Yangon

Yangon is Myanmar's biggest city and the site of the awe-inspiring pure-gold Shwedagon Pagoda.

Legend has it that the Shwedagon Pagoda is 2,500 years old, beginning with the tale of two Burmese merchant brothers who were tasked to enshrine Buddha’s eight hairs in a structure no-less than holy and awe-inspiring. Visible from almost anywhere in the city, Shwedagon is a heart-stopping sight and ideal to visit in the last rays of sunlight in the cooler temperatures of the evening. This holy site is also a testament to the stout faith of the Buddhist Myanmese, one will always see a steady flow of offerings brought to various shrines in the complex.

While a rapidly-developing city brought on as the international gateway to the country recently freed from its military rule, much of this city’s charm stems from its inherently vibrant street life. Rangoon surfaces in the preserved colonial architecture which invites a leisurely stroll on the waterfront.