There are five small Buddha images all covered with gold and difficult to make out the figures. There is an annual festival around October/November. Inle Lake is one of the most significant and productive ecological system supporting an immense variety of plants and animals and yielding great wealth for Myanmar through its occurrence of floating islands and the living style of the natives.

Floating islands are collection of floating weed and water hyacinth, which later piled up and hardened, that even vegetation can be grown, and even houses can be built on top of them. These floating islands can be cut, dragged by boats, or even be sold like a piece of land!

This vast picturesque lake is one of the main tourist attractions in Myanmar. Besides, it is the home of some 80,000 Inthars (native lake-dwellers) in 17 villages. Many Inthars live in their huts and wooden bungalows on floating islands, while some live by the villages lakeshore. Inle Lake, natural and unpolluted, is famous for their amazing lifestyle and its incomparable scenic beauty. You have to find out why this unique leg-rowing custom is practiced by Inthars.

Living Legend: Why do they live a harder life on water, and not on land? There goes a folk tale that today’s lake-dwellers are descendants of some Myanmar troops centuries ago. They were once sent to exile by an angry Emperor. The order of exile was ‘to leave his land’. But these Myanmar troops were so royal and smart, that they left Myanmar land obeying the emperor, by living on water in Inle Lake, but never left the country they love so much!

Now the tourism industry in Myanmar has been developed towards and many international and local standard hotels, inns, motels are built on the lake. It is very convenient for local and foreign visitors to visit the beautiful Inle Lake.

It is a well known fact that King Ashoka purified and propagated the Buddhist religion throughout the Indian Empire and extending even future to Myanmar. All of us are familiar with Asoka’s stupendous and monumental works of charity, where donated most significantly 84, 000 wells, 84, 000 ponds, 84,000 pagodas among many others forms or deeds of merits. Thus many ancient pagodas found in Myanmar are in some way or another links to his name. So went the oral history handed down through the generations.

Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, additionally spelt Hpaung Daw Oo or Phaung Daw Oo) is a remarkable Buddhist site in Myanmar (once in the past Burma), situated on the Inle Lake in Shan State. Encompassing the Pagoda, and in the cellar are shops offering conventional Shan and Burmese stock.

The pagoda houses five little plated pictures of Buddha, which have been canvassed in gold leaf to the point that their unique structures can’t be seen. The gold-leaf application to such abundance is generally later. Old photos holding tight the cloister dividers demonstrate a portion of the pictures in a more unblemished shape. It is accounted for that some gold has been expelled once in a while to diminish its mass. In spite of the fact that the religious community is interested in for reverence, just men are allowed to place gold leaf on the pictures. Another piece of the custom for travelers is to put a little robe or thingan around the pictures, and to take the robe back to their homes and place it all alone sacrificial table as a token of regard for the Buddha and his lessons.

Phaung Daw U Festival

Phaung Daw U Pagoda Festival karaweik freight boat.
The pictures are of contrasting sizes, go from around nine to eighteen inches tall. Being basically strong gold, the pictures are to a great degree substantial. It is trusted that the Buddha pictures were conveyed to Inlay Lake by King Alaungsithu.

Yearly, amid the Burmese month of Thadingyut (from September to October), a 18-day pagoda celebration is held, amid which four of the Buddha pictures are put on a reproduction of an illustrious flatboat composed as a hintha winged animal and taken all through Inlay Lake. One picture dependably stays at the sanctuary. The intricately enhanced scow is towed by a few vessels of leg-rowers paddling as one, and other going with pontoons, making a noteworthy parade on the water. The freight boat is towed from town to town along the shores of the lake in clockwise design, and the four pictures live at the fundamental religious community in every town for the night.

The high purpose of the celebration is on the day when the pictures touch base at the principle town of Nyaung Shwe, where most explorers from the encompassing area come to offer their regards and worship. Before, the Saopha of Yawnghwe would by and by welcome the pictures. The pictures would be taken from the freight ship and a stupendous parade would take them to the royal residence or haw of the Saopha, entering the supplication corridor from the eastern passageway, and where it would dwell for a couple of hours. The general population was permitted inside the petition lobby of the haw to offer their regards. At that point the pictures would be taken to the fundamental sanctuary in Nyaung Shwe. Since the mid-1960s, the pictures have skirted the visit to the haw and taken straightforwardly to the sanctuary. It is presently for the most part invited to Nyaung Shwe by some high-positioning authority in the administration.

At some point in the 1960s amid an especially breezy day, when the waves were high on the lake, the freight ship conveying the pictures inverted, and the pictures tumbled into the lake. It was said that they couldn’t recoup one picture, however that when they backpedaled to the religious community, the missing picture was marvelously sitting in its place.

History

Bagan, formerly spelled as Pagan, dates back almost to the beginning of the Christian Era. It lies on the bend of the Ayeyarwaddy River. Bagan can be marked to have started with King Anawrahta. He ascended the throne of Bagan in 1044. At that time, the kingdom was under the Mahayana religion. After Shin Arahan’s arrival to Bagan, it converted to Theravada Buddhism. It was said to be that each and every household was able to donate an enshrined Pagoda, because of their faith in Buddhism believe and also because of their wealth. The great Shwezigon was one of King Anawrahta’s donation during his time.

Getting Around

Horse carts are popular ways travelling around Bagan. Visitors can also hire bicycles at some hotels and guest houses to roam around. The charges are taken per hour service. Ferry boats can also be hired to flow in the Ayeyarwaddy. The ferry stand is near the Bu Pagoda. The views from the Ayeyarwaddy is also an interesting way to explore Bagan.

Bus and Express
There are Daily Expresses from Yangon and other major cities.

Car
One can hire a car from a car rental agency or from a travel agent. Different types of cars, coach seaters are available.

Train
Train

Air
There are daily flights from Air Bagan, Yangon Airways, Air Mandalay and Myanmar Airways to Nyaung U Airport, Bagan. The flight schedules may change from time to time depending on the weather. But this is the fastest way to explore Bagan.

General Information

Today, Bagan has many hotels and guest houses to stay in. Most popular ones are Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sakura, The Hotel@Tharabar Gate, Kumudra Hotel and many more. One should also buy a map of Bagan, so that people can travel alone depending on their interests. Many souvenirs and antiques can be bought near the Bagan Pagodas. But it is also a bit difficult to differentiate between the genuine and fake. There are entrance fees to the Bagan Zone, Bagan Museum and some pagodas too.

King Mindon, who founded the Royal City of Yatanabon, built the Mya Nan San Kyaw, the Royal Palace, on 6th waning day of Kason, M.E 1221 ( A.D 1857 ). It is surrounded by the rectangular shaped walls, each of which stretches 8.25 kilometres long, and again by the moat which is 68.58m wide and 3.35m deep. Formerly, there existed 114 royal apartments, which, being built on 3.35m high platform, covered 152.4m wide.

The Mya Nan San Kyaw Golden Palace
On 17 March, 1945, during the air raid of the British forces against the Japanese, the Royal Palace was ruined into ashes.
With the objective of re-establishing the milestone in Myanmar tradition and ancient times, when Myanmar had their own monarchs, their own royal palace and their own soverignity, the Royal Palace has been renovated and restored faithfully into its original structure. The 89 main halls were re-built with reference to the original photographs, pictures, palm-leaf manuscripts with reference to the original photographs, pictures, palm leaf manuscripts about the royal apartments and the miniature model of the royal palace. On 18-9-96, the complete construction of the Mya Nan San Kyaw the Golden Palace was successfully celebrated.

Mandalay City Development Committee has been undertaking the task of removing the pond scum of the moat as the cleaning work of the royal moat, which bears a grace and a pride to the city : 4 large-scale pond scum-removing machines, 3 small pond scum-removing machines and 62 appointed workers remove about seven tons of pound scum per day. Activities such as mowing and making the crash barriers even, replacing the dead plants with new ones, and giving care to the growth of the plants have been routine tasks.

Formation of Yangon
Yangon is the largest city of Myanmar. There are 34 townships forming the city of Yangon. These townships in alphabetical orders are :
Ahlone, Bahan, Botahtaung, Dala, Dagon, Dagon (Seikkan), Dawbon, East Dagon, Hlaing, Hlaing Tharyar, Insein, Kyeemyindaing, Kamaryut, Latha, Lanmadaw, Mingalardon, Mingalar Taung Nyunt, Mayangone, North Dagon, North Okkalapa, Pabedan, Pazundaung, Sanchaung, South Dagon, Seik Gyi Khanaung To, Seikkan, South Okkalapa, Shwe Pyi Thar, Thingangyun, Thaketa, Thanlyin, Tarmwe, Yankin

Communication Services
Internet Services
Myanmar Posts and Telecommunication (MPT) sells email accounts and Internet access.

Cyber Cafe
There are some Internet Cafe in downtown Yangon. The usage charges are about 650 to 1000 Kyats per hour, depending on the Cyber Cafe.

Express Money Order
Money Order service is available in the capitals of each states and divisions in Myanmar. The maximum amount is Ks 100,000 per remittance.

Parcel Services
General Post Office in Yangon downtown is the main Parcel Service center in Yangon.

Fax Services
Yangon Telegraph Office offers fax services to 88 oversea countries. The domestic fax lines are also widely used in Yangon.

Telephone Services
Generally there are three kinds of phone services in Yangon. Conventional Phones (or) Land Phones, Mobile Phones and IP Star Phones area available. The local phone calling costs are 15 Ks per minute for the conventional phones and 25 Ks per minute for Mobile Phones.
Oversea calls are available but quite expensive, depending on the distance of the country.

Once the golden land Suvanabhummi, and later the forgotten land. Myanmar now is opened up to the world again under the leadership of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as one of the youngest democratic states in the world. Myanmar fights for and supports for human rights, while illegal migration and terrorist problems has to be under control at the same time. Ethnic minority tribes are often under attack by terrorists immigrants.
The world has seen that all the fake news has led the American people to vote for the wrong candidate. Come see how untrue are the fake news in Myanmar, where all Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Hindu and all sorts of peaceful immigrant workers lived in harmony for centuries in most part of the country.
With the untrue political fake news aside, let us bring you over 70 virtual tours in Myanmar with 360×360° views of photospheres. 318 tourist destinations in 14 states of Myanmar, are well documented with directions, tons of photo, interactive maps. Details cover from entrance fees to TripAdvisor’s ratings and reviews.
For your info, Myanmar is located in southeast Asia between Thailand, China and India. Due to its rapid changes and openess, many see it as the next frontier of business opportunities. Being the 40th largest country and 25th most populated, Myanmar has so much room for growth. Myanmar is safe. Just avoid some areas of unrest.

beauty of the mountains, hill tribe villages, and botanical gardens attracts millions of tourists to Chiang Mai every year. You can also enjoy a zoo and aquarium, a nocturnal zoo, and classic Northern Thai temples and architecture which are a fusion of Lanna, Mon, and Burmese styles.

The north of Chiang Mai borders the Shan state of Myanmar. Cross-border trade is allowed at Kew Pha Wok checkpoint in Amphoe Chiang Dao and Ban Lak Taeng checkpoint in Amphoe Wiang Haeng, so both are tourist sites and places for cultural exchanges between two nations.

The south is next to Amphoe Sam Ngao, Amphoe Mae Ramad, and Amphoe Tha Song Yang of Tak Province, with tourist attractions like Bhumibol Dam, Sam Ngao Cliff, Mae Kasa Waterfall, and Thee Mo Bo Waterfall.

The east is next to Amphoe Mae Fah Luang, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Rai, Amphoe Mae Suai, and Amphoe Wiang Pa Pao of Chiang Rai Province, Amphoe Mueang Pan and Amphoe Mueang Lampang of Lampang Province, and Amphoe Ban Thi, Amphoe Mueang Lamphun, Amphoe Pa Sang, Amphoe Wiang Nong Long, Amphoe Ban Hong, and Amphoe Li of Lamphun Province.
The west is next to Amphoe Pai, Amphoe Mueang Mae Hong Son, Amphoe Khun Yuam, Amphoe Mae La Noi, Amphoe Mae Sariang, and Amphoe Sob Moei of Mae Hong Son Province. Most popular places are Amphoe Pai, Pang Oung, and Doi Mae U-kho.

Chiang Mai has a long history. It was once the capital of the Lanna Kingdom. Nowadays it is a very modern city, similar to Bangkok.