In a world of travel traps and social media, finding an undiscovered destination may be impossible. But have you heard of Myanmar? While nearby countries like Thailand or Vietnam attract crowds, Myanmar offers the most meaningful trips in Southeast Asia without lines or Instagram fatigue.
This is the most underrated country in Southeast Asia. Traveling here, especially outside the big city, is to experience a real version of local life and to have real interactions with curious locals who rarely see tourists. Between thousands of ancient temples and amazing natural beauty, you need to visit Myanmar before it’s too popular.
Here is the coolest thing you can do in Myanmar:
1. irrawaddy drifting along the river
We believe that river cruises are the best way to explore Burmese fashion. We have already done 2 separate river cruises on the luxurious Irrawaddy Explorer and can’t recommend more. The cruise usually lasts about a week, starting and ending in big cities like Mandalay or Yangon. During the day, you can explore villages, temples and local markets. In the evening, you will return to the SIP cocktails in the boat’s lounge, enjoy a 5-star meal in the restaurant, or enjoy the views of the balcony other travelers have seen.
2. Explore one of Bagan’s 3,000 temples
If Angkor Wat is on your bucket list, you will fall in love with the ancient city near Mandalay and the Bagan of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. At its peak between the 9th and 13th centuries, Bagan was the capital of the pagan empire, with 10,000 buildings. Today, it has nearly 3,000 temples and pagodas ruins. The temples in Bagan are more than you can travel on one trip, but our favorites are Dhamma Yan Gi and Ananda Pagoda.
You need to dress up modestly to get into the Bima. We recommend buying a rosy dress for men and women, which is a traditional dress-like dress.
3. Snacks, bargaining and people watching in local markets
One of the best ways to immerse yourself in your local culture is to visit the market. These markets are chaotic and full of people, sounds and smells, but they are incredible. You can buy hand-woven textiles or baskets from talented artisans or freshly picked mangoes and pineapples. If you want to try some street food, we recommend you get Molingabreakfast noodle soup or lahpet thokecrispy salad, made from fermented tea leaves.
4. Travel through the countryside on a quiet (or chaotic) bike
When we are not on board, we love exploring the Burmese countryside by bike or scooter. It allows you to explore places off the beaten track and see all kinds of interesting things. You will ride on bumpy dirt roads and discover temples, school children, cattle on the farm, and craftsmen who weave silk. The locals were very enthusiastic and always shouted “Mingalaba” when we passed by! Sometimes, we sometimes laugh at us when we try to master the skills of driving a scooter.
5. Witnessing the morning monk or nun parade
Sagaing is the religious center of Myanmar, home to thousands of white, gold and silver monasteries and pagodas. One of our favorite places we visited was Thakya Dita Nunnery. Every morning at 11:00, the pink nun travels through the ground and recites prayers during an incredibly long parade. Buddhism is a misunderstood religion for many Westerners, but we find that our visits here, watching the dedication of nuns, taught us a lot.
6. Witness the production of Burmese monks
While riding a bicycle through a random village in Myanmar, we stumble upon a shinbyu ceremony and fall in love. Shinbyu ceremony was held across the country to mark the start of young boys entering Buddhists. In fact, everyone in the village gathered for a day of parades and religious rituals, with the boys shaved their heads, received their robes and recited the Bible. Half the time, we don’t know what happened, but it’s so cool to witness such an incredible cultural ceremony. You can find these rituals throughout Myanmar, but in cities like Mandalay or beer, they are probably the easiest to find.
7. Watch the sunset on the world’s longest teak bridge
It’s a pleasure to relax after cycling and walking between seemingly endless temples, and U Bein Bridge is where it does. At the end of a long day, the longest teak bridge in the world is a beautiful place to watch the sunset. Imagine sitting on a rowboat, drinking champagne glasses and watching the soft orange sky reflecting on the calm water. What else do you want?
8. Standing in the world’s second largest bell
Between the world’s longest teak bridge and the second largest bell, Myanmar is home to many records with attractions. Inside the Mingun Pagoda is the 20-foot-tall Mingun Bell. It’s so big that you can easily stand inside it and feel the vibration in your ears. The pagoda itself is unique, resembling a pile of huge bricks with bright white doorways.
9. See the most holy (and gold) Buddha in the country
Six inches; this is the thickness of the gold layer covering the Mahamuni Buddha statue. The most sacred Buddha in Myanmar is almost dazzling, and when you first see it, it covers more in gold and jewelry than you even think. This is one of the five existing statues created in the lifetime of the Buddha, considered to be his exact image. Male devotees often paint more gold on the statue, giving it an interesting blocky look.
So, have we convinced you to visit Myanmar? Watch the video below to see some of our favorite stops in Southeast Asia’s most underrated countries.
