The beautiful country of Myanmar located in South-East Asia was previously called Burma. Despite being in international news frequently for the suppression of its population by the military government, a large number of tourists visit this country throughout the year. Direct flights are served by the Yangon international Airport from cities like Taipei, Kolkata, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok to name a few.

POPULAR FESTIVALS:

Myanmar celebrates various festivals throughout the year apart from its magnificent history and culture. The popular ones are listed below:

1. Hot Air Balloon Festival
2. Yadana Gu Festival
3. Taung Byone Festival (Nat Pwe)
4. Water Festival
5. Mann Shwe Settaw Pagoda Festival
6. Kakku Pagoda Festival
7. Shwedagon Pagoda Festival
8. Mahamuni Pagoda Festival
9. Htamane Festival
10. Naga New Year Festival
11. Ananda Pagoda Festival
12. Manaw Festival

A LAND OF BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS:

One of the natural gifts of Myanmar is its beautiful collection of flowers. Tourists adore the beautiful and radiant flowers as Myanmar is blessed with a moderate climate. Myanmar has flowers of different species and of a wide variety. Unlike other countries, flowers are much cheaper in Myanmar apart from their beauty and attractiveness. Flowers range from tropical flowers like orchids to exotic flowers which all come in unique colours and shapes.

Flowers are often sold in the flea markets and alongside sidewalks apart from inside market and shops. These flowers are sold in many forms and types of packaging such as personalized packages, by posts, bulks, bouquets or baskets as per the requirements of the consumers. You should keep in mind that most of the flowers are seasonal in nature. Therefore, the best selection of flowers depends on each season and availability.

Following is a list of seasonal flowers along with the months when they are in full bloom:
1. Tharaphee, Ingyin, Phetsot: February to March
2. Suupan, Letpan and Pauklay: January to February
3. Kwar Nyo: January
4. Gamone and Thazin: November and December
5. Shwayn, Pyi and Kawae: October and November
6. Konkamun: September to October
7. Yinmar: August and September
8. Pan, Moesway and Kuttar: July to first quarter of August
9. Rose and Ponenyet: June and July
10. Sabae and Mulay: May and June
11. Chayar, Sagawar and Sagar: April and May
12. Zalat, Swetaw, Gangtaw and Padauk: March and April

OTHER TOURIST ATTRACTIONS:

Yangon, the former capital is like a huge park with colonial mansions, ancient pagodas, natural lakes and ponds. Therefore, it is called the ‘Garden of the East’. Yangon is the most populous and biggest city of Myanmar with a population of over 4 million. Foreign travelers find it easier to commute within Yangon as US dollars are accepted by most taxi cabs. You may be aware of the fact that Yangon used to be the former capital of Myanmar. Currently, Naypyidaw is the capital city. You should also pay a visit to the famous Shwedagon Paya Pagoda which is decorated with 1200 gold plates and diamonds and astonishingly weighs over 60 tons.

The ‘Irrawaddy River’ is indeed a beautiful location to take a boat trip with golden pagodas on its high banks. An indelible impression is made on all tourists by the ancient cities of Mandalay, Bagan and Bago with its debris of giant statues, collapsed walls and hundreds of temples. Interestingly, Myanmar has over 2000 pagodas and is therefore known as the “Land of Golden Pagodas”.