Burma's Mon State is a long, thin coastal region in Burma sandwiches between Kayin state and the Andaman Sea.

For visitors to Burma it makes for an excellent few days of exploring from Yangon in combination with a visit to Hpa An in neighbouring Kayin State.

Highlights of Mon State include the spectacular Golden Rock - a gold-leaf covered boulder perched precariously on a cliff-edge. The Golden Rock is more than simply a natural curiosity, as a visit here will reveal much about traditional Burmese culture and religious beliefs.

The old colonial town of Mawlamyine (Moulmein) is famous for its Kipling associations and old buildings.

Thaton meanwhile has vestiges of the former Royal Capital which ruled Burma between the 9th and 11th centuries.