The great rivers of Myanmar, which dominate the country's features, flow down from the Himalayan mountains in the north. The 2,000 km long and mighty Ayeyarwady plays not only an important role as means of transport, navigable year round for at least 1500 km, the river is the lifeline for the lower Myanmar area. Agriculture is centred all along the floodplains.

On your trip you will enjoy the sunset over Ayeyarwady river in Bagan; have a boatsride in Mandalay and in Yangon you might wonder, is this still Ayeyarwady? Long before it reaches the capital, the river is spreading into four main arms creating a rich delta culture in this area.

Another great river coming from the Tibetan plateau is the Salween, which for some distance is forming the natural border between Myanmar and Thailand. Mekong River, which is feeding from the same sources, is forming the border between Myanmar and Laos, before finally deciding for the latter.

The wide expanse of dry plains, stretching from Yangon all the way up to Bagan, will most likely be disappointing for you! During the dry season, when you should come here, the land around all those temples appear barren and grey! Rainy season however changes the picture.

But the mostly mountainous Shan State is holding some incredible beautiful place for you to discover: the serene waters of Inle Lake, the famous Pindaya limestone caves or the rice- and potato fields along the scenic drive to Pindaya.

Save the relaxing part of your trip for the end! Spend a few days at the most famous beach in Myanmar, in Rakhine State, on the western coastline! Ngapali beach should be your last, most relaxing destination!

Nepal | China | Tibet | Vietnam | Myanmar | Mongolia

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