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I was nervous to head to Yangon, Myanmar this past winter for a week of solo travel. Once I arrived, I found an incredible city with even more fascinating and friendly people. Shut off from the rest of the world for quite some time, Burma is reawakening. There’s charm in everything - from the grand, gorgeous and crumbling architecture to the small moments ... like this rusted can of of milk serving as a peanut container.

Overview

Yangon’s surrounds and the southern section of Myanmar, which extends like a long finger down towards the equator, offer some of the country’s most compelling sights. In Mon State, Mawlamyine enjoys an evocative ocean setting, while Hpa-An, capital of Kayin State, is surrounded by beautiful karst scenery. In the far south, the Mergui Archipelago is winning attention for its pristine tropical beaches and opportunities to encounter the nomadic, sea-based Moken people.

As Myanmar continues to modernise, the trappings of globalisation are becoming more noticeable, especially in major cities such as Yangon and Mandalay. However, the countryside remains blissfully free of such distractions. Destinations like Rakhine and Chin States in the west and Kachin in the north see very little footfall and reward explorers with rugged scenery and unforgettable experiences.

A month in Myanmar gives you time to stretch things out a little—no small luxury in a giant country where infrastructure remains decidedly shaky. A few weeks allows you to explore big-hitters like Bagan, Mandalay, Yangon, and Inle Lake at leisure, while also allowing scope for lesser-visited gems. These include the temple complex at Mrauk U in Rakhine State, Nay Pyi Daw—the surreal, purpose-built capital—and Maw Lam Yine, the sleepy riverfront capital of Mon State.

Sunset from the plaza of the Schwedegon Pagoda, Rangoon, Burma.

Join the crowd of courting couples, families and individuals all enjoying the end of the day while taking in the sights that surround the Garden. On one side the Sule Paya, on another the old High Court, City Hall (pictured) taking up another part of the surroundings...a wonderful relaxed atmosphere...

to make the sunset at the famous U Bein bridge near Mandalay got us there just in time. And boy was it worth the effort. Not only this beauty but a fabulous temple on the river nearby was lit in brilliant shades of gold and orange. Literally thousands of photographs later, Myanmar is still my favorite country visited. DO Inle Lake area, Do the Irawaddy River (the Road to Mandalay of Kipling fame and the eponymous boat trip by Orient Express.) Visit the Plains of Bagan, for thousands of temples, and Yangon for Shwedagon Temple complex... everything here is astounding. Visit the markets (many to choose from) meet the people (warm friendly open buddhists) and play with the kids (they are everywhere.)

The secret to having a good time in Bagan has nothing to do with getting there - all that takes is faith in a Burmese pilot and his ancient aircraft, or an unwavering belief that your 13-hour bus ride from Yangon will actually deliver you to the dusty plains before all your hair turns grey (update: travelers now have the options of new turboprop airplanes and the new highway means that drive time is now approximately seven hours). The secret is in finding a new way to look at the temples themselves, at just the right time of day, and in just the right light. I’ll never understand why most visitors cluster together to climb one pagoda when the plains are littered with thousands of others that afford anyone willing to visit a wholly new perspective on an oft-visited place. This is the way I look at every destination, whether new, old, untamed or untrammeled.

Owner Augustine has been sourcing superior pieces for the city’s well-heeled expats and visitors for several decades. Come for intricately carved wooden and stone figurines, silverware, lacquerware and larger items of furniture.

Stylish bags, housewares and souvenirs inspired by vintage Burmese photos and advertising pamphlets can be found in three outposts of this shop around the city, including in Bogyoke Market and on Shan Kone Street.

Popular with the expat crowd, Union Bar & Grill on Strand Road is where to go for a Western-style menu of charcoal-grilled steak, burgers, hot dogs, wood-fired pizzas, salads and other international-themed fare in hip, industrial-chic surroundings.

George Orwell and Pablo Neruda have both browsed the bookstalls run by the vendors of Pansodan Street. The uneven pavement in front of crumbling colonial-era buildings is lined with stall after stall of secondhand books, many in English, that arrive every morning; rummage for some well-thumbed literary gems and offbeat tomes.

This museum has a number of noteworthy Burmese treasures displayed in its 14 galleries, including ancient artifacts, furniture, Buddhist imagery, jewelry, art and more. One of the standouts of the collection is the gilded Lion Throne—the only surviving throne used by the Burmese kings—which was returned to the country from India by Lord Mountbatten in 1948 to mark Burma’s independence from Britain.

Floating on a barge on Kandawgyi Lake, the shiny Karaweik Palace resembles its antique pagoda cousins—but it was actually constructed in the 1970s. Built to resemble the ceremonial barges used by Burmese kings, the palace now houses a restaurant and also stages regular cultural shows of dance, music and traditional puppetry.