Bagan


Bagan

Bagan is a site that is never to be missed in Myanmar.  Sitting on the banks of the Irrawaddy River, it is home to the largest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, and stupas in the world.  Most of them date from the 11th to 12th Century. 

A great hotel to stay at here which is my second time is Kumadara Hotel.  This hotel located just a few minutes outside of town, has one of the most tranquil spots in Bagan.  With different styles of accommodations, it will make your stay even better.  Their food menu is one of the best I have seen in Myanmar with western, Chinese, and local food.  You cannot beat the prices of any of the dishes here and the wait staff is extremely friendly.  Even better than the hotel itself is the view that you get if you get a Pagoda view:

 

 

 

 

Our first stop was the local market which they have everything from street food, to fruits and vegetables, to fresh fish and chicken to household items.  This is one of the best organized Asian markets I have been to and we had a chance to walk up and down these many corridors to see the items people had to sell or trade to each other….

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The On the road pics were some of the best here as people really do live a simple life here away from the hotels.  We had a chance to see local workshops, villages, and people selling stuff everywhere.  A sunset cruise down the Irrawady River provided some great photos of villages swimming or bathing and while the sunset was not spectacular as there are many clouds in the sky because of monsoon season, it was a very relaxing time.  People even not in the tourist industry are very friendly here which makes me always want to return here over and over again….

Of course no visit is complete to Bagan without visiting the many pagodas and temples that literally dot the whole landscape.  The pictures are always iconic in this great land and while you cannot climb to the top of them anymore to get photos (because of the devastation caused by the 2016 earthquake), you can still get great photos wherever you are.  Whether you walk, take a scooter, take a car, or go by horse carriage, you can spend weeks here exploring all the Pagodas, some big and some small.  Some simple and some lavishly painted with Buddhist scenes inside……

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