Located near the Irrawaddy River bank in the middle of Myanmar, Bagan is the most prospect ancient capital of Empire Pagan during the century 11th to 13th. This is the place that remains the most Buddhist cultural values such as temples, stupas and monasteries. In this article, let us together explore the most worthy experiences voted by tourists when coming to visit this Burma tourist attraction. Located near the Irrawaddy River bank in the middle of Myanmar, Bagan is the most prospect ancient capital of Empire Pagan during the century 11th to 13th. This is the place that remains the most Buddhist cultural values such as temples, stupas and monasteries. In this article, let us together explore the most worthy experiences voted by tourists when coming to visit this Burma tourist attraction.
The ancient capital of Myanmar consists of three towns: Nyuang U, Old Bagan and New Bagan with a spreading area for sacred temples. Nyuang U is a large town which was constructed with stations, trains, harbors and airports. Due to the investment in tourism development, nowadays it is no longer difficult for tourists getting to Burma, especially a developing city like Bagan. New Bagan is a new village which was built in 1990 for inhabitants who are the immigrants from Old Bagan. The last one, Old Bagan is a captivating landscape with tremendous ancient relics and temples which are carefully conserved and restored frequently.
Exploring Old Bagan on bicycles, horse carts or on foot
One of the most interesting experiences in Bagan tourism is you are allowed to explore and visit remoted and unexploited lands. Although there are not many luxurious facilities for you to enjoy like in the center of Bagan, you can still learn many different things on your own. According to many reviews from tourists, there are some best ways to travel in Bagan, Myanmar if you want to enjoy your trip the most. For example, you may like the feeling of walking, riding bikes or horses in Old Bagan through the basalt roads to watch the collection of temples, pagodas and monasteries under the immense sky.
Temples in Bagan are relatively close to each other so it is quite easy to make a tour throughout the area and explore all the most beautiful scenes here. If by walking, you can stop at wherever you want to take pictures and visit, riding bikes helps you to go much further and quicker without losing too much energies, especially when visiting large areas of temples. Another choice for tourists is horse riding because of the strange experience and the sound it makes on the way by its wheels. Furthermore, these options are also chosen pretty much since they ensure the Myanmar travel safety for tourists.
On the way to visit various tourist sites like temples or pagodas in this Burma tourist attraction, one important thing to remember is that you should put off your shoes and socks and leave them outside before walking into temples on your bare feet. This action is considered the respect and your sincerity to the Buddha. Temples in Bagan are made of earthenware bricks with their yards covering hundreds of meters to absorb the heat, so it is very hot when the outdoor temperature is high. Therefore, it would be advisable for you to visit there in the morning of in the afternoon as the weather is far more comfortable.
Do not hesitate to ask the local people for help when you are lost or wonder about the direction to your destination, because there are many people here can speak English thanks to Myanmar open to tourism policies. You can also take your chance to buy handicraft or lacquer pictures with reasonable prices as your souvenirs when backing home.
Explore every unique temple in Bagan
Manuha is one of the most famous pagodas in Bagan due to the offering custom of the Burmese here. They have a big golden bell placed on a cement pedestal right at the center of the large room in the pagoda. The offering ceremony has long been a cultural uniqueness and the pride in the life of the Bagan inhabitants. You should not forget to explore this interesting custom of the local people through this adventure in Myanmar.
If you are tourists coming to visit Bagan, you should never skip the most important and sacred temple in this place, whose name is Ananda. This temple was built in 1150 B.C but it was damaged seriously in the earthquake in 1975. However, after that, it was restored and gilded in 1990 to meet the requirement of tourism development. The most impressive thing to tourists when coming to visit Ananda might be the giant Buddha statues which look to four directions: Kakusandha (the North), Konagamana (the East), Kassapa (the South) and Gautama (the West). It must be better if you hide an English speaking guide here in Myanmar to help you know everything more clearly and quickly.
Mahabodhi pagoda is a significant remark for tourists as well. Its name and structure resemble which of Bodhigaya temple in India. The difference is that there is a gilded gate which is locked with a specially made steel lock.
You should also make a stop in the biggest pagoda in Bagan whose shape is like a pyramid. Its name is Dhammayangyi, a pagoda built by King Narathu.
The tallest temple of Bagan is Thatbyinyu Phaya, which is 61 meters high and built in the middle of the 12th century by King Alaungsithu. This place has been recorded in many myanmar travel guide books as a good suggestion for tourist destinations. Standing on the highest position of the temple, your view can cover all area of Old Bagan. It is such an amazing and unforgettable moment of your life.
Known as the “Sun set pagoda”, Shwesandaw is located in a perfect situation for tourists to feely watch the breath-taking beauty in the twilight of the day, with the gorgeous red color of the sun. According to some fairy tales in this Burma tourist attraction, this temple was built in 1057 B.C by King Anawratha to keep one of eight hairpieces of the Buddha. Many tourists are highly interested in being told these tales as well as other exciting mysterious stories of the area. You can ask old people here to tell you about them. During a period of half an hour to an hour, the sight in this place changes extremely quickly in terms of color, from reddish to light purple and gradually fall deeply into the darkness.
Besides, Bagan still has many other temples for your visit such as Shwezigon, Shweguyi, Sulamani, Gubyaukgyi, Gawdawpalin and Bupayastupa.
Conquer the sacred mountain Popa and explore countryside life
Down to the South and located 50 kilometers far from the center of Bagan, Popa Mountain has become a famous destination for pilgrims in Myanmar. The mountain is well-known for the monastery Taung Kalat on the top of the 737-meter-high volcano, which has decommissioned. Tourists have to pass 777 steps and walk through a herd of monkeys to get to the monastery. This mountain’s height is more than 1,520 meters and it is considered the legendary home of the supreme God “NAT”. Although it takes time and energies to get to the top and end the journey, it is a pity if you cannot finish it because by conquering the challenge of this Burma attraction, you can take many stunning photos on the top of this mountain.
After leaving Popa Mountain, you can take time to visit the villages located on the mountain foot or along the rugged roads in Bagan. These experiences are also Burma worthy highlights for your trip. The local people are known for their hospitality so they will make you feel like home when you spend your night there. You can also freely ask them for one night homestay with a Burmese dinner right at their home without worrying about the cost.
Indeed, there are not many opportunities for every tourists to come to Myanmar and enjoy a trip to Bagan, the home of golden pagodas. Of course, there are still many other Burma tourist attractions, but for typical trips to Myanmar, Bagan seems to be the choice for many tourists. Therefore, do not hesitate too much to learn from those most worthy experiences to explore this wonderful and beautiful land.
