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| DESTINATION OF MONYWA |
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Monywa lies on the banks of the Chindwin River, 140-km northwest of Mandalay. It is the gateway for excursions to the cave temples of Phowin Tau ng, situated across the river and reached by ferry. The caves are famous for their Buddha statues, mural paintings and wood carvings. There are quite a few legends about the caves, related mostly to nats (the |
| Myanmar spirits). There are supposed to have been over 400,000 Buddha image carved out in the caves. Another highly important attraction is Thambuddhe (or Sambuddha Kat Kyaw) Pagoda, completed in 1951 after 12 years of construction with over 800 small stupas on and around the pagoda. There are also reportedly 582,357 Buddha statues on the ceiling, walls, archways and in niches in and on the temple compound. |
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| DESTINATION OF TWANTE |
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A small town that is well known for its pottery manufacturing and cotton weaving. Another interesting site to visit is an old Mon pagoda. The town is situated at the Twante Canal, which was dug during the time of British rule in Myanmar to provide a short boat ride from Yangon. A ride on the canal offers contrasting images; from the buzzing |
| chaos in Yangon to the provincial calmness of the countryside only a few minutes outside the capital. |
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| DESTINATION OF BAGAN |
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Bagan is one of the richest archaeological and historical sites in Asia, a large area with more than 2,000 pagodas and temple, all set in a vast plain beside the legendary Ayeyarwaddy River. During the Bagan Era (11th to 13th century), Burmese was written for the first time. Bagan was the origin of Buddhism, as still practiced nowadays , and was the |
| seat of religious learning of clergy and laity. Mingalazedi is one of Bagan's last great stupas to have been erected and is a fine example of the skills of the temple builders. It is also a favourite spot to catch the sunset. Foreign visitors to Bagan can be found on the steep steps waiting for the magical moment; as the sun sinks behind the already misty Ayeyarwaddy, cameras click almost simultaneously. Bagan now features a variety of good hotels of various standards. It is also the starting/ending point of cruises on the
Ayeyarwaddy River linking Bagan with Mandalay. A unique travel experience is a hot-air balloon flight over the Archaeological Zone which is available during the winter months.
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| DESTINATION OF MOUNT POPPA |
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Mount Poppa is an extinct volcano and with 1,500 meters the highest point within the bago Yoma range. The main attraction of this region however is the smaller, 730-meter high conic rock Popa Taungkalat, also known as the “ Ol ympus of the Nats” because it is the home of Myanmar's legendary 37 ‘Nats” (or spirits). To reach the top of |
| the volcanic plug with its many shrines and a monastery, one has to climb up 700 steep steps accompanied by a crowd of monkeys. This effort will be rewarded many times by the extraordinary panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. Around the area of the Popa Yoma Mountain, there is the Popa National Park with dense sandalwood forests and rare species of birds and butterflies worth a walk or a trek. Other attractions include two important " Nat Pwes" (or festivals) held each year (one in May-June and one in
November-December) when people from all parts of Myanmar come to appease and worship the spirits. These spirits are evoked by so-called "Nat Gadaws" (or mediums) and offer their bodies to get possessed. The nats still play an important part in many Myanmar people's lives in spite of the dominance of Buddhism.
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City Golf Course
