I slept like a baby on my VIP night bus from Yangon to Bagan, waking just once for 11pm "dinner" a few hours into the journey. This brand new rest stop was a stark contrast to the bare bones roadside stands I've mostly seen on this trip. Air con dining hall, clean bathrooms, staff on hand to serve you, and surveys handed out to try to improve. Of all my bus stops, the best one was in Myanmar?
Well rested, I took to the hot sand to explore the thousands of temples that made Bagan famous. Over 10,000 are believed to have been built between the 11th and 13th centuries with over 2,200 brick temples, pagodas, and stupas remaining today. Some are scattered around town between houses and shops, most are reached on sandy trails that shoot off from the main roads, nestled in patches of sand among greenery and palms.
No shoes allowed around the monuments meant walking barefoot on scorching hot sand, gravel, and brick. At the less visited pagodas, a sense of calm would blanket the interior upon stepping inside. The cool, shaded floor offered respite from the heat outside. There was at least one Buddha statue inside, quiet corridors in the larger ones, and sometimes a cramped staircase leading to an exposed upper level. Alongside tourists, Buddhists come here to worship as these are still active religious sites.
Sometimes locals held the key to those steps (I don't know how that arrangement worked...), or would show you around inside with their torch--for a tip, of course. Some temple walls still have original paintings intact. Busier temple floors were usually covered in paintings or souvenirs for sale, with other goods on display outside and along the roads.
Especially impressive was a towering, 1,000 year old Buddha carved from a single teak trunk.
In some areas, there might not be any other pagodas in sight until walking around the back, when the next would appear. These less popular spots were the best, calm, empty, and free from hawkers. From higher viewpoints, the endless pagodas dotting the green just didn't seem to end.
I turned in early as my next morning would start before the sun. Sunrise over the temples is a must-do in Bagan. Those with the budget take to the skies in a hot air balloon. Everyone else hits the sand. Tourists are banned from driving, or even riding on the back of, motorbikes here. So some thinker found a loophole: e-bikes. These electric scooters top out at 40km/hr, and can be hired for less than $4/day. It's really the way to go because walking around 100 square kilometers in desert heat just isn't that fun.
These make exploring the unmarked trails more enjoyable, as little is lost when you hit a dead end or take a wrong turn, and you're sure to come across a hidden gem. A group of us and a guide left our hostel at 5:30 to a pagoda we could climb up for some great views. We were early and got seats, but it quickly filled up. And this was one of the less visited; the most popular sunrise spots may have a hundred tourists fighting for precious tripod space.
Just as the sun appeared, so did a balloon. And 20 more followed to make that famous view I probably first saw on a Windows desktop background.
The day was spent exploring, zipping around by e-bike. It was a thrill to not need a map, knowing that any turn would eventually lead to a temple. The bit of walking around each temple was more than enough under the hot sun.
Back at the hostel, I asked for the best sunset spot. The front desk shared a hidden temple (there are many among the 2,200) that has excellent views without the crowds. Following his directions, we passed a man-made hill that was built as a viewpoint. But buses lined up out front and it was fully packed. It was then down a narrow sandy path through tall grass to a well preserved (or restored), sizeable pagoda with plenty of room on the upper deck. The hardest part was the narrow interior crawlspace of a staircase that led upstairs.
Upon arrival there were two other guests up top. We maxed out at maybe 20 and everyone had a great view.
I spent the next few days cruising around by e-bike, discovering more hidden ancient temples and breaking for some really good Burmese food from local spots. Even as the most touristy spot in Myanmar, I loved Bagan. It's still possible to get off the beaten path to quieter spots and imagine this place 1,000 years ago...
Well rested, I took to the hot sand to explore the thousands of temples that made Bagan famous. Over 10,000 are believed to have been built between the 11th and 13th centuries with over 2,200 brick temples, pagodas, and stupas remaining today. Some are scattered around town between houses and shops, most are reached on sandy trails that shoot off from the main roads, nestled in patches of sand among greenery and palms.
No shoes allowed around the monuments meant walking barefoot on scorching hot sand, gravel, and brick. At the less visited pagodas, a sense of calm would blanket the interior upon stepping inside. The cool, shaded floor offered respite from the heat outside. There was at least one Buddha statue inside, quiet corridors in the larger ones, and sometimes a cramped staircase leading to an exposed upper level. Alongside tourists, Buddhists come here to worship as these are still active religious sites.
Sometimes locals held the key to those steps (I don't know how that arrangement worked...), or would show you around inside with their torch--for a tip, of course. Some temple walls still have original paintings intact. Busier temple floors were usually covered in paintings or souvenirs for sale, with other goods on display outside and along the roads.
Especially impressive was a towering, 1,000 year old Buddha carved from a single teak trunk.
In some areas, there might not be any other pagodas in sight until walking around the back, when the next would appear. These less popular spots were the best, calm, empty, and free from hawkers. From higher viewpoints, the endless pagodas dotting the green just didn't seem to end.
Up close they ranged from stupas not much taller than me to huge complexes. A major earthquake in 1974 did serious damage to the ruins, as did another one in 2016. Today quite a few are totally closed for safety reasons, and bamboo scaffolding cover others for repairs and restoration.
These make exploring the unmarked trails more enjoyable, as little is lost when you hit a dead end or take a wrong turn, and you're sure to come across a hidden gem. A group of us and a guide left our hostel at 5:30 to a pagoda we could climb up for some great views. We were early and got seats, but it quickly filled up. And this was one of the less visited; the most popular sunrise spots may have a hundred tourists fighting for precious tripod space.
Just as the sun appeared, so did a balloon. And 20 more followed to make that famous view I probably first saw on a Windows desktop background.
The day was spent exploring, zipping around by e-bike. It was a thrill to not need a map, knowing that any turn would eventually lead to a temple. The bit of walking around each temple was more than enough under the hot sun.
Back at the hostel, I asked for the best sunset spot. The front desk shared a hidden temple (there are many among the 2,200) that has excellent views without the crowds. Following his directions, we passed a man-made hill that was built as a viewpoint. But buses lined up out front and it was fully packed. It was then down a narrow sandy path through tall grass to a well preserved (or restored), sizeable pagoda with plenty of room on the upper deck. The hardest part was the narrow interior crawlspace of a staircase that led upstairs.
Upon arrival there were two other guests up top. We maxed out at maybe 20 and everyone had a great view.
I spent the next few days cruising around by e-bike, discovering more hidden ancient temples and breaking for some really good Burmese food from local spots. Even as the most touristy spot in Myanmar, I loved Bagan. It's still possible to get off the beaten path to quieter spots and imagine this place 1,000 years ago...