Sights

Shwedagon Pagoda

This is the most important paya in Myanmar. Every Burmese hopes to visit this place once in his life. It's a big place, and in the center is the big bell shaped paya covered with 60 tons of gold and more then 5000 diamonds. There's magic in the air. You need a full day to visit the pagoda. If you're interested in Buddhism (sure you are ! ) it's best to hire a guide. The entrance to the pagoda is 5 US$ pp for tourists (11/98). A guide will cost the same. Take a licensed guide for the safety of the people. You can get there by foot from the downtown area (30 min walk), otherwise more..

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Going to the movies

This is quite a unique experience. The movies are all Indian. You can find movie theatres on Anawratha street between 33rd and 35th street.

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City Walk

Yangoon is crowded but still has some nice sightseeing. You can visit the railway building or just shop around: Anawratha street Maha Bandoola street Bogyoke Aung San street etc...

It's nice to see the markets on the streets. There are also a lot of old English colonial buildings which are worth a visit. There are some beautiful ones near the riverside. Here you can find the famous Strand Hotel.

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Twante

This is an interesting day trip from Yangoon. You have to take the ferry to cross Yangoon river. Then you catch a local pick up truck to Twante (watch out for jeep drivers asking high prices). The ferry and pick up will cost you 0,1 US$. The village has a central market and is famous for its pottery (too big to bring one home). The guide books say you can take a boat from the ferry pier to Twante, but we couldn't find this boat.

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Bogyoke Market

A big market with all separate shops. If you want to buy a Longyi, this is a good place. There are also many tailors who can make your longyi to the right side.

Letkhokkon Beach

This is the nearest beach to Yangoon, but still 3 to 4 hours to get there. We didn't do it and we heard it's nothing special.

Inya Lake

Nothing special either. You find a small park for children, and at weekends you find a lot of people here. Watch out, because if you just say Inya Lake to your taxidriver, he will drop you at a luxury hotel at 2 km of the park entrance. In this area is also the house of Aung San Suu Kyi (University av. 54).