It is safe again around the Mt Popa located in NyaungU District’s Kyaukpadaung Township in Mandalay Region, and there are some day trippers going hiking despite overnight stay still being prohibited, said a resident.
Hiking was banned on 28 December for security concerns; however, there are visitors at the Taung Kalat regularly.
An event called Popa Jungle Trail Run 2025 was organized this month at the Mt Popa, and many participants joined.
“It means hiking is allowed for a day trip. But overnight stay is still prohibited. Camping overnight at the summit has been banned since December,” he added.
At present, there are just a few hikers to Mount Popa, but visitors have flocked to Kalaw in Shan State and Hpa-an in Kayin State, he said.
“Daytrip has just resumed, so people don’t know about it yet,” he added. It is expected that the visitor arrival at Mount Popa will rise again in September and October, he said. — Htet Oo Maung/ZS/Ed

GNLM

The visitor arrival has increased to Hpa-an, which is popular among local tourists for its natural landscapes, which look stunning, especially in the monsoon, leading most of the well-known hotels to be fully booked for this July.
Under social media posts by travel agencies, many comments express their interest in visiting the city. “Generally, visitors go to Hpa-an through tour packages. Local tour operators mostly have partnered with well-known hotels, so most of them have been fully booked now. The visitor arrival is always large on weekends,” said a Hpa-an resident.
A comment said, if you have a planned trip to Hpa-an, you will need to book in advance because hotel rooms are usually occupied on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Some said they have made enquiries about whether it is fine to launch their visit in August, as it has been raining a lot.
Mount Zwekabin, Mount Taung Wine, Mount Kyar Inn, Naung Ka Laing, Htun Pa Taing Lake, Thabawa Cave, Rathaepyan Cave, Bayin Nyi Cave, Sadan Cave, Kawgun Cave and the Blue Lake are popular and famous destinations in Hpa-an. — MT/ZS

Source: GNLM

Mt.Fuji climbing season opened from Yamanashi Prefecture side with new restrictions on Tuesday. This year’s measures include a daily limit of 4,000 climbers and a charge of about 28 dollars, each. It is also closing the climbing trail from 2 p.m. until 3 a.m. the following day. The climbing season runs to September 10 and Shizuoka Prefecture will open its side of the mountain to climbers on July 10.

mitv

Authorities in Hội An City, Quảng Nam province of Viet Nam have recently launched a pilot Kim Bồng Countryside Market to celebrate the cultural heritage of Kim Bồng village and Hội An ancient town while creating a new highlight for community-based tourism.

For many, it serves not just as a spot for local cuisine and shopping but as a place to relive childhood memories amid modern life. The market is held at the Kim Bồng Traditional Craft Center in the nearly 500-year-old carpentry village. It recreates the rural market atmosphere of the mid-20th century, which is deeply connected to the cultural heritage of Hội An’s old town.

mitv

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

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

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