While modern life may be encroaching in the shape of new hotels, restaurants and other enterprises, the country’s former capital remains very much steeped in the past. For visitors, this inclination towards the retro offers a smorgasbord of sights, smells and experiences.

Many of these can be witnessed from the battered carriages of the city’s urban rail network with the ride chugging past hidden neighborhoods, colorful markets and trackside teashops. Central Yangon, despite development, is an equally arresting blend of old and new.

Buildings such as the Secretariat on Strand Road are among the grandest legacy of British colonial architecture, while buildings like the Armenian Church, Ghandi Hall and Sule Pagoda are a must for history buffs. With traditional refreshment stops such as the Rangoon Teahouse offering liquid ballast along the way, this excursion lifts the lid on one of the region’s most charismatic cities.

“We’re always looking for a refreshing, compelling way to see Myanmar,” said Richard Ludwig, Group Product Manager.  “The different modes of transport, visiting Eastern downtown, having lunch at the new, trendy Rangoon Tea House and walking along little-seen 17th Street in Chinatown gives travellers’ insights into the city that your standard downtown tour lacks.”

Please contact [email protected] for more information and click here for the full itinerary.