Shwedagon Pagoda © Wikipedia Commons

Yangon is Myanmar's largest and most interesting city, and its economic and diplomatic centre despite the 2005 creation of remote Naypyidaw as official capital of the ruling military junta.

The city was occupied by the British in 1852 when it became the centre of the Burmese Raj.The resulting influx of traders, diplomats and wealth transformed the city into a glorious regional hub. The legacy of this time is evident in the decaying though stately colonial buildings found along the Rangoon river and toward the centre of town.

The shining jewel of Yangon's many attractions is Schwedagon pagoda, the golden temple visible throughout the city and an iconic sight emblematic of the country and its strong Buddhist traditions. Other attractions include 2,200 year-old Sule pagoda, the fragrant exoticism of Little India and Chinatown, and the vibrant night markets including Bogyoke Aung San Market. Inle Lake is lined with gardens and luxurious villas and provides a cooling distraction at sunset. Another worthwhile stopover is a visit to recently released pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house, on University avenue.

Yangon is hot and humid, especially at midday when most of the population takes refuge indoors or by the shade of a temple or banyan tree. It is a noisy and chaotic place too, with innumerable scooters, orange robed monks, neon signs and golden temple spires clashing in a visual landscape of uniquely Asian contradictions. Yangon is also Asia's safest city, the only positive consequence of the dictatorship that rules this country with impunity.