Family Holidays to Myanmar

• Yangon Cycle Tour
  An four hour cycle tour of Yangon with an English-speaking guide is one of the most interesting ways to get to know this great city a little better.
  
• Inle Lake, Central Myanmar
  The floating world of Inle Lake is another must-do experience to add into a multi-centre tour of Myanmar. Fabulous for cycling and sailing and famous for water markets and gardens. Daily flights from Bagan take just 35 minutes.
  
• Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery, Inle Lake
  Known as the ‘jumping cat monastery’, for centuries Nga Phe Kyaung monks have traditionally trained cats to jump through hoops. An eccentric and amazing tour.
  
• Bagan to Mandalay day cruise, Central Myanmar
  Take a day sail along the Irrawaddy River on a traditional Burmese junk. This family-friendly cruise follows the traditional route from Old Bagan to Burma’s ancient royal capital, Mandalay.
  
• Shwedagon Paya, Yangon
  There are thousands and thousands of temples across Myanmar, but Shwedagon Paya is the most sacred Buddhist site in the entire country. Even if kids aren’t interested in the details, the gold-leaf coating is sensational.
  

• Chaukhtatgyi Reclining Buddha, Yangon
  It’s possible to get Buddha fatigue in Myanmar, but the immense 14m high Chaukhtatgyi monument in Yangon restores most visitors. Chaukhtatgyi
  
• Inle Lake Wetland Reserve, Central Myanmar
  This protected national park is home to traditional lake dwelling communities and one of the more accessible areas to see indigenous wildlife.
  
• Hot Air Balloon Flights, Bagan
  Bagan has thousands of temples across a huge area, one of the few ways to see them all and appreciate the immensity and beauty of the complex is by hot-air balloon. Early morning flights are awe-inspiring.
  
• Yangon Heritage Trust Tours, Yangon
  The Yangon Heritage Trust’s dedication to protecting the historic architecture of Myanmar’s capital is inspirational. Take one of their friendly two hour walking tours and all profits go towards the Trust.
  
• Mandalay Marionette Theatre, Central Myanmar
  One of the most enchanting theatre performances ever, the Mandalay Marionettes shouldn’t be missed if you’re in the city. Traditional puppets are also for sale here.
  

Educational value for kids

• When you visit Mandalay don’t miss a walk across Taungthaman Lake on the U-Bein Bridge – it’s the world’s longest teak bridge. In the dry season it crosses over gardens cultivated on the lake bed and. In the rainy season, lake waters touch your feet.
• There’s a Buddhist relic at the heart of every ancient stupa in Bagan and most have fascinating stories attached to them.
• Spotting dozens of species of birds on Nghet Pyaw Chaung Lake near Ngapali Beach is exciting, even for novice ornithologists.

• Myanmar has South East Asia’s most diverse eco-system and an entirely new species of Gibbon was discovered here in 2016. Happily, it’s not a country for zoos and wildlife parks but a few UK companies offer specialist tours.
• Visit Nampan Village and the floating gardens on Inle Lake.
• Take a tour of Lintha Village in Ngapali – go early in the morning to see sardine fishermen and cutely gregarious local kids on their way to school.
• Go island hopping on the Bay of Bengal aboard a traditional wooden sailing boat – Pirate Island and Pearl Island are top snorkelling spots and several tours include equipment and a beach barbecue.

Getting about with kids in Myanmar

Myanmar’s dense with rainforest, out of bounds in the north and proceed-with-caution on the Thailand border. The country’s dynamic rainy season is famously dramatic and often isolates entire regions. Domestic flights are the best way to cover longer distances and manage a multi-centre family holiday. In historic cities travelling around in tuk-tuk and taxis is the norm – more adventurous types can try ox or horse drawn carts. Cycle tours are a fantastic way to engage kids with heritage sites. There are overnight train services to Bagan, Mandalay, Inle Lake and Ngapali but, standards vary, so check before booking.