2025 Sittwe Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in May)

#springitinerary "Where colonial relics meet Rakhine culture on Myanmar's western frontier" ✈️ GETTING THERE From Yangon: 1hr flight (180,000 kyat) or 24hr bus (35,000 kyat) Permit Required: Foreigners need Rakhine State travel authorization Best Transport: Trishaws (3,000 kyat/short ride) or rental bicycles 🌅 DAY 1: Colonial Heritage & Waterfront ☀️ MORNING 6:30 AM Viewpoint Hill Sunrise Panoramic views over Kaladan River and Bay of Bengal Pro Tip: Spot dolphins from the old British lighthouse 8:30 AM Breakfast at Lucky Star Try Mont Di (Rakhine fish noodle soup) 🏛️ MIDDAY 10:30 AM Sittwe Heritage Walk See crumbling British-era buildings on Main Road 1:00 PM Lunch at Mrauk U House Must-order: Rakhine-style Chili Fish Curry 🌇 EVENING 4:00 PM Boat to Ohn Taw Gyi Pagoda Golden stupa on a tidal island (5,000 kyat return) 7:00 PM Night Market near Jetty Sample Shutki (fermented fish paste) with rice 🚤 DAY 2: River Adventures 🌄 MORNING 7:00 AM Kaladan River Cruise Longtail boat through mangrove forests (20,000 kyat) 10:00 AM Ponnagyun Village Visit Traditional Rakhine weaving demonstrations 🛕 AFTERNOON 12:30 PM Lunch at Shwe Myint Mo Riverside Prawn Balachaung (spicy dried shrimp) 2:30 PM Buddha Museum Rare 9th-century Arakanese Buddha images 🌙 EVENING 6:00 PM Sunset at Nat Maw Beach Secluded black-sand shoreline 💰 BUDGET (2D1N) Accommodation: $25-80 (limited hotels available) Food: 15,000 kyat/day Activities: 25,000 kyat (boat trips + entry fees) 📸 MUST-CAPTURE: Colonial buildings with peeling facades Ohn Taw Gyi Pagoda at high tide Kaladan River fishing boats 🍽️ RAKHINE SPECIALTIES: Kya Zan Thee (glass noodle salad) Ngapi Ye (fermented fish dip) Htawbat (rice flour pancakes) ⚠️ TRAVEL NOTES: Check current security situation before visiting Best season: Nov-Feb (cooler & dry) Carry cash - no ATMs for foreigners "Sittwe is Myanmar's forgotten colonial outpost - where time stands still amid whispering palms and tidal rhythms."

④ // Talk about Sittwe with eleven black and white photos I bought a ticket for this morning's departure the night before, and I considered it the bottom line among all the bottom lines. This time I left Yangon to visit Rakhine State. There are seven states in Myanmar, and Rakhine State is the westernmost state in Myanmar. Further west is the Bay of Bengal. Rakhine State is said to be the most beautiful beach in Myanmar, and it also has an ancient city called Mrauk U (or translated as Mrauk U) that is not inferior to Bagan. It is supposed to be a tourist attraction, but there are unusually few tourists. The hotel owner where he stayed said with some helplessness that it was because the Rohingya conflict had been mentioned repeatedly in the news in recent years, scaring away tourists. My first stop in Rakhine State was Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State. Sittwe is a port city, the largest city and seaport on the Bay of Bengal. The British colonial period made Sittwe prosperous for a while, but it also brought a large number of Indians and Bengalis to her, leaving behind "Indian Muslims" and "Rohingya Muslims", who are the ancestors of the Rohingya people. The British rule of "ruling Burma with India" planted the seeds of ethnic conflict. The long-term lack of recognition has brought Rohingya refugees to the attention of the international stage and led to many bloody conflicts. However, walking on the streets of Sittwe basically feels peaceful, and I only notice that the locals are still unfamiliar with tourists. Basically wherever I go, I get weird looks. Although this was not the first time I had set foot in a place with few tourists, I still felt uncomfortable being stared at at first. But as I walked, I realized that none of them actually meant any harm. Maybe they just didn’t have many tourists, or maybe they just didn’t have many solo girls like me. Anyone who has been to Sittwe knows that there are actually few tourist attractions in Sittwe. If we really want to talk about attractions, we only have the Golden Pagoda, the Rakhine State Cultural Museum, and the beaches and observation decks on the seaside. But I wasn’t very interested in any of these, so I went directly to the Central Market as soon as I arrived. The so-called Central Market is actually a street market for local people, selling fish, vegetables, daily necessities, and everything else. Just like most Myanmar street markets, the passages in the market are very narrow, and crowds of people are rushing to the left and right, making it impossible to pass through. I didn't buy anything, but I stayed in the market all afternoon. I was struck by how busy the locals were. Men, women, old and children were all busy with their business. When I walked among them, basically no one would notice the existence of me, a foreigner. I just like this simple sense of daily life, getting lost in other people's busyness until I reach the end of the market. At the end of the market is the port where locals park their boats. The fishing boats dock one by one, and the fishermen get on and off one by one until the sun sets. Sitting at the port, I didn't notice the passage of time. Looking at my watch, it turned out to be almost six o'clock in the afternoon. I just sat on the shore and watched other people's busy work for four or five hours. Many of them tried to come over and chat with me, but unfortunately we couldn't understand the language. Our conversation was limited to "Hello" and "I'm from Hong Kong." On the way back to the hotel on foot, we passed the Jama Mosque in the city center. It was originally a grand and beautiful mosque, but it has been closed since the large-scale riots by the Rohingya people in 2012. I wanted to get closer and take a look at the temple's appearance, but when I was still a long way from the door, the military police stationed at the door with guns in hand had already politely asked me to leave. The tight guards outside the mosque did make me shudder a little, but it did not damage my impression of Sittwe. However, like many tourists, my main purpose of coming to Sittwe is to go to Mrauk-U, so I quickly bought a ferry ticket to Mrauk-U at noon tomorrow, had something to eat, and then returned to the hotel. Send me eleven black and white photos taken on the road.

#timetotravel

The children in the village of Luo Xingya are still pure, and their eyes are full of simple smiles. In the vast farmland near the village of Rakhine, the children with dirt are playing freely. Facing the camera, I showed a sweet smile. The hot sun has created the hot enthusiasm of Luoxingya people, and they have entered the real life of ordinary people. They always have an inherent smile to impress you. In the face of rare strange faces, Rohingyas childrens smiles are simple and natural, without any complicated modifications, but make every traveller feel unforgettable. Rhoxingya people are poor, but they are naturally optimistic and enthusiastic. Whether walking in the streets or in the fields of Rohingya village, there will always be a lot of enthusiastic people, laughing and waving at you, saying hello. When you pessimistically complain about life, the whole world is crying with you sadly; when you are optimistic about life, the whole world is smiling at you joyfully.

Haka, the capital city of Chin State, is always overlooked by the rain. When the time came here, the sky was always raining, causing a lot of inconvenience for the trip. The city consists of two straight streets. The pace of life here is very slow, and people on the roadside are extraordinarily laid-back. If the sun comes, it will be more beautiful and charming.

The Gilling Temple, the west gate of Myanmar, is also the starting point to the mountains of Chin State. In addition to the beautiful scenery, this mysterious city has some modern buildings that are much more developed than imagined. The environment here is also very beautiful. Standing on a distant mountain peak, overlooking the Jiling Temple and the surrounding countryside, it is enveloped in a lush greenery, and the scenery is very charming.

The small town of western Myanmar is a wise man hidden in the mountains. The quiet villages, the beautiful beaches, and the mysterious minority residents make it full of unique charm and become the heart of the Burmese. One side of the pure land. Into Sittwe, the magnificent sea sunset, the elegant pastoral style, the rolling hills and the winding rivers are all beautiful and fascinating.

Sittwe, the capital city of Rakhine State, embraces the golden Bay of Bengal. Around the city, rivers and rivers, hidden beautiful countless beautiful villages, and mysterious mountain minority. In this beautiful city, I will always fall in love with the landscape here and fall in love with the simple people here.

Sittwe Beach in the south of Sittwe has no white sandy beaches, no dense coconut groves, only black sandy beaches, and quietly embraces the rushing Bay of Bengal. However, when sunset, the golden light shrouds the earth, and all the words of praise are hard to describe the shock in front of you. Sittwe, under the care of the Golden Bay of Bengal, is extremely charming.

The beautiful Katangan River, quietly passing through the villages around Sittwe, whether it is a quiet river, quiet and beautiful villages, stupa reflected in the water, or the enthusiastic villagers around, are fascinating. A boating on this quiet and peaceful river, watching the coast continue to transform the dreamy and moving scenery, very beautiful and romantic.

The bleak village of Afghan is located on the bank of the Danang River. When the foraging cows shuttle between the playgrounds, the green rice fields in the distance can be tumbling in the wind. This is a beautiful view of the picture. If there is enough time, quietly taste the fear of An Village, you will find a long-lost peace of mind.

When walking in the village of Rohingya in Rakhine State, looking around with a curious mood, those wonderful scenery moments stop in the heart. However, as time goes by, it slowly disappears; only the piece of Zhang pure smile, originally not deliberately remembered, but in a casual moment, forever in the heart. Rohingya is a Muslim ethnic group in the Arakan region of Rakhine State, Myanmar. It is a direct descendant of Arab Muslims, Afghans, Moors, Persians, Turks, Indians and Bengalis. When Britain colonized Southeast Asia, it was requisitioned by the colonists of East India to work in Myanmar. Most of them came to Rakhine from the sea. The hot sun has created the burning enthusiasm of Luoxingya people. Although this is a controversial nation, walking into the real life of ordinary people, they always have an inherent smile to impress you. Because of the long-term closure, it is rarely disturbed by the outside world. In the face of rare strange faces, Rohingyas childrens smiles are simple and natural, without any complicated modifications, but make every feeling Travellers are unforgettable.