Rangoon Off The Beaten Path Tips by kenmerk

Relics of the Buddha

Locals worship a small shrine which is said to contain some relics of the Buddha at Swedawmyat Paya in Yangon...

Karaweik

A large concrete reproduction of a traditional royal barge that sits in Kandawgi Lake. Actually it is a restaurant with dinner shows and the like...

Not sure if I would recommend to eat here... But it does make for some nice photo ops...

Yele Paya

The colourful Yele Paya on a small river isle at Kyauktan. Be sure to check out the fish feeding ritual here..

Kyauktan

For a nice day trip from Yangon, head to the Kyauktan, which has the Yele Paya on a river island in the delta region.

To get to the island, head over the bridge to Thanlyin, and then continue on that road another 15 KM's or so. To cross over to this small island there are small ferry boats waiting on the riverbank...

Kyaik-Khauk Paya

If you have a free day in Yangon, and want to get away from the city, a trip out to the delta region is a perfect excursion.

Out this way, Thanlyin is a small town with historic significance, and now is a laid back peaceful place with an interesting market place.

Just past town, you'll find the impressive gold Kyaik-Khauk Paya, which due to its somewhat remote location does not get the tourist traffic that you will see in Yangon proper...

Thanlyin is located about 15 km southeast of Yangon. From Thanlyin it is another 12 km's or so onto the mid-river Yele Paya at Kyauktan.

Aung San Suu Kyi House

Although you see this on TV frequently, it won't be marked on any tourists maps... I was however curious where the Nobel Prize Lauriat's home was in Yangon.

The biggest obstacle to overcome is finding a taxi driver brave enough to swing you by... (most don't even want to talk about, for the wall have ears in this police state..)

Finally found one brave (or stupid) enough to help me... He told me that when we swing by the street, don't turn your head, just glance you eyes to the side, as to not attract unwanted attention... I only got a fleeting glance for my troubles, since the street her house faces is blocked of on both ends by police barricades.. (no picture included due to obvious constraints...)

Located near Inya Lake north of the city centre....

Swedawmyat Paya

One of the more attractive Payas in Yangon is the Swedawmyat Paya on the North side of town. It however, does not contain an actual tooth relic, but rather a replica of a copy of a relic of a tooth of the Buddha... (Say that 10 time real fast...)