Located approximately 100 kilometers from Bitlis city center, Haci Mehmet Village in Türkiye has become an increasingly popular destination for nature enthusiasts and photographers.

The village, with its centuries-old history, features traditional stone houses built along a pristine stream that not only enhances its scenic beauty but also supports local agriculture and livestock farming. The village’s unique architecture, characterized by stone houses built into the mountainside, combined with its natural water resources, has attracted growing attention from nature photographers and tourists in recent years.

The settlement’s remote location and preserved authentic character make it particularly appealing to those seeking unspoiled natural landscapes and traditional rural architecture.

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Some tourism entrepreneurs said that people are interested again in visiting Tabu Hla Dam, known as Yangon Inlay Lake, which is located at the end of Okkan Sugar Mill Road, 18 miles from Okkan, Yangon Region, and has stunning scenery, seamlessly blending with the Bago Yoma mountain range.
Although the trip to the dam is not currently common, there are still people who are making queries about it, and some operators want to develop a tourist destination.
“The main thing is the green forest. There are locals’ floating houses. People are interested in fish paste and fried fish businesses there. They want to study it. Interest in the dam dwindled in between. Now it has rebounded. Given the current situation, we had to make a moderate response to interested visitors,” said a tourism entrepreneur.
Besides observing some bird species, visitors will be interested in activities such as eating local food, boating, and walking.
“It became famous during the COVID-19 period. And the number of people coming here has increased. It has calmed down and is now booming again. In the rainy season, there is a green view. In the summer, it makes visitors feel cool and the air is clean, so it is very popular. It is a place to escape from the hustle and bustle of Yangon,” he explained. — Htet Oo Maung/ZN

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

A total of 19,243 tourists and homegrown visitors flocked to Shwethaungyan Beach in Pathein City, Ayeyawady Region, in May 2025, said Daw Cherry Myint, an executive of the Union of Myanmar Travel Association (Shwethaungyan Beach).
The beach hosts visitors throughout the year. There are over 20 hotels and guesthouses to facilitate the accommodation of the visitors.
“Shwethaungyan Beach attracted 19,243 visitors in May 2025. Most of them are day-trip visitors. There is a captivating destination (Kyauk Maunghnama Elephant Camp) close to the beach,” said Daw Cherry Myint.
Hotels along the beach are providing the following services: beachfront cleaning, landscaping and ground maintenance within the hotel compound, keeping hotel pathways clean, conducting general beach and public area cleaning and serving guests with local cuisines.
Additional tourist amenities such as safety and relaxation, rental service (bicycle, motorboat, horse riding) and markets for local specialities and souvenirs.
Shwethaungyan Beach is located near Pathein Township, Ayeyawady Region, which is eight miles away from Chaungtha Beach. The beach is four miles long, belonging to habitats that support marine life with essential resources and clean water. — ASH/KK

Locals said that beach destinations such as Chaungtha and Ngwehsaung are still receiving a moderate number of visitors during the early rainy season.
Although there are not as many tourists as during the open season, a reasonable number is still coming to relax, said a travel service provider.
“The beaches are not as crowded as the summer, but tourists are still visiting. The rain is not too heavy, so it is still moderate. Some people just want to relax and enjoy seafood, so they avoid busy time and prefer this season. It is not that there is no tourist at all, they are still coming during the early monsoon period,” said a Ngwehsaung resident.
With tourists still visiting Chaungtha, some beach hotels are offering room rates as a pre-monsoon promotion. During the rainy season, domestic travellers usually visit destinations such as Chaungtha and Ngwehsaung beaches, Hpa-an, PyinOoLwin, Kalaw and Bagan-NyaungU. — MT/ZN

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Some hotels in Hpa-an, which is a famous destination for travelling in the monsoon and the number of visitors rises every year, have been fully booked, according to visitors.
Hpa-an, a city where the natural landscape looks very attractive in the rain, draws many tourists.
“The entire environment is green as it has been raining since May, and the visitor arrival has started elevating. The city is more beautiful in June and July. Our friend group will go on a trip there in late June, but some hotels are already fully booked,” said a visitor.
People across the country, including from Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw, have gone on vacation in Hpa-an by private cars or travel and tour packages. A lot of people have booked hotel rooms for June.
Mount Zwekabin, Hpa-an Valley, Kyaukkalat, Htunpataing, Donyin Waterfall, Loonnya Blue Lake, Kyonhtaw Waterfall, Sadan Cave and Naunglone Valley are famous destinations in Hpa-an. Residents say the growth in tourist arrivals helps create more job opportunities for them and are pleased with it. — MT/ZS/Ed

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

According to the Board of Trustees of the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda in Kyaikto Township, Mon State, more than 1.17 million domestic and international pilgrims and tourists visited the site from October 2024 to mid-May 2025.
U Soe Hla, a representative of the pagoda’s board, said, “The annual pagoda festival at Kyaiktiyo begins on the full moon day of Thadingyut. Throughout the festival period, pilgrims have been visiting daily. Although the festival ends on the full moon day of Kason, visitors continue to come and pay homage. Even during the current rainy season, we are seeing over 200 visitors daily, and that number rises to about 400 on public holidays”.
To ensure visitors can pay homage safely and peacefully, the Board of Trustees and responsible officials are overseeing security arrangements, free accommodation, food and drink provisions, and healthcare services. Around 150 vehicles are operating daily to transport pilgrims up the mountain, and cable car lines are also open for public use.
The Kyaiktiyo Pagoda’s Buddha Pujaniya festival runs annually from the full moon day of Thadingyut to the full moon day of Kason. During this period, pilgrims from all corners of the country flock to the site in large numbers every day. The highest number of visitors was recorded in December 2024. — ASH/MKKS

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

WITH its natural scenery looking beautiful in the rain, Hpa-an, the capital of Kayin State, is a famous destination for tourists during the monsoon, said travel companies.
Hpa-an, where visitors can feel nature, is the best place to visit, especially for local tourists. “The natural landscape in Hpa-an is so attractive in the rain. Mountains look green just when the rain stops, and it is perfect to take photos with mountains, lakes, valleys and a viewpoint. Visiting in the rainy season gives a cosy taste, which is why tourists enjoy visiting Hpa-an,” said a travel planner.
There are many tourist destinations in Hpa-an, such as Mount Zwekabin, Thabawa Cave, Yathepyan Cave, Taungwine, Sadan Cave, Kawkathaung Cave, Htuntpataing Lake, night market stalls, Kyainn Mountain and Bayinnyi Cave.
Travelling in heavy rains isn’t convenient, so families and friends have now gone on vacation in Hpa-an in early monsoon, just before schools reopen. “Now it’s started raining, so I visited Hpa-an with my friends because it is very beautiful in the rain. It is so elegant just after rained and can make us relaxed, and it is so good for taking photos,” said a tourist. — MT/ZS

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Local tourism operators have reported that there are many travellers visiting the Kalaw-Inlay-Taunggyi route with beautiful natural scenery.
Families with children, relatives and friends are visiting before school starts.
“The weather is nice with cool rain. The scenery is very beautiful. Some families visit with children before school starts. Some also visit with their friends and relatives. The early monsoon season is a great time for taking photos with its beautiful natural scenery,” said a local tour operator.
Tourist destinations include Ohsi Hill, Kalaw Clock Tower, Kalaw rail station, Htinshu Taw, Kalaw Viewpoint, ancient Mahamuni Hnee Pagoda and interesting sites around Kalaw, and the Taunggyi-Inlay tour includes the Bawa Samsara Bridge, Sula Ooni Pagoda, Shwephonepwint Pagoda, Inlay PhaungdawOo, Alotawpauk Pagoda, traditional weaving, silversmithing, floating farms, and wineries.
In addition to the Kalaw-Inlay-Taunggyi tour, domestic travellers visit Bagan-NyaungU, PyinOoLwin, Kyaiktiyo, Hpa-an, Ngwesaung, and other domestic tours, as well as outbound destinations such as Thailand and Vietnam. — MT/ZN

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Kalaw in southern Shan State hosted a total of 31,972 homegrown visitors and tourists in January-May 2025, according to the Directorate of Hotels and Tourism (Taunggyi).
Kalaw is famous for its enchanting, serene beauty, fun activities like trekking and camping through a picturesque landscape, colonial architecture, laid-back atmosphere, refreshing climate, peaceful country sites, rich culture of ethnic people in rolling hills and breathtaking Kalaw sightseeing. It is a popular trekking place and a summer retreat. Visitors can choose different options for accommodation: hotels, motels, home-stays, bungalows and camps. After the flood inundated the Kalaw area, the number of visitors drastically dropped.
Kalaw attracted 9,474 locals and 111 tourists in January, 6,002 locals and 45 tourists in February, 7,192 locals and 69 tourists in March, 6,130 locals and 50 tourists in April and 2,866 locals and 33 tourists as of 9 May.
The most popular tourist destinations in Kalaw are Kalaw Shambhala Viewpoint, city viewpoint, Thein Hill, Yayyaungma Viewpoint, Ohsi Hill, Byike Hill, Myinmugon and Ahlantaung, among others. — ASH/KK

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

INLAY fall in Nyaungshwe, a popular summer destination, is attracting a lot of visitors from Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw, said Ko Jimmy from the Kalaw Car Rental & Photo Free Service.
The route to the waterfall from Kalaw is about three or four furlongs from the arrow shown on the road from the Bawasansara Bridge to the Khaung Taing hot spring.
“As this is a new destination near Kalaw, many people are interested to visit. People from Yangon, Mandalay, and Nay Pyi Taw came. Yangon tops among them. It is a mountain waterfall.
Sometimes, you can see groups of monkeys. To reach the waterfall, you have to walk for five to ten minutes and climb up. The bottom is a small stream, which is convenient for bathing. Now, people come to the fall to escape the heat. It is more beautiful during the rainy season, and it is now still beautiful, as the water has not decreased much.” he said.
Near the waterfall, there is a natural forest, a suspension bridge, bamboo bridges for taking photos and small huts to relax. The parking fee in the fall is K1,000 and the entrance fee is K1,000 per person.
The waterfall was opened last year and has become more popular this year due to social media posts, attracting more visitors to escape the heat. — MT/ZN

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar