After nearly a century of self-imposed political isolation, Myanmar is opening to the world again in a big way. This is great news for travelers who love Southeast Asia. Myanmar, also known as Burma, has some of the most beautiful Buddhist temples and ancient palaces in that part of the world. Many parts of the country seem hardly to have changed since the days of the British Raj.
Book Myanmar holiday packages that will allow you to visit a variety of different places like Yangon, Mandalay, and Bagan. Expedia can help stretch your tourist dollar farther by guiding you to the best Myanmar hotels where you can make reservations for rooms at special discount rates.
Although Yangon, also called Rangoon, is no longer Myanmar's capital, it is still the country's economic and cultural center. The 2,500 year old Shwedagon Pagoda is a huge golden dome that dominates the city and is still in use today as a place of Buddhist prayer and meditation. Visit at dawn or sunset when the angle of the sun's rays illuminate its beauty. Tour the enormous Bogyoke Market for the best deals on silver and gold jewelry and local handicrafts like the traditional sarongs locals wear to temple. Yangon offers many affordable Myanmar hotel deals near the pagoda and the market.
In the 13th century, Marco Polo described Bagan as the golden city alive with tinkling bells. In his day, this 30-square mile plain in the center of Myanmar on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River was home to over 13,000 temples and stupas. Today, approximately 2,500 of them remain. Although many of them are in disrepair, they still remain sacred places and often provide a picturesque sight early in the morning as the river mists rise around them. Central Myanmar can be a challenging place to find hotels in Myanmar, so it's a good idea to plan ahead and book your reservations before you get there.
Mandalay retains much of the charm it had in British colonial days, and travelers can find cheap hotel deals in Myanmar in the vibrant city. Take a trip along the Dokehtawaddy River into the nearby Shan hills and visit the villages of Hsipaw, Pyin Oo Lwin, and Kyauk Me to get an authentic glimpse of what Burmese life was like before British colonization. Mandalay is one of the top places to locate a cheap Myanmar hotel deal you can use as a base from which to explore the surrounding countryside.
