Yangon
The majestic stupa spire of the Shwedagon Pagoda, hilted with glittering diamonds, is a lingering testament to the Buddhist roots of this Burmese city. As sacred as it is beautiful, the pagodas surrounding it, and around Yangon, bring a numinous counterbalance to commercial machinations. Spearheaded by post-colonial optimism, with preserved colonial buildings settled alongside pockets of greenery in the urban landscape, Yangon is as distinctive as the delicious Mohinga dish.