Yangon - Sittwe - Mrauk U

In 1431, King Min Saw Mon established Mrauk U as the capital of the last unified Arakanese Kingdom. An important trading port with links to Portugal, the Netherlands, Arabia, Persia and India, the city eventually reached a size of 120,000 in the mid sixteenth century.

The city offers the visitor many chances to study the cultural and a proud heritage handed down to the present day Rakhine generation by their forefathers. Mrauk U can rightfully be claimed as the "Open-air Museum" of the arts and culture of the people of Rakhine.

Starting from Sittwe, capital of the Rakhine state, you will uncover the traditional local lifestyles in this town that is located at the mouth of the Kaladan River by the Bay of Bengal. Often overlooked as a convenient stopping point for Mrauk U, Sittwe will reward you with visions of a colorful hinterland seaport with abundance of fish and crops.

Cruising upstream along the Kaladan River on a private boat, you will arrive at Mrauk U archaeological park. The ancient city is now deserted but the ruined temples form an impressive and extensive stone record of a kingdom once one of the most important and powerful in the Indian Ocean.

The most impressive of these historical edifices is the Shitthaung Temple, a fortress-like temple known for its labyrinth of tunnels while the Andawthein Ordination Hall, Ratanabon Pagoda, Dukkhanthein and Laymyetnha are other sites of cultural and archaeological value. A return boat journey via Kaladan River will bring you back to Sittwe.