Yangon at a glance:
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| Tours from Yangon
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History of Yangon
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Attractions
The capital city of Myanmar sits on a spit of land surrounded on three sides by water. Home to close to
5 million people, Yangon has a special charm with its old colonial buildings, tree lined streets, bustling local markets and tranquil lakes. Pagodas glisten amongst trees and houses - notably Shwedagon Pagoda which is built on a small hill and is visible from many parts of the city.
Yangon is a city unlike any other. Lush tropical trees lend shade to evergreen avenues.
Countless enchanting parks
and beautiful lakes all contribute to Yangon's deserved title of "the Garden City
of the East."
A simple city with few skyscrapers, crowds, or the pace of modern life.
The streets of Yangon are all perpendicular and retain geometric symmetry. The
road system was constructed by the British.
Today, Yangon covers 350 sq.km and is
flanked on three sides by water; the Hlang or Yangon river flows from the Bago Yoma (Pegu
Hills) down Yangon's western and southern sides, then continues another
30km (20 miles) to the Gulf of Martaban. To the east of the city is Pazundaung
Creek, a tributary to the Hlang. Yangon's port is 34km inland on the
Hlang
River.
As Myanmar is situated in the tropical zone, Yangon has a very fertile alluvial soil. A year is divided into 3 distinct seasons in the region: namely, hot season, rainy season, and cool season. Temperatures often reach 33C in
the hot season. The city usually receives a high annual rainfall. In Yangon, the period from October to February is most enjoyable: the city blooms under the azure cloudless sky and the weather is pleasantly cool and dry with the fresh northerly winds. There are many famous pagodas in Yangon. The greatest one is the
Shwedagon Pagoda, Kaba Aye Pagoda, Sule Pagoda, and Botataung Pagoda also are a few of the others worth visiting. Other places of interest include
National Museum, Zoological Garden, Wildlife Park in Hlawga and the Peoples' Park on Pyay Road.
