Mrauk U
Myanmar's second-most-famous archaeological site, very different from Bagan. This place has thousands of Buddhist temples - far fewer are aware of its neighbor Mrauk U. This unexplored city was once the capital of an independent kingdom lasting from the 15th to the 18th century.
Thousands of temples and pagodas can fill your experience with immense joy. Labyrinths full of stone Buddhas and elaborate carvings are very grand to experience. Around 5000 people visit the place a year, quite unexplored. But with increasing awareness, the rush is increasing.
Visit Burma in 2017 before the rush of tourists.
Maymyo
A lovely town, full of everything you can expect from Burma. Food, Place, and people - at its best. However, the place is very unique in several ways. Maymyo is an old colonial hill settlement, and the homes there are interesting in themselves. Horse-drawn carriage ride serve as local taxis here, worth a ride!
Hispaw
Hispaw is a unique market town that produces tea. This town has its own sights - for example, The nearby Dokhtawaddy River, a beautiful and peaceful place to visit. However, the trip to the town from Maymyo is one of the most memorable experiences you can have. The train you will take goes over the Gokteik Viaduct, which is the tallest trestle bridge in the world.
The Mingun Pahtodawgyi
Mingun Pahtodawgyi has Burma's greatest oddities - a stupa. It is enormous 50 meters tall but unfinished. It was created by the famously eccentric King Bodawpaya, and the story goes that he deliberately failed to complete it.
There are different stories about this. One is, this was due to a prophecy that claimed he would die - or the other - in some tellings, Burma would fall - when the monument was fully constructed. As such, construction was slowed down, lasting from 1790 until the king's death in 1819. It was intended to be around three times the size!
It contains the second-largest ringing bell in the world. It weighs over 90 metric tonnes, is over 16ft in diameter and 12 ft tall.
Many people skip Burma for the easier, well-trodden, backpacker route of
Thailand-Laos-
Cambodia-Vietnam. Don't overlook Burma, don't miss out on such an awesome country. Beautiful beaches, amazing islands, many unexplored places, kind and smiling people makes Burma the most loved trip of mine.