A perfect two centre to include from Yangon for those who don’t welcome extra flights but do want to end on the beach and explore the Irrawaddy Delta.
Explore the Irrawaddy Delta
The Irrawaddy Delta covers an area of over 1000 square miles with Yangon (Rangoon), its most famous port and capital of all Burma from 1886 to 2005. Originally a vast inhabited wetland and jungle, much of it was cleared and cultivated by the British who annexed Lower Burma in 1855. It subsequently became the rice basket of Asia, feeding much of the Indian Raj. During this period of prosperity a number of rice towns developed in the colonial style, the most famous of which was Pathein (Bassein).
Pathein, 4 hours from Yangon, is the unofficial capital of the delta. En route to the coast it’s definitely worth overnighting as its relaxed local atmosphere lends itself to the curious and those happy to wander along the thriving riverside enjoying Burmese life as it plays out along the way. If you’d like to explore further boat tours can take you out into the delta to visit fishing villages that dot the region.
Away from the river it’s most famous for its workshops that produce colourful, hand-painted parasols. There are also architectural remnants of colonial days including the Customs House and central jail. Whilst the Shwemokhtaw Paya is a 2000 year old Buddhist temple whose stupa is 46 metres tall and is coated with gold & studded with over 1,500 diamonds & rubies.
Head to the Beach
Move on to the coast and Ngwe Saung offers the obligatory white sand, palm fringed beach that stretches for over 10 miles with just a sprinkling of beachfront hotels and seafood restaurants. As with most beaches in Burma the strip of sand is not exclusive to sun-worshippers, it’s great for people watching whether it be the children walking to school, ladies on the way to the market or fisherman bringing in the daily catch. If you’d like to explore a little more you can also visit small fishing villages and local markets, explore the countryside by bike or enjoy a boat trip to the outlying islands for snorkelling days out.
A beer in hand as the sun sets, you can’t help but reflect that life’s not bad.