Trip to the Golden Land

“We took a two-week trip to Myanmar in 2019 and I’m so glad we did! It was an amazing experience and our kids loved it too. We started in Yangon and spent a few days exploring the city. We visited the Shwedagon Pagoda, which was incredible, and the Bogyoke Market, where we did a lot of shopping. We also took a day trip to Bago, which was really interesting. We saw the huge reclining Buddha and the bamboo forest.

After Yangon, we flew to Mandalay and spent a few days there. We visited the Mahamuni Pagoda, which was really beautiful, and the U Bein Bridge, which was really cool. We also took a boat trip down the Ayeyarwady River, which was really peaceful.

After Mandalay, we took a bus to Inle Lake. We stayed in a really nice hotel right on the lake and spent a few days exploring. We took a boat trip around the lake, which was really beautiful, and visited some of the floating villages. We also went to the Ngapali Beach for a day, which was really nice.

After Inle Lake, we took a bus to Bagan. We stayed in a hotel near the temple complex and spent a few days exploring. We saw so many incredible temples, it was really unbelievable. We also took a hot air balloon ride over the temples, which was an incredible experience.

After Bagan, we took a bus back to Yangon and spent a few more days exploring the city. We visited the Sule Pagoda, which is in the middle of the city, and the National Museum, which was really interesting. We also went to the Chinatown area, which was really fun.

Ngapali was everything I hoped for and more. The beaches were stunning, the food was amazing, and the people were so friendly. I loved every minute of my time there and I'm already planning my next trip back.

Sule, on the other hand, was a huge disappointment. The area was dirty, the food options were terrible, and the people hawking goods were rude. I couldn't wait to leave and I would never recommend it to anyone.

We had an amazing time in Myanmar and would definitely recommend it to anyone. It’s a beautiful country with so much to see and do.”

— Essay submission