There is always a popular question raising in mind of every tourist when they come to Burma for a trip tour, which is “Where should I go?” or “What to do in Myanmar?” Continue with the topic of best places to visit in Myanmar, this today article will lead you to another very famous and beautiful city in here – Bagan. If you are planning for a Myanmar tour, you should consider this suggestion because a tour to Bagan will definitely leave a good impression on you. Let’s name some most outstanding features of Bagan which can attract foreign tourists to this land.
Visiting Bagan, you will have a chance to watch over 2,000 stupas and majestic Hot Air Balloon, the relics of traditional Burmese which recalls our peaceful memories of the past. Besides, Myanmar biking tours and horse ride are two of the favorite activities of tourists going to Bagan. They are the interesting experiences that you should never skip once setting your feet here.
Overview
Many people wonder why in such a religious country like Myanmar, Bagan has, even more, temples, pagodas, and monasteries than the capital Naypyidaw. Statistically, the number of these architectures have exceeded 2,200. Occupying over the acreage of 16 square miles in the central of the country, Bagan is actually the former capital of the original Burmese Empire. The old temples were built during the period of ancient time and still remained their antique beauty up to now. Tourists spending their holidays to Myanmar when going to visit Bagan will almost take their time and go to the temples and pray for their luck and happiness. For a religious country like Myanmar, this activity is highly respected.
Climate
There is an area in Burma called “dry zone” because the amount of rainfall is very little there. Lying in the “dry zone” and in the middle of Myanmar, the climate in Bagan is really dry. The Rakhine Yoma mountain range prevents the influence of wet climate on this area. Going along with the lack of rain, the temperature in Bagan is usually high, with the average recorded above 30 Celsius degree over the year. In the summer, tourists should be prepared before visiting here because the weather is really hot, often over 35 Celsius degree. This period of time lasts from February to May. Aside from the probably worry about the weather, you can definitely enjoy your Myanmar holidays to Bagan with lots of interesting experiences. Besides, in some days, the weather is really ideal for outside activities.
Transport means
Many people wonder about what to do in Myanmar and how they can explore Bagan while they have no information about transport means here. This part of the article will help you to know about them all in detail. In general, there are 4 main types of transport means for you to move around this city. All of them have both advantages and disadvantages which will be said clearly below.
Plane:
To get to Bagan by plane, you need to reach Yangon first because this is the only location in Myanmar which has an international airport. From there, you can book a seat in an inland flight and go to Bagan within only 1 hour in your Myanmar travel tour. As mentioned before, Bagan is one of the most favorite places for tourists, so nowadays, there are flights to Bagan from every airport in Myanmar.
Train:
Trains are also another choice for you as an economical option. A perfect schedule for you should be set from 4 p.m in Yangon, and you will get into Bagan at 9 a.m the next day. Besides, when you want to save more time for your Myanmar holidays, it is also a good idea to go by train directly from Mandalay. This journey will take 7 hours to travel. However, a discomfort for many people is that the railway is not well-preserved so it is very bumpy.
Bus:
If you still want to save even more time and money, the bus system is available 24 hours per day. You can easily catch a bus to travel from Yangon or Mandalay to Bagan, even at night. There are some notes that you need to pay attention to if you want to travel by this way but knowing nothing about what to do in Myanmar. The road condition in from Mandalay to Bagan is not good, so you will often get nausea and feel uncomfortable. It is recommended to go by night buses, which are not only more comfortable but also reasonable in terms of the ticket price for travelers. You need to pay 18,000 kyats for a ticket and take a bus to Bagan.
Cruise:
For tourists who want to explore some strange and interesting experience, it may be a good choice to travel by ferry service. For luxurious service, it will take about 5 hours to complete your route. For some slower ferry service, the time will last three times as much, but you will have chances to meet and talk with the local people. It is the most comfortable is you choose to go by the night cruises across Irrawaddy River from Mandalay. Do not worry about the cost, you will have a variety of choices with the price for cruises in Myanmar, ranging from cheap to expensive.
Notable sights
Ranking the first in this list of best places to visit once going to Bagan must be Nyaung-U, located in the central Bagan. This is the most hustle and bustle in Bagan, where you can find everything you need for a comfortable tour to Bagan: hotels, restaurants, and transports. Of course, visiting Myanmar and especially Bagan, you cannot skip the captivating temples and stupas. Almost everywhere here can you find out a typical temple, so it is difficult to point out a particular one in the best places to visit in Myanmar. According to the experiences of many tourists, there are 3 highly recommended temples to visit when coming here. They include Ananda temple, Shwesandaw temple, and Shwezigon temple, all of which are very popular in Burmese tourism.
Aside from the noisy and modern atmosphere in such developing city, Bagan also attracts tourists for its peaceful sights. To enjoy that beauty, you can hire a bike, horse or cat to move around the city. Indeed, it takes too much time to walk on foot and explore all the temples in Bagan, but it is way easier for you to travel by bike with a cheap price and experience that strange feeling. If you are not good at finding direction, it is reasonable to ask a local citizen for guides about what to do in Myanmar. If they are ready, that’s really good. Otherwise, you can hire them with very little money. Do not worry about the dissimilarities in terms of language. Nowadays, most of the drivers and many people in Myanmar can speak English well, especially in some countries for tourism like Bagan.
You must be surprised with this way of exploring Bagan: from hot-air balloons. It is really interesting to watch the city from a high altitude, particularly in the sunset. If you want to try this experience, why not now with this Myanmar travel guide? You can find a suitable service from the company Balloons Over Bagan, which is guaranteed with high-quality service and well-trained guides. Of course, going along with this wonderful service, you need to pay $330 per person for an experience on the flight. Furthermore, this is not opened year round, so it is very hard to book a place except the period between September and March.
Suggestions for sights and activities in Bagan
What can you do for a trip to Bagan? Standing top of the list must be biking. There is nothing to compare with this interesting experience because, in Bagan, you should keep calm and be slow to enjoy its peace and beauty. From Bagan, you can hire bicycles to travel to Mount Popa because the temple on its top is considered the best place for meditation in Myanmar. Popa was a 1581-meter high volcano in the past, located 50 kilometers far from Bagan to the southeast. You Myanmar excursions will not be boring because there are a lot of captivating sights on the way you move: jungles, fields, temples, villages and green gardens. All recalls you something both familiar and unique and strange.
A very appealing activity for active tourists to Bagan is taking part in cooking classes here. This is a wonderful chance for you to explore the cuisine culture of this city. You can go to the market, experience the daily life and cooking habits of the local people as well as their eating tradition. It is always interesting to join in and experience the life of other groups of people. In another word, it is wonderful to live in another environment, change our former ways to live and make friends with the citizens through those activities. A very useful experience for tourists who are wondering about what to do in Myanmar.
If you are interested in traditional values and activities like a puppet show, “Yoke the” performances are for you. Bagan is one of the most famous cities for puppetry. You will know more about this art while attending a show in Bagan and watch the puppeteers controlling their puppets. There are surely other exciting traditional activities in Bagan daily, it is always recommended if you want to join some and learn more about another lifestyle or habit. As one of the most well-known and favorite customs in Bagan, “Yoke the” is always an extinct activity for you to try.
Once coming to Bagan, you should definitely experience the sight of sunset on a cruise. The sunset sight is always beautiful everywhere, but it is totally different in Bagan, especially when you are on a cruise. Watching Bagan from a very stunning scenery like sunset is always standing at top of best things to do in Myanmar, you will feel more about the peace of this city combined with the mysterious beauty of various temples and stupas. Have you pointed out the next destination for you Myanmar tour? If not yet, this is a perfect stop for you. Bagan is not only beautiful in terms of the sceneries, it is also attractive for the interesting activities and the hospitality of the local people. A definitely suitable answer for the question of what to do in Myanmar. Do not hesitate so long, let’s pick up your bag right now and start the trip to peaceful Bagan!
