2025 Myingyan Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in May)

we check in for my happy birthday, that day we were the only one at the hotel. The services are great and staff are friendly. The place is magnificent and peaceful. The room is clean and tidy. So far they didn’t disappoint me with the structure but the food was not consistent. We had a free dinner and it was dry and tasteless. I only had a good breakfast when there were many people there. I guess if there was less visitors or customers in the hotel, the food tastes awful. However, I love the peace and quite place and I recommend the forest view area. Popa mountain view rooms are near to the pool and reception area so sometimes it was noisy.#luxuryhotel

#springitinerary Looking for a weekend that’s equal parts adventure and time travel? Meet Chauk—the dusty, oil-stained heart of Myanmar’s dry zone where ancient pagodas rise from the desert and the tea is sweeter than the sunset. 🌵 First Impressions Stepping off the bus, Chauk hit me with a wall of heat (think: standing in a hair dryer) and the scent of deep-fried samosas, diesel, and something suspiciously like crude oil. The streets? A chaotic ballet of oil trucks, bicycle rickshaws, and the occasional goat crossing. 🤣 The “I Tried to Pet a Street Goat… and It Stole My Snacks” Moment At a roadside tea shop, I made friends with a particularly bold goat who: Nuzzled my hand (cute!) Snatched my bag of peanut brittle (less cute!) Trotted off like a bandit while the tea shop uncles laughed Lesson learned: Goats in Chauk are next-level hustlers. 🍛 Foodie Gold Breakfast was Chauk’s famous “bean soup”—a thick, garlicky broth loaded with chickpeas, crispy shallots, and enough chili to wake the dead. But the real star? A hidden alley stall selling deep-fried lentil cakes with tamarind sauce—crispy outside, fluffy inside, and dangerously addictive. Pro tip: Ask for "extra spicy"—they’ll respect you for it (or laugh at you, either way). 💎 Hidden Gem: The Abandoned Oil Refinery Everyone visits Shwegu Pagoda (and you should too—it’s golden and gorgeous). But the real adventure? Sneaking into the crumbling British-era oil refinery on the edge of town: ✔ Rusty pipelines snaking through the sand ✔ Graffiti from 1970s oil workers ✔ Epic sunset views over the desert Just watch out for security guards (or bribe them with samosas). ⏳ Weekend Itinerary (Desert Vibes Only) Day 1: Ancient & Industrial 6:00 AM: Sunrise at Shwegu Pagoda (golden stupa + desert views) 8:00 AM: Bean soup breakfast at Maung Maung Tea Shop 10:00 AM: Explore Chauk’s oil fields (like Mad Max but with more flip-flops) 4:00 PM: Abandoned refinery adventure (bring water + a camera) 7:00 PM: Night market feast (try the grilled goat skewers—revenge is sweet) Day 2: River & Ruins 7:00 AM: Boat ride on the Ayeyarwady (watch fishermen haul in their nets) 10:00 AM: Visit a pottery village (watch artisans shape clay by hand) 1:00 PM: Escape the heat with sugarcane juice and a hammock nap 4:00 PM: Chauk’s secret sunset spot (a dusty hill with 360° views) 💡 Survival Tips ✔ Hydrate like your life depends on it (it does) ✔ Wear closed-toe shoes (the sand gets scorching) ✔ Learn “Hna lone leh?” (“Is this delicious?”—gets you extra samples) Chauk isn’t pretty. It’s hot, loud, and smells like an oil rig. And I’d go back in a heartbeat. 🏜️ #DesertVibes

Climbing Mount Popa is really worth the effort. From the peak, you can see dramatic surrounding valleys, and if it’s a clear day, you can get a view to vast distances; including Bagan and the Irrawaddy River, and sometimes further. In your journey, beside the best view of the Popa Taungkalat Monastery, you could also be impressed by a kingdom of flora and fauna, including many beautiful and colorful species of birds and butterflies. It takes you about 3 to 4 hours in one-way trekking to the peak with some effort needed. Remember to pack plenty of drinks and snacks. On the slope of the Mount Popa, there is a sacred Popa Taungkalat Monastery perching dramatically atop a huge volcanic plug. The name Taungkalat means ‘Pedestal Hill’. It is famous for being home to 37 nats - Burmese spirits - which are represented by statues at the base of the volcanic outcrop. You will have to climb up 777 steps to reach the monastery – that is entirely surrounded by sheer cliff faces - where you will find stunning 360-degree panorama views of the surrounding plains, Mount Popa itself and a labyrinth of shrines to explore. But please be aware of pickpockets. These little locals may look curious and friendly from a distance, but may quickly get anything they can from food to purse or camera…

#timetotravel Mount Popa is a stratovolcano in central Myanmar, and is the northernmost major summit in the Pegu Range. The mountain is southeast of the popular tourist destination Bagan, and is located within and protected by Mt. Popa National Park. The name Popa is believed to derive from the Sanskrit word puppa, meaning flower. The northern section of Mt. Popa’s crater rim has collapsed, leaving a deep, mile-wide caldera, with just over half of the crater rim intact. As with many volcanoes, volcanic ash has contributed to rich soil, and the base of the volcano is covered in lush vegetation, thinning to grass on the outer slopes as one reaches the upper mountain. Mount Popa is a popular destination for local people, and there is much history and many legends involving the mountain.

Recommended for Myanmar Minority Resort! Look at the city of the sky and feel the wonderland of the world "Popa Mountain Resort" did not expect to live in Myanmar, occasionally found the small Popa Mountain Resort, hidden in the deep forest in. The spacious balcony overlooks the sky city-like Popa Mountain, sitting on the balcony and taking a cup of tea to read a book, stealing a half-day leisure... white gauze bed with a warm light, giving you a dream. The favorite is of course the viewing pool. At sunset, when the sun's afterglow is spilled on the pool, the distant Popa Mountain and the pool water are all golden at this time, it is most suitable for taking beautiful silhouette photos. The temperature difference between morning and evening is relatively large. I have been to the environmental swimming pool, I can go at noon, and the open-air swimming pool will not dry at all! The restaurant at is also superb, and the large viewing platform, whether it is breakfast or dinner, is quite good. The dishes offered at dinner include Burmese, Thai, and Western dishes. I have been eating Burmese food for a few days, and my stomach can't stand it, so it is quite good to order western food here. There are only a few sets of forest luxury suites per day, which need to be booked in advance. It is about 850 yuan a night, reaching a four-star level.