LodgeKeinnara Hpa-an
Hpa-an, Kayin State
Bungalows scattered among the rice paddies, framed by the karst peaks that make Hpa-an so striking.
Mon & Kayin States
The South
Golden Rock, caves and quiet coast
South of Yangon lies a Myanmar few travellers ever reach — a region of pilgrims, pirates and limestone. Its headline act is Kyaikhtiyo, the Golden Rock: a gilded boulder balanced impossibly on the edge of a cliff, gold-leafed by generations of the faithful.
Further south, Mawlamyine’s faded colonial charm, Bilu Island’s handicraft villages and the karst spires of Hpa-an reward the journey, along with the cave-temples of Saddan and Kawgun and the moving Death Railway heritage at Thanbyuzayat.
It’s wilder, greener and quieter than the central plains — best for travellers who’ve seen the icons and want to go deeper.
Good to know
- Best time
- November–February; the south is wet during the green season
- Ideal stay
- 3–4 nights across the region
- Getting there
- Overland from Yangon — best combined into a southern loop
What to do
Highlights of The South.
01
The Golden Rock
An overnight at Kyaikhtiyo to see the floodlit boulder once the day-trippers have gone.
02
Hpa-an's caves & karst
Saddan Cave by torchlight and sunset at the pinnacle pagoda of Kyauk Ka Lat.
03
Mawlamyine & Bilu Island
Colonial streets, a seafood market and traditional handicraft workshops.
04
The Death Railway
The Burma–Siam railway cemetery and museum at Thanbyuzayat.
Where you’ll stay
Our favourite stays in The South.
LodgeJourneys that visit
See The South on these routes.
Start the conversation
Let’s design your Myanmar.
Tell us how you like to travel and one of our Yangon-based specialists will reply within two working days — with ideas, not a hard sell.