Myanmars capital has its very special charm, although some people rate Yangoon as very crowded and noisy. The many shady parks and beautiful lakes have earned a reputation as the garden city of the East. Its unmistakably colonial style buildings, open markets and wide treelined avenues endow it with a strange mix of old world charm and modern vitality.

Every evening the streets of downtown Yangoon turn into one big supermarket. Streetvendors sell almost everything. You can also have a cheap meal on the streets.

The highlight of the cityscape is the famous Shwedagon Pagoda especially near sunset. It towers above the Yangon landscape with a serenity so unique that it is often considered as one of the wonders of the world. According to legend, this glistening gold covered pagoda was built over two and a half thousand years ago as a place of Buddhist worship. Other sights of Yangon are the 2200 year old Sule Pagoda (with one of Buddhas hair), the Botataung Pagoda and the Kyauk Htat Gyi Pagoda with the 233 ft./71m long Reclining Buddha. After Mandalay, Yangon became capital of Burma in 1885.