Page 10 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

8 INTRODUCTION
MYANMAR OR BURMA?
Burma was renamed Myanmar by the country’s military rulers in 1989 – a move widely resisted by
opposition groups, including Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD). Following
the return to democracy, Myanmar is nowadays increasingly used as the nation’s default name
(including even by the NLD themselves), although it’s fine to use Burma if you prefer. We’ve used
Myanmar throughout the book, except when referring to the historical colonial era, and “Burmese”
to describe the food and the language. For more on the naming debate, see Contexts (p.380).

surrounded by beautiful, cave-studded karst countryside. In the far south of the country
is the wonderfully unspoilt Tanintharyi Region, with the gorgeous white-sand beaches of
the undeveloped Myeik Archipelago the main draw.
North of Yangon, the wide-open plains of central Myanmar are, for most visitors,
simply a region to be traversed en route between Yangon and Bagan or Mandalay. In
reality, the provincial towns of Taungoo and Meiktila offer an enjoyable taste of
traditional Burmese life away from the tourist hordes, while the sprawling remains of the
great Pyu city of Thayekhittaya (Sri Ksetra) can be seen just outside the similarly
engaging, low-key Ayeyarwady town of Pyay. Further north is the country’s outlandish
modern capital, Naypyitaw, a surreal monument to the former ruling generals’
megalomaniac ambitions, with its vast (but eerily deserted) multi-lane highways and
government buildings.
North of here is Myanmar’s most spectacular attraction, Bagan, nestled beside the
Ayeyarwady River and surrounded by sweeping plains covered in an astonishing
profusion of ancient temples. This is unquestionably one of Asia’s greatest spectacles and
demands at least a few days of cycling among and delving inside the myriad monuments,
with perhaps a side-trip to the quirky, nat-infested Mount Popa as well.
The southern half of Shan State epitomizes the appeal of the hilly east of the country.
Laidback Nyaungshwe is the major tourist hub, close to the northern end of spectacular
Inle Lake with its stilt villages and colourful markets. A great way of reaching the lake is
to hike there from Kalaw, a lofty town with its own appealing ambience, on a beautiful
two- or three-day trek among the hills through ethnic-minority villages.
Mandalay, Myanmar’s second city, doesn’t quite live up to the promise of its evocative
name, but compensates for its manic traffic and faceless concrete architecture with an
impressive palace and a fine crop of pagodas – including those lining beautiful Mandalay
Hill, with its sweeping sunset city views. You’ll find a memorable array of attractions
dotted around the fringes of the city, including the former royal capitals of Inwa and
Amarapura (the latter with its iconic U Bein teak footbridge), the stupa-studded hills of
Sagaing, and the monumental (although unfinished) stupa at Mingun, accessible via a
breezy boat trip up the Ayeyarwady.
West of Mandalay, it’s possible to take a day-trip to the remarkable, skyscraper-sized
Buddha statue at Maha Bodhi Tataung, near the town of Monywa. Striking off northeast
of Mandalay, quaint colonial Pyin Oo Lwin retains a decidedly British feel, while further
northeast the towns of Kyaukme and Hsipaw offer good trekking and the chance to stay
in traditional ethnic-minority villages in the surrounding hills.

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