Southern Myanmar

Strangely neglected by many travelers, southern Myanmar offers some of the finest natural sights in the entire country.

In the space of a couple of days, you can descend into the Buddha-packed caves around Hpa-an and ascend the winding road to the sacred golden boulder perched on Mt Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock). Then there's the little-known and even less visited Myeik Archipelago, perhaps Myanmar's most dramatic intersection of water, land and sky.

And if all that weren't enough, the historic city of Mawlamyine, once Myanmar's capital, has almost as fine a collection of colonial-era buildings as Yangon, while Dawei and Myeik, mixing traditional wooden architecture with brick mansions and buildings constructed during British rule, can boast of centuries of history as ports. Best of all, the lack of visitors means there's plenty of space to enjoy the region.

Explore Southern Myanmar

0

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Southern Myanmar.

  • Cave

    Saddan Cave

    This football-stadium-sized cave is simply breathtaking, its entrance dominated by dozens of buddha statues, a couple of pagodas and some newer clay wall…

  • Beach

    Paradise Beach

    Backed by thick jungle, this splendid white-sand beach curves around a natural bay that is fine for swimming. On weekdays, you are likely to have it to…

  • Buddhist Temple

    Mahamuni (Bahaman) Paya

    Directly north of Kyaikthanlan Paya and linked by a covered walkway, this is the largest temple complex in Mawlamyine and easily the most beautiful. It’s…

  • Buddhist Temple

    Kyaikthanlan Paya

    Rudyard Kipling’s visit to Myanmar spanned just three days, but it resulted in a poem, 'Mandalay', that turned Burma into an oriental fantasy. It began…

  • Buddhist Temple

    Theindawgyi Paya

    Myeik's most venerated Buddhist temple, Theindawgyi Paya sits on a ridge overlooking the city and harbour. A beautiful, Mon-style ordination hall of wood,…

  • Buddhist Temple

    Mt Kyaiktiyo

    The excursion to this incredible balancing-golden-boulder stupa is a must-do, especially during the peak pilgrimage season (November to March) and when…

  • Island

    Three Islets

    Home to three notable diving sites: Shark Cave, an underwater canyon with sharks and rich coral; In Through the Out Door, an underwater passage with…

  • Island

    Lampi Kyun (Sullivan's Island)

    Home to Lampi Island Marine National Park, the only marine park in Myanmar, and thought to be one of the least-disturbed island habitats in Southeast Asia…

  • Island

    Nga Khin Nyo Gyee Kyun

    There's a superb horseshoe-shaped bay at the south of this island, which is where you'll find the Boulder Bay Eco Resort, and a couple of fine beaches.

  • Island

    Black Rock

    One of the Myeik Archipelago's premier diving sites. This rocky, remote outpost is home to clear water and rich sea life, including manta rays (typically…

  • Island

    Western Rocky

    An underwater cave that has been known to draw sharks makes this arguably the Myeik Archipelago's finest dive site.

  • Island

    Bilu Kyun

    Bilu Kyun (Ogre Island) isn’t a hideaway for nasty monsters. Rather, it’s a beautiful island directly west of Mawlamyine. Roughly the size of Singapore,…

  • Buddhist Temple

    Nwa-la-bo Pagoda

    A local pilgrimage site, Nwa-la-bo is still relatively unknown outside Mon State and few foreigners make it out here. This is surprising because the…

  • Buddhist Temple

    Win Sein Taw Ya

    If you thought you’d seen some big old buddhas, just wait till you get a load of this one. Draped across a couple of green hillsides at Yadana Taung,…

  • Buddhist Monastery

    Kyauk Kalap

    Standing proud in the middle of a small, artificial lake is Kyauk Kalap, a tall finger of sheer rock atop which is one of the more unusual pagodas in…

  • Cave

    Kawgun Cave & Yathaypyan Cave

    The 7th-century artwork of the Kawgun Cave consists of thousands of tiny clay buddhas and carvings plastered all over the walls and roof of this open…

  • Buddhist Temple

    Kyaikmaraw Paya

    The small town of Kyaikmaraw (က်ိဳက္မေရာ), 15 miles southeast of Mawlamyine, is the site of Kyaikmaraw Paya, a temple of serene, white-faced buddhas built…

  • Village

    Kyaing Ywar

    You approach this mixed Mon and Kayin village of wooden stilt houses perched over the Ye River along a road that winds through betel nut, rubber and…

  • Island

    Pataw Padet Kyun

    Directly opposite Myeik's harbour, this island is named for its two prominent hills. There are no beaches on the island. Instead, a large, hollow…

  • Island

    Kadan Island

    If you want to see an island of the Myeik Archipelago without taking an expensive tour, catch the ferry from Sake Nge Jetty to Kadan Island, an hour from…

Featured videos