Private Jet Charter
Discover Beautiful Burma
Exploring Yangon
Welcome to Burma! This fascinating country is home to ancient treasures, stunning architecture, lush forests, winding rivers, and the friendliest people you will ever have the pleasure to meet.
Chances are you’ve heard of Burma. You may even have seen the odd documentary and be well acquainted with the country’s rather turbulent history, but have you ever known of anyone to actually visit Burma?
Burma (or Myanmar as it is now called), has conjured up a strong air of mystique surrounding it as a destination especially over the past few years since it’s boarders have now opened to tourists. Even up until this year, no western television production company was ever allowed access to film, but this year BBC’s Top Gear chaps took to the northern region of represented the UK, as they headed up to Myanmar’s northern territory to film the latest season of the award winning show.
Well Private Jet Charter has taken the liberty of exploring this magical country for you, and we have a few useful little hints and tips as well as absolute must do’s if you are ever lucky enough to visit this amazing country.
Our journey started in the exciting city of Yangon
If you’re an architecture lover then you’re in for a treat. As soon as you arrive in Yangon you cannot help but notice the crumbling essence of British colonial architecture. These beautiful buildings are overgrown with the vines and trees of centuries past which have become part of the architecture themselves; an amazing sight to behold.
Simply hop in a taxi to down town Yangon and visit Maha Bandoola Garden where you will find these fabulous buildings surrounding the lush gardens, as well as the fantastic Independence monument which stands at 46 meters high. If you find yourself feeling a tad thirsty or peckish you can take a 5 minute walk south east of the gardens where you will find the famous Strand Hotel, where stars such as Mick Jagger and Rudyard Kippling have stayed during their time in Yangon. We decided to pop down to the Strand Hotel for a spot of lunch and believe us; they make a rather fabulous club sandwich as well as put on a fantastic selection of high tea dishes.
The Royal Chatrium Hotel
Whilst staying in Yangon we recommend visiting the fabulous Royal Chatrium hotel which is located next to the beautiful Inlay Lake and just a 5 minute taxi journey to the world famous Pagoda. If you’re looking for relaxing and elegant surroundings with a 5* level of quality service then this is the hotel for you. With fabulous amenities such as gourmet restaurant and a funky bar called The Ritz (complete with Karaoke booths!) and not to mention a glorious pool and spa to relax in, you will never run out of things to do. We loved the service here (and the cocktails!) and we have to say that the bar staff were just fantastic- They even joined in with our karaoke night! So much fun!
The Boyoke Aung San Market-
The fabulous thing about Yangon is that it caters to all your shopping needs. On one hand you can visit the fabulous designer boutiques and shopping malls or if you would prefer to experience some traditional Burmese culture (and if you love the excitement of a bit of bartering) then search no further than The Boyoke Market. Once here you will find yourself surrounded by hundreds of shops and market stalls, selling you the freshest fruit, the most beautiful fabrics and stunning gems – especially Jade for extremely cheap prices. This experience is as close as it gets to traditional Burmese shopping and we loved the fact that the shop owners were so friendly and helpful and yet were never too overbearing. We suggest bringing both Kyat and Dollars with you to the market as you may find that certain shops will only accept Kyat. Although you will find many exchange booths within Yangon, their exchange rate is not great, so for this reason we would suggest exchanging your Kyat at the airport when you first arrive, or at the hotel at which you are staying.
Shwedagon Pagoda
Quite possibly the piece de resistance of Yangon and definitely our favorite adventure of Yangon has to be the Shwedagon Pagoda. Pagoda literally translates as temple so it’s important to make sure your taxi driver takes you to the correct one!
Where to begin? This temple is without question one of the most spectacular sights you will ever see and will dominate your memories of Burma. The stunning structure is reportedly over 2,500 years old and governs Yangon’s striking skyline. Rising over 99 meters tall, with a circumference of 433 meters the structure is encrusted in gold leaf and at its peak is encrusted with1485 gold and silver bells and with2,317 diamonds, sapphires and rubies which are so large that the colors of which can be seen from miles away. In fact for just $20 you can hire your very own private tour guide who will guide you around the pagoda and will explain to you about Buddhism traditions as well as show you little quirks about the pagoda that you might otherwise miss out on. For example if you ask your guide to take you to the diamond spot, you will be guided to an area of markings scripted on the white marble floor at which point he will instruct you on exactly where to stand, in order to see all the colors of the stunning 76- carat diamond.
We would suggest that the best time to visit the Shwedagon Pagoda is just before sunset when the sun is not as strong, trust us, you will not fancy the same experience during the day. This experience is all about tradition and spirituality which is held in high regard and visitors are asked to remove all shoes and socks before entering the pagoda as a sign of respect. Whilst walking around the Shwedagon pagoda you will notice many shrines (some of which may remind you of a Vegas slot machine) as well as hundreds of monks dressed in brown robes whilst roaming the pagoda. The pagoda is open from 4am till 9pm and tickets for entry can be purchased upon arrival.
So now you’ve been introduced to Yangon, how about you do a little exploring of your own? This unpolished gem of a destination is all set to be the next big holiday spot so we suggest jetting in while it’s still a relatively untouched location. Savour all the beauty that this exquisite country has to offer with Private Jet Charter.
