MRAUK U

About 1½ hours by air from Yangon to Sittwe and from there you can take a 3-hour boat ride to Mrauk U. It was found in A.D 1430 by King Min Saw Mon. Being an ancient city of Rakhain Kingdom with several architectural remains of its glorious past, Mrauk U is on its way to becoming one of the major archaeological and historical sites in Myanmar. Within the city wall, every field and hills are dotted with Buddha images, temples and pagoda which were constructed with cemented stones and sand stones. Some of them still remain in good condition. Places worth visiting are Shitthaung Temple, Koethaung Temple, AndawThein, Lay Myat Nar, Satkyar muni, Monastery.

While in Mrauk U, you can take a short boat trip to a Chin Village to see the Chin women with tattoos on their faces. It is their ancient customs preserved by them.

SITTWE

It is the capital of Rakhine State and situated on the Rakhine coast adjoining the bay of Bingalar. It is not only a main sea port but also an entrance to the ancient city Mrauk U. Morning fish market, river bank and Shwesandaw pagoda are the main highlights of the town. There are many fishery enterprises and sea food factories on the banks of the famous Duthtawaddy River. It is an ideal place to try Myanmar sea foods.

THANDWE

It is believed to have been the place where Buddhism started in Myanmar. It was an ancient capital of former Mon kingdom and also known as Suvanabhumi. It is situated on the main road from Bago to Motama, 367 km away from Yangon, accessible by rail and road from Yangon.