Myanmar

Myanmar, or Burma as the British called the country during the colonial era, is one of the largest countries in Asia with an area of nearly 700,000 sq km (twice the size of Germany) and has borders with China, India, Bangladesh, Laos and Thailand. It has a population of 52 million.

Myanmar is around 2000 km (1200 miles) long, stretching from tropical islands in the south to the Himalayas in the north - in the words of Rudyard Kipling, Myanmar is

‘quite unlike any land you know about'

In UNITEAM YACHTING we tend to concentrate on the Mergui Archipelago in the far south of the country, consisting of some 800 islands. This is the area we would advise visiting yachts to concentrate on and this is where we operate our charter yachts.

Further north on the Bay of Bengal coast there are other interesting places to visit including some particularly fine beaches. The best of these is Ngapali Beach where we have our own luxury hotel - The Bayview Beach Resort.

Yangon is the bustling main city of Myanmar famed for the 2500 year old Shwedagon Pagoda which stands 100m high and is caked in gold leaf. We have a boutique hotel in Yangon - The Savoy Hotel - which is centrally located overlooking the Shwedagon Pagoda and just 20 minutes drive from the international airport. This hotel is mentioned in the book ‘1000 Places To See Before You Die' as the recommended place to stay in Yangon.

To the north of Yangon and inland is the city of Mandalay, the last royal capital. There is also Bagan an ancient city around which more than 400 temples have been built. In the far north the mountainous areas are starting to open up to visitors and the more adventurous might like to include a visit to Putao. One of the classic journeys of the world is a cruise or boat trip along the Ayeyarwady River which goes from Yangon to the far north of the country passing both Bagan and Mandalay. Our sister company, Uniteam Tours and Travel, can provide advice on travelling around Myanmar and make all the arrangements for you.