The pirates of Syriam

• Stop en route at the quirky, yet surprisingly informative National Races Village.
• Visit the ruins of a Portugese church and the tomb of pirates that’s located inside.
• Stimulate your senses with the colours, sounds and smells of Thanlyin’s daily market.
• Discover rare examples of Buddhist artwork at the important Buddhist pilgrimage sites of Kyauktan Ye Le and Kyaikkhauk.

This morning you will be picked up from your hotel (or a destination of your choosing) and driven approximately one hour out of town to the National Races Village. Although in need of some TLC, a visit here serves up an authentic taste of local life and a condensed insight into Myanmar’s rich and incredibly diverse ethnic make-up. Due to the large and spread out nature of it all, it is recommended that you explore using a bicycle – these are available to rent from the main entrance. Once inside you’ll be able to freely explore the areas that make up the attraction, including the Mon village, Kayin Village, Reed Lake and Mt. Khakaborazi. For a great view, be sure to climb Nan Myint Tower.

Continue on to Thanlyin via a 2.2km long bridge. As you pass over, you’ll get to see a rarely seen view of Yangon’s mostly low-rise cityscape, with Shwedagon Pagoda clearly dominating everything in the distance. Towards the Thanlyin side, you will notice Star City, a fast-growing, affordable community development popular with Yangon’s burgeoning expat community.

Over the last 500 years, this small unassuming city has witnessed a lot, not only the love story between Princess Shin Mway Loon and Prince Min Nandar (please ask your guide to recite the story of Nga Moe Yeik). In 1539 the Portuguese invaded with the help of Rakhine forces, eventually renaming it Sirião. It was then reconquered by the Burmese in 1613, with the help of Portuguese ruler, Filipe de Brito e Nicote. In the 18th century it became the temporary base of the French East India Company, only for them to be forced out by King Alaungpaya when he invaded in 1756. In in 1852, shortly after the Second Anglo-Burmese War, it became part of the British Empire. After Burma became an independent republic in 1948, Thanlyin was more or less forgotten about until the construction of the Thanlyin Bridge in 1993. Since then, the city’s seen three universities established, a new port and Star City pop up.

The first evidence you’ll see of the city’s turbulent history is the ruins of a Portuguese Church, thought to have been built in the mid-18th century. Recently the Department of Archaeology has carried out a massive clean-up operation, ridding the area of wild grass, along with its slithery reptile inhabitants. Step inside the church and you’ll immediately notice a solitary, gaudy looking shelter, the purpose of which is to protect a heavily weathered 200-year-old tomb stone. Look carefully and you’ll notice a skull and cross bone icon embossed into the top. Although little information is known, this is believed to be the resting place of pirates, many of whom would have lost their lives due to tropical diseases such as malaria.

From here, it’s then a five-minute drive into the centre of town, where you’ll find a bustling daily market selling everything from dubious herbal concoctions to dried fish. As you explore the various alleys that make-up the markey, please excuse the curious stares from local market-goers, as it’s not very often they get the chance to see international visitors. Hardy adventurers may wish to wonder through the meat and fish section – please inform your guide if you would prefer to miss this out.

Just across the road from the market (assuming you’ve entered from the front side). you’ll also find an impressive colonial building, seemingly camouflaged due to its mantis shade of green. This is home to the branch office of Yangon City Development Council (YCDC). Unfortunately, it’s not possible to go inside, but thanks to recently relaxed laws, it’s now possible to photograph. A few years ago, this was not the case, so we like to think is a positive indication of change.

After visiting the market we’d recommend stopping somewhere for lunch. You have two options; the first would be driving to Star City (perhaps not your average tourist attraction), which is home to a very good variety of restaurants including Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Indian, Myanmar and a recently added healthy eating option. The second option would be to stop at one of the nearby local restaurants. The choice is yours.

The next part of our adventure will see us drive 45-minutes south of Thanlyin to Kyauktan Township, home of Ye Le Pagoda, a popular Buddhist site said to be over 2000 years old. Inside you will find a grand collection of ancient Buddhist artwork, proudly displayed throughout the various prayer halls. Part of the fun is taking the longtail boat across to the island on which it’s located.

Retracing our steps back towards Thanlyin, our final stop will be Kyaik Khauk Pagoda. Built in the style of Shwedagon Pagoda, the main structure has been enlarged and renovated many times to the point that it’s many times larger than its original form. Due to it being located on a hilltop, Kyaik Khauk commands a very nice over Thalyin and its surrounds. From here you can just about make out Thilawa Port (the largest port in Myanmar) and the oil refinery originally set up by the British during colonial occupation.

From Kyaik Khauk Pagoda, drive back to your hotel in time for dinner. Depending on traffic conditions, we’d expect this to take approximately one hour.

• Any meals
• Accommodation

• A supplementary fee may apply on certain days – Tour Mandalay will inform you of this beforehand.
• At pagodas will be expected to remove your shoes. Entering without doing so is strictly prohibited. Avoid showing too much skin – if your attire is deemed inappropriate you will be turned away.