Family holidays to Myanmar

The former capital, better known as Rangoon, is where most visitors arrive in Myanmar. It’s a breathtakingly exotic city with many of the country’s most celebrated sacred sites and nowhere else has quite the same long and fascinating heritage. The grand colonial architecture is a little faded in places but still magnificent. Shwedagon Paya – Myanmar’s legendary pagoda – justifies an overnight stay itself. And teenagers will love the brilliantly noisy clamour and colour of Chinatown for stranger than strange markets, street food and sheer eccentricity.

• Don’t miss: 45m high Sule Paya and the surrounding Colonial Quarter; the booksellers on Pansodan Street; food and puppets at Bogyoke Aung San Market; a rickshaw tour of Dala Town; Inya Lake where Aung San Suu Kyi was held under house arrest for 15 years.

Ngapali, Western Myanmar

From November to March, temperatures in Ngapali hover between 27 and 30˚ every day. The skies are blue, the beaches are bone-white and the Bay of Bengal’s waters are warm and crystal clear. Gorgeous resort hotels string along the coast against lush, green jungle-like forest. Fresh seafood is the staple of pretty restaurants in tiny fishing villages. Locals wander along the sands selling fruit and Buddhist monks occasionally stroll by. Try to imagine Thailand’s islands about twenty years ago and that’s Ngapali now.

• Ngapali is an hour’s flight from Yangon.
• Ngapali Beach is the largest and loveliest of the four beaches surrounding Ngapali Town. It’s also where to find exquisite waterfront resorts, discretely spaced overlooking flawless white sands and the Indian Ocean.
• The atmosphere’s laid-back and barefoot, jet skis and outboard motors are forbidden on all beaches.
• Days here are spent, swimming, kayaking, exploring local towns, trekking, hiking and cruising in traditional wooden sailboats.
• An idyllic beach holiday for younger kids and a brilliant finale to a tour of Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay with older children and teenagers.
• Don’t miss: kayaking through mangrove swamps; Kippling Bay and Linthar Village; spas on Ngapali North Beach; cycling along the coast; the golden pagodas of Thandwe; Salone Buddhist Monastery; climbing Amata Mountain; snorkelling at Pearl Island.

The spiritual heartland of this mysterious country, whether you think of it as ancient Burma or modern Myanmar, is the central plain of Bagan. A 67km² landscape where thousands of towers and temples pierce dense jungle canopies and seem to stretch to an infinite horizon. It’s one of the most breathtakingly beautiful areas in Asia and shouldn’t be missed if you’re travelling with older kids.

• The city of Bagan is the centre of the Bagan archaeological complex and the best base for touring.
• Old Bagan, on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River, is touristy but still quite picturesque and atmospheric, good for top and mid-range hotels.
• There are over 2000 temples and stupa in the area. The collective landscape is astonishing and the most historic monuments are included in a range of tours.
• 11^th century Ananda Pahto is the most revered of all the Bagan temples.
• Guided bike tours are a fun way for kids to see the major temples and avoid cultural overload.
• November to March temperatures rise up to 30˚ and the weather’s dry and sunny. This is the busiest time of year. Avoid March, April and May, it’s unbearably hot with highs of 40˚.
• June, July and August is Myanmar’s rainy season, but in the dry central plain there’s little rainfall and temperatures sit between 25 and 27˚. This is the quietest and least expensive time to visit Bagan.

Northern Myanmar is a restricted travel zone and not recommended for family holidays. If you’re planning to visit, check out UK Government Advice first.