Things to Do in Myanmar (Burma) (2026)

Myanmar (Burma) · MM

Maha Myat Muni Pagoda, Keng Tung

Maha Myat Muni Pagoda—also known as Wat Phra Sao Luang—is Keng Tung's most celebrated sacred site and one of the major Buddhist temples of Shan State, Myanmar. Housed in a classic Shan-style vihara adorned with gold-lacquered walls and ceilings, the temple enshrines a shimmering replica of the famous Mahamuni Buddha image from Mandalay, brought here over 700 kilometers of mountain roads and rivers in the 1920s. Set in the middle of a town-centre roundabout, the pagoda is impossible to miss and easy to visit on foot. Locals and pilgrims gather here daily to make offerings beneath the tapering nine-tiered roof, and the revered Buddha image still undergoes its devotional face-washing ritual two to three times each month.

Myanmar (Burma) · MM

Pang Mapha Viewpoint

Pang Mapha Viewpoint is a beloved roadside lookout on Route 1095 — the winding highway that connects Mae Hong Son town to Pai — where layers of forested mountains stretch endlessly before you. It is the natural rest stop on one of Thailand's most scenic drives, drawing photographers, road-trippers, and hill-mist chasers alike. Beyond the view itself, a small market of hill-tribe vendors sells local produce and handicrafts at the roadside, making it easy to turn a photo break into a genuine encounter with the communities of northern Mae Hong Son.

Lake

Myanmar (Burma) · MM

Inle Lake

Inle Lake is a vast, mirror-calm highland lake in Myanmar's Shan State, and it is famous not for a single monument but for an entire way of life built on the water. Here, villages rise on teak stilts above the shallows, farmers coax tomatoes from gardens that float on the lake itself, and fishermen still row standing up, wrapping one leg around an oar while their hands work a conical net. It is one of the most distinctive and photogenic destinations in Southeast Asia, and the best way to understand it is simply to get on a boat and let the day unfold. Most travelers base themselves in the small town of Nyaung Shwe on the northern shore, from which long-tail boats carry visitors out past stilt houses, floating gardens, Buddhist pagodas and lakeside workshops. Whether you come for a single scenic day trip or a slow few days on the water, Inle rewards patience: the magic is in the quiet rhythm of daily life rather than a checklist of sights.

Finding your next place…

A little more
of Myanmar (Burma).

Maha Myat Muni Pagoda, Keng Tung

Pang Mapha Viewpoint

Inle Lake

Finding your next place…

A little more
of Myanmar (Burma).

Maha Myat Muni Pagoda, Keng Tung

Pang Mapha Viewpoint

Inle Lake