The Mergui Archipelago is a group of islands in southern Burma. It features 800 islands that cover several hundreds of square kilometers and lies close to the Andaman Sea of the Malay Peninsula to the western shore. The local people here are known as “Pashu” as a result, the islands referred to as the “Pashu Islands”.

The islands are composed of granite and limestone. The islands are wrapped with sandy beaches and the water from the Andaman Sea results in a major amount of flora and fauna.

The Mergui Archipelago is one of the best places during the monsoons. Also there are number of spots in the seas that are famous for diving and fishing. The offshore islands are wrapped with rocks and features rich marine life such as rays, sharks, eels and dolphins. The major islands in the Mergui Archipelago are

The Salone Island
The Salone Island is situated at the Thai Myanmar Border and it features one of the best beaches. The major attractions in the island are fishing and snorkeling.

Myaunk Ni Island
This island is also called as Red Monkey Island and it is famous for the wide variety of marine products. The island features white sand beaches, forests, fishes, dolphins and corals.

Myin Khwar Island
This island is also known as Horse Shoe Island. It features a protected beach and the water is very clear compared to the other beaches. The major attractions here are the fishing and snorkeling sites, rock climbing and boat trips.

Philar Island
This island is also called as Great Swintons Island. The beaches feature white sands and snorkeling is the major attraction here. In addition the island is also the home for turtles, dolphins, sharks and monkeys.

Wa Ale Island
The Wa Ale Island features white sandy beaches and a number of snorkeling sites. The island also features a Marine Park and it has rich wild life that includes the tigers, monkeys and wild elephants.

Monywa City is located in Sagaing Division, Myanmar and it is about 136 Km from Mandalay City. The city is a major center for trading. Agriculture is the main occupation here; also the city features several mills for producing edible oils, noodles, flour and cotton.

Monywa City is home for several educational institutions, among them are Monywa University, Monywa Institute of Economics and Monywa Technological University.

It is also a major tourist destination, Monywas boasts of the following:

Thanboddhdhay Pagoda
The Thanboddhdhay Pagoda is a Buddhist complex that covers an area of 37 acres. The construction of the complex was started in the year 1936 and completed in the year 1952. It is one of the most sacred places for the Buddhists, and the temple stands as a fine example of Buddhist art.

The temple measures 166 feet high and the golden chedi measures about 132 feet high. The temple features massive ornamented pillars, couple of white elephant statues and Buddha statues of about 582,257. The temple opens on all the days of the week and the entry fee is about 3 US$.

Pho Win Hill
Pho Win Hill lie to the southwest of Myanmar. The caves in the hills feature a number of Buddhist statues belonging to the 13th century and paintings belonging to the 18th century.

Shwe Ba Hill
It is located below the Oho Win Hill and close to the banks of Chindwin River. It consists of unique sandstone pavilions that are filled with a number of Buddha images.

Shwe Gu Ni Pagoda
It is situated about 20 miles from the Monywa City. It is famous for its architecture and the major attractions here are the local festivals and the golden Buddha statue.

Shwenandaw Monastery is found on Mandalay Hill, Myanmar. It is a historical monument built in the 1800s by the Emperor Mindon. The monastery is famous for the teak carvings of Buddhist myths, decorated roofs and walls.

The Shwenandaw Monastery is built in a Burmese style and it was also the place where the Emperor Mindon had died and later on the building was moved to the monastery. The Shwenandaw Monastery also served as the home for the Emperor Mindon. Also after the emperors death it is also said that Mindon’s spirit has been haunting the monastery.

The Shwenandaw Monastery is built of Myanmar teak and it is a masterpiece of wood carver’s art. The building is wrapped with carved panels and the entire building is wrapped with gold coverings. As a result of bad weather the gold coverings have been damaged.

The Shwenandaw Monastery is also the only wooden Royal Palace that survives to the present day. It is also one of Myanmar’s major tourist spot, it opens at 10 am and closes and 6 pm.

The Shwedagon Pagoda or stupa is also called the Golden Pagoda and it is situated in Yangon, Myanmar. The exact height of the Stupa is 321.5 feet. The Shwedagon
Pagoda is located to the west of the Kandawgyi Lake, on the Singuttara hill. This Pagoda is considered to be the most religious pagoda of Lord Buddha for the Burmese. The Pagoda was built to give shelter to the hairs of Buddha.

The reason why the Shwedagon is so special because its Spire is made up of a thick quote of gold and has lots and lots of diamonds, rubies and precious gems embedded in it. The lighting effect in the Shwedagon Stupa gives it a different feel altogether, the entire place lilts as of it is the aura of Lord Buddha still prevailing in the place.

The exact age of the Pagoda is not known to anyone. It is estimated that the structure is 1000 to 2500 years old, made during the time of Buddha. However, it has been said that over the years, it has been destroyed numerous times in the past due to earthquakes and other natural disasters.

The Shwedagon can be reached from all four sides of the hill. On the east and south, one can see vendors selling different kinds of items like the flags, books and images of Lord Buddha. A pair of lions guards the entrance to the Shrine. It is also said that the entire city of Myanmar has contributed gold to the pagoda so that it can be maintained well. This all started from the queen of Shin Sawbu who donated gold equal to her own weight.

Bagan is a plain that covers an area of about 16 squares miles alongside the Ayeyarwaddy’s east bank. The temples and Pagodas of Bagan that are now decaying were constructed mainly between the 11th and 13th centuries A.D., which was during the time that Bagan was the Myanmar dynasty seat. Local chronicles have carried tradition that says that 55 kings ruled over the Bagan kingdom over twelve centuries.

The Bagan temples are known as “gu” and were inspiration from the Buddhist rock caves. These were big multi-story buildings that the people could enter and were places where people went to worship, with the interior having richly frescoed corridors and sacred images and shrines that would be worshiped. The temples are often massively built oblong or square structures with terraces on the outside to represent Mount Meru, which was a symbolic home for the gods. The Bagan temples would also be surrounded by a wall made to be thick so that it would separate the sacred realm from the world outside.

The pagodas of Bagan are funerary monuments that have acquired a Buddhism cosmic symbolism. The Bagan pagodas also contain relics that are associated with Buddha. Some of the monuments were constructed in honor of a notable person, being built to bring lasting memories for important families as well. These structures are built in the shape of a bell that is set on an octagonal or square base, and they usually stand to a tapering peak covered with jewels and metal, with a sacred decoration shaped like a parasol (called “hti”) on the top.

Pictures & Photos

Beautiful Bright Shot of The Pagodas of Bagan
Photo by: ZaNuDa

Nice Dark View of Bagan Temples
Photo by: gusjer

Close Look at Bagan Temples
Photo by: lacest20

Fiew Different Types of Bagan Temples
Photo by: lacest20

Wonderful Shot When The Sun Isn't Fully Up
Photo by: yeowatzup

Ancient Temple of Bagan
Photo by: ZaNuDa

Balloon Over The Pagodas
Photo by: nitsuga

Rise and Shine
Photo by: hde2003

Bagan Landscape
Photo by: ZaNuDa

Old Bagan Temples
Photo by: nitsuga

Sunrise Over Bagan
Photo by: CortoMaltese_1999

Old Bagan Pagodas
Photo by: worak

View Over the Plain of Bagan
Photo by: CortoMaltese_1999

Day Go, Night Began
Photo by: worak

Sunset Shot of The Sky At Bagan
Photo by: lacest20

Wider View of Bagan
Photo by: lacest20

Panorama View of the Cool Temples
Photo by: gusjer

A Wider Panorama View of Bagan
Photo by: gusjer

Umbrellas at a Pool in Bagan
Photo by: nitsuga

Buddha Inside the Bagan Temple
Photo by: ctsnow

Shwezigon Paya
Photo by: R Stanek