VISIT BAGAN: BEST TEMPLES AND ACTIVITIES

Bagan is to Myanmar as Angkor Wat to Cambodia,  a UNESCO world heritage site with more than 2000 temples spread over an area of 13 x 8 km. Bagan was the capital of the old Pagan kingdom of Myanmar between 800 and 1000 years ago. Even if it is one of the most visited locations in the country it has not yet been taken by over tourism as Angkor wat. Do not miss the chance of visiting it before it is too late.

And trust me, this is the kind of place you do not want to leave. There are so many temples that you can have your own tiny temple for meditation practices, at least if you visit during low season, I did visit in August.

As I wandered around the temples with a silent electric motorbike ( only silent electrical motorbikes are allowed in Bagan ) I would take meditation stops in some of the smaller temples and the feeling of connection to the spiritual ancestral forces was really deep as today still when I talk about my stay in Bagan.

How to get to Bagan

You can travel to Bagan from Yangon, Mandalay or Inle lake. There are buses and planes available from all three places. The choice it all depends on your budget and time.

I personally flew from Inle lake to Bagan  the bus ride was pretty long and I did not want to waste a single day on the bus and on the other hand I was healing from a leg injury and I needed to pamper myself.

From Bagan to Mandalay the bus ride is very short and the buses are very comfortable so I would not recommend to travel any other way.

If you would like to book a bus trip to travel to Bagan you can do it with Bookaway.

Visit Bagan

There are two choices, you can either book a guided tour to visit the Bagan temples or you can rent an electrical scooter and hoop around on your own.

Only electrical scooters are allowed in Bagan which is really cool as you can drive around without suffering the effects of acoustic contamination.

I chose to rent a scooter and tour the temples on my own as I like better to visit places at my own pace and take as long as I want to feel the spaces. But this choice is not for everybody and many people I met went on guided tours.

Bagan archeological museum

The Bagan archeological museum is located in Old bagan near the Gawdaw Palin pagoda and it is the perfect introduction to the Bagan temples. I did visit the Bagan archeological museum after a few days visiting temples and I wish I had done it at the very beginning of my stay in Bagan. The visit will set the right context to your visit and will help you imagining the ancestors that built the temples and lived there hundreds of years ago.

Best Bagan temples and pagodas list

While I would recommend to spend some time around visiting the unnamed small temples, there are many temples that do not have a name and are only classified by a number, there are some must see places in the complex

Shwezigon pagoda

The Shwezigon pagoda is considered ( with the Shwedagon in Yangon and the Phaung Daw U in Inle lake ) as one of the country´s three principal shrines. It is believed to contain the frontal bone and a tooth of the Buddha and thus it is a center of veneration by the Buddhists of the whole Myanmar.

The inner part of the pagoda was built by the Kind Anawrahta, the founder of the Pagan Kingdom. Painted on the walls of the terraces and corridors around the pagoda there are plaques illustrating the scenes of the previous lives of the Buddha.

This is pagoda is located in Nyaung U.

Htilominlo temple

This is one of the biggest temples in Bagan. There are four Buddhas inside the temple pointing to the three cardinal directions. There are also horoscopes inscriptions on the temple walls to protect against damage.

Upali Thein ordination hall

The Upali thein ordination hall is located in the vicinity of the the Htilominlo temple. The ordination hall was named after an eminent monk, Upali.

There are several frescoes covering its walls and ceilings in a pretty good state of preservation.

Ananda temple

This temple symbolizes the endless wisdom and it is one of the most beautiful and visited temples of Bagan.

The temple was heavily damaged in two recent earthquakes in 1975 and 2006 and it has undergone reconstructions works since then.

Bupaya pagoda

This pagoda is located on the Irawaddy riverside and it is a landmark to sailors. There is a beautiful view of the pagoda when taking a boat ride from the river.

Thatbyinnyu temple

“Thatbyinnyo” means “omniscience” and it represents the omniscience of the Tathagata. It was built around the 12th century.

Shwesandaw pagoda

The Shwesandaw pagoda it is said to contain some hairs of the Buddha. The pagoda is also known as Mahapeine or Ganesha pagoda. Tourists used to climbed the pagoda at sunrise but it is not allowed any more since the 2017 earthquake.

Where to stay in Bagan

There are three main areas where you can stay in Bagan, New Bagan, Old Bagan and Nyaung U.

Old Bagan; Old Bagan is the archeological hub of the area and where most of the temples are located. Locals used to live in this area until they got relocated to the New Bagan area. There is not budget accommodation in this area and only a few shops and restaurants. The area is really quiet and it is ideal to stay at the heart of it all.

New Bagan; New Bagan was founded in 1990 when 4000 locals where forced by the government to move from Old Bagan to New Bagan within a week. It seems they were forced to move in order to make the area more tourist friendly. You can find all types of accommodation here and more restaurants and shops. It is a better area than Old Bagan if you are traveling solo and you would like to socialize.

Nyaung U; Nyaung U is the closest area to the airport and where the train and bus station are located. Most of the accommodation here is budget and it is a very lively place. There are a much bigger choice of restaurants and shops than in Old Bagan and New Bagan.

I stayed in the Ananta Bagan hotel. Service and the place was amazing and guests were treated with a free massage and dinner every 5 nights of stay.

How to find the best spots for your Bagan sunset and sunrise experience

As climbing the higher temples in Bagan is not allowed any more since the earthquake other alternatives need to be explored and I would say there are many as there is not single place where the sunset is not magical in Bagan.

There is a a viewing tower from which you can see the sunset but I did not got there as I wanted to have an authentic temples experience. It could be I chose to go next time I visit Bagan as I heard the view is nice from there but for this visit I wanted to go as deeper as possible into the relax state the proximity of these ancient temples awakens.

I have read in some other blogs about Bagan the advice to not let locals guide you to the good sunset and sunrise spots as locals will only do it for money. Well, that was not my experience, a couple of times I got guided by locals to nice spots in the area and I got asked nothing. I was told they do it because they believe doing good to people will bring them good.

For my sunrise in Bagan a local guy offered to bring me to a nice a spot with the only condition that I would have a look at the paintings he was selling without an obligation to buy. He picked me up in my hotel at 5 in the morning, brought me to a nice spot to watch the sunrise and walked me around some very interesting temples, so of course at the end I bought one of his beautiful paintings and gave a tip.

My recommendation is to walk a bit around to feel the place and find your personal spot or trust the locals. Even if you have to give them a tip it will help the local economy and that is always a good act of kindness.

You can also watch the sunset from a boat on the Irrawaddy river.

READ MORE:

Things to do in Inle lake: The complete guide

Kakku pagodas: A forest of Buddhist stupas in Myanmar

One day in Mandalay

Watch the sunset from the Irrawaddy river

One of the most beautiful sunsets in Bagan is the sunset on a boat from the Irrawaddy river. You can search for a local boat at the peer near the Bupaya pagoda in bagan or book and organized trip.

Watch a puppet show while having dinner

Nanda restaurant is famous for its puppet and music show. The restaurant is crowded with tourists but it is really worth it. The menu is also exquisite.

Get some Thanaka on your face

One of the things that shocked me the most when I landed in Myanmar was to see women with the face painted in white everywhere. Something that would look crazy back home is so normal in Myanmar. It was a woman, who was selling Thanaka close to the Bupaya pagoda, that painted my face in Thanaka for the first time and to my surprise the locals really loved it.

– Thanaka, beautiful- Some man and woman would tell me as I walked pass by them with my face painted in white.

The Thanaka cream comes from the Thanaka tree and it helps protecting the skin from the Sun.

Take a balloon ride

When I visited Bagan it was low season, August, and there was no a single balloon ride going on so I could not even consider taking a tour.

It must be such a beautiful experience that I would love to do sometime somewhere in the world.

Take a day trip to Mount Popa

I regret so much I did not take this trip when I was there. I had been traveling for three months non stop in Asia and I was tired of taking bus rides so I wanted to relax for a few days in the area. But today when I see other people´s photos I regret a bit I did not go there. That is why I am listing here so at least you have it under your radar during your visit to Bagan.

Is Bagan worth a visit?

Yes, Bagan is worth a visit or more. I could have stayed there for weeks going from one temple to another while taking breaks chilling out in the swimming pool. I am afraid with time it will become a crowded tourist destination as Angkor Wat is now, so better go sooner than later.

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