The Destination Asia Myanmar team recently visited the Strand Hotel to inspect the restaurant, café, bar and suites before embarking on a walking tour of the local area to assist with developing a similar option.
As expected, the newly renovated Executive and Strand Suite are particularly grand. We were also informed by the Strand team about the Strand Cruise and upcoming G Hotel, opening at the end of 2017. It is set to be the trendiest hotel in Yangon and located in the Upper downtown area. The residence will boast a rooftop bar, reception lobby with sleek design and extra offerings such as a free mobile with SIM card for all guests.
Following a short orientation and the provision of a map, we set off to discover the colonial heritage of Yangon. Our guide was Chang Yein, a permanent guide at Destination Asia and University lecturer for the National guide training – and founding member of the Myanmar Guide Association. We learned most buildings were built in the early 1900’s and were initially British owned trading buildings or banks, some of them also Scottish, Indian and Armenian properties. After absorbing all this fascinating knowledge, the team are now constructing a walking tour of the neighborhood that will include passing architectural structures such as, the Australian Embassy, British Embassy, Colonial buildings on Bo Aung Kyaw and St John Armenian Church among many other fascinating sites.
