Five Reasons to Visit Rangoon

With Burma finally opening up, it seems that Rangoon has rocketed to the top of everyone’s must-go-now list. But thankfully, this captivating Southeast Asian city is still a long way from being the next tourist trap. As yet unsullied by the trappings of breakneck development, Rangoon has plenty to please the frontier-destination traveler. Clamber aboard a trishaw for a cruise along tree-lined boulevards flanked by dilapidated British-colonial-era buildings. Follow in the footsteps of coquettish young couples as they steal a stroll along the banks of lotus-bedecked Kandawgyi Lake. Visit run-down museums filled with priceless artifacts. One of the best times to visit is Thingyan, the New Year Water Festival, from April 13 to 16, when Burmese congregate to eat, drink and give everyone and everything a thorough soaking. Still not convinced? Here are five more reasons to check out Rangoon, before everyone else does.

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1 Shwedagon Pagoda
As any local will tell you, if you haven’t been to Shwedagon Pagoda, you haven’t been to Rangoon. A 2,500-year-old complex of temples, stupas and statues, it is the city’s living heart and the scene of dawn-to-dusk magic, from ethereal sunrise chanting to the late-night worship of barefoot devotees. The main stupa is mind-boggling, covered with gold and crusted with rubies, sapphires and an alleged 5,448 diamonds, the largest of which tips the scales at 76 carats.

2 House of Memories
It’s billed as a piano bar, restaurant and “living museum” — and the first two of those claims are upheld pretty well, thanks to an extensive menu of cocktails and delicious Burmese, Chinese and Western cuisine. The museum part isn’t so successful — many artifacts, mostly wartime and colonial-era family memorabilia, are in pretty bad shape — but the ambience of this 175-year-old villa can’t be faulted. The main attraction — a room that served as General Aung San’s secret office — is also worth a look. His typewriter, desk and armchair have been left as they were when the house doubled as the base for the Burma Independence Army’s operations. And if you look closely at the framed portraits on the walls, you’ll spot the Lady herself, Aung San Suu Kyi. For reservations, call (95-1) 525 195; 290 U Wisara Road.

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3 Modern Tea Shop
This 18-year-old, iron-roofed institution is one of Rangoon’s most popular tea shops, frequented by a mixed clientele of giggling, well-dressed young Burmese and old men putting the world to rights. A hot tea with condensed milk, plus a slab of cake, pie or flaky paratha doused in sugar costs around 40 cents. Additional entertainment comes from owner Ko Kyaw and his brother as they scold lanky young busboys through betel-stained teeth and marshal squads of red-faced kitchen staff working huge blackened kettles over roaring open fires. Take a seat at one of the low wooden tables and soak up the ambience. Call (95-1) 511 2012; 91 Tamway Road.

4 Chinatown
Start your exploration at Sule Pagoda, said to predate Shwedagon and to contain a hair of the Buddha. Then head west along Maha Bandoola Road, where the potholed pavements fronting gold shops, Chinese medicine shops and restaurants double as a bazaar. Teens perusing laminated images of local pop stars and betel-nut buyers jockey for position with vendors of noodles, dumplings and ice-cold beer. Don’t miss Theingyi market, where locals bargain for food and household necessities.

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5 Strand Hotel
The guest book of this colonial-era gem includes the signatures of George Orwell and Rudyard Kipling, and many of the Victorian features enjoyed by these illustrious guests have been maintained. A colonnaded entranceway opens into a marble-inlaid lobby where butlers in tighpone dress jackets and traditional longyi and slippers coax an ancient elevator into submission. There have been some changes, though: the original 50 rooms have been converted into 32 suites, and the bar has been given a few licks of paint since the occupying Japanese used it as a wartime stable. Go for a whiskey sour after a day of sightseeing. For details, visit ghmhotels.com; tel: (95-1) 243 377; 92 Strand Road.

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