Get away from the crowded, dusty downtown area when you stay at this beautiful Yangon hotel

The facade of the Best Western Green Hill Hotel in Yangon. Photo: Best Western Green Hill

Some views just leave you rooted to the spot for a long time. My mistake was checking out the view from my room’s expansive windows after just stepping inside. There went my plan of getting down to unpacking and planning for the day ahead.

The view that had me enthralled was the golden sheen in the distance, set among a sea of trees, with roofs of buildings jutting out among them. That yellow glint came from a giant stupa of a pagoda – and not just any pagoda but the iconic Shwedagon. This 2,500-year-old structure is arguably the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site in all of Myanmar. It is situated on a hill, and the main stupa reaches a height of 110m.