Travel to Bagan Myanmar

Travel to Bagan Myanmar is simple

Just take Yangon or Bagan airways and your travel to Bagan is in good "hands" they bring you to Bagan for about $ 120,- one way. If you book through a agent it could be cheaper. Thay always means visiting the famous pagoda and temples, see the ancient arts, images, Buddha statues, sacred paintings and murals. 

This are such great pieces of art just the right object for great photos and one of the best motive is for sure the Ananda Temple and the Shwezigon Pagoda.

Bagan Pagodas and Balloons

Cruise the Irrawaddy River; 

Irrawaddy River Cruise

Ayeyarwady at Bagan

There will be for sure the right Bagan hotel for you, prices are between $ 20,- and over 100,-, even the cheaper ones have air condition, hot water, shower and most have satellite TV. Some resorts and lodges even offer golf and swimming pools. Have a look for the pictures, its self explaining.

The roads around are usually very dusty but this is history travel, maybe the weather secondary also it can get very hot between November and June. 

The best to visiting this place is in November between at that time everything is still green from the monsoon, after December it get quite dusty since this is the dry zone. 

In the central dry zone

Walking in the dry zone

The best way to explore Bagan the first time is via a package tour 

At Yangon Airport

this way you will see everything which matters. This is really one of the most interesting culture destination in Asia its easy to get lost in details. If you still prefer to be a individual traveler take at least a guide for the first 3 days otherwise you wont see many stuff what really matters. This will either be a guy or a lady. 

Yangon International Airport Arrival

They will organize everything for you to make sure no problems arise and you have a good time. Keep in mind to do this kind of tourism it will cost you a bit more but you can be sure everything what matters you see in less than 50% of the usual time-frame. 

If you come to the country on your own go to a an travel agent in Yangon and let them make your bookings you usually get lower rates as if you do it on your own. Only hotel booking in the internet is often less expensive as when you make it there.

Bagan is in the dry zone of Myanmar,

the area is green during the rainy season and until about 2 month later (July to January). After this the wide flat land around has only a dusty light brown surface, sparsely covered with cacti, shrubs and thorny bushes transfers its appearance into a dry environment. Clouds of dust rise from the bullock cart tracks beside the roads and in between the pagodas and temples. This carts already vanished in most of the South East only in India they also still have.

They are still the major means of cargo transport over short distance. But they are excellent decoration for pictures. Here are some pictures of Bagan hotels to give you an idea what accommodation you can expect there are plenty of other.

Myanmar Airlines such as Yangon Air, Air Bagan 

and Air Mandalay offer flights to Bagan and the spectrum is from cheap hotels to luxury. Before you start take enough cash with you since the exchange rate in not as good as in Yangon all other obstacles related to money disappeared there was definitely a change to handle changing but the preferred currencies are still Dollars and Euros they also have the best rates. Slowly Singapore $ and Thai Bath also move in. 

Tharabar Gate Hotel

Bagan Golf Resort

Bagan Golf Resort Architecture

Bagan Swimming 
Pool

Hotel Room

New Bagan 
Style Architecture

Main payment method now is in the local currency which is the Kyat although people are still asking for dollars in hotels and some restaurants plus day trips on the Irrawaddy, to Mount Popa and other typical tourist destinations around. The famous lacquer ware, which is the main cottage industry can be paid in local currency.

Eucalyptus and lead trees line the roadside of Bagan and the area around the Pagodas and Temples of Bagan, they are visible signs of greening efforts by the local administration but have no much effect.

Since Bagan is at the banks of the great Irrawaddy River 

several monuments have been built on the river banks the question is simple why they don't pump water out of the river and green the land, the river has enough water for this all year round. One story on this subject is: About 20 years ago the government supplied diesel for pumps but the local people took the diesel and used them for their cars and trucks to move around, only the ox cart won’t need fuel.

Htanaung, neem, tamarind, silk cotton or kapok, plum and toddy palm is characteristic flora of dry zone trees are quite plenty.

Visiting pagodas and temples are the main activities for a few days there are plenty such as the famous Ananda Temple, Thatbyinnyu ,  Shwezigon Pagoda and small and big other.

Making a river cruise in one of the smaller ships, browsing the museum, visit a lacquer ware factory and watch the girls creating the items, there are a couple of interesting things keeping you running.

Start a great evening by enjoying the sunset over the pagodas and the mighty Ayeyarwady or Irrawaddy River. For the best view climb up the Shwesandaw Pagoda but do it early enough there are lot of others doing the same.

The Shwesandaw Pagoda was the first pyramid shaped stupa in Myanmar, believed to have been built in 1057 by King Anawrahta. The structure was in original conditions until 1957 when the pagoda trustees led by the monk Sayadaw U Wayama, renovated the pagoda and embellished it by plastering the entire exterior of the red brick structure. This gave the pagoda the yellow surface, since bleached by the sun. Many more to visit are still around, people tell it’s more than two thousand various conditions. Some got renovated; some were washed away into the Irrawaddy River by the monsoon floods. A nearby image house contains a huge reclining Buddha sculpture of approximately 21 meters.

Bagan shopping for Lacquer ware and more

and find some art work and beautiful lacquer items in a gallery, several markets offer wonderful ceramic works and pottery. 

This trip wont be complete without an extensive visit of the Shwezigon Pagoda and the Ananda Temple, both have extensive unique shopping possibilities but no malls it's all on a small scale. and enjoying the sunset over the Irrawaddy or Ayeyarwady river from a upper platform of one of the monuments. 

A one day trip to Mount Popa

and visiting the abode of the Nats should be included in your plan. This extinct volcano pops right out of the earth and has a monastery on the top at about 1500 meters. The place is dedicated to the Nats, although Buddhism is the established religion in Myanmar since shortly after the great council at Patalipootra in 241 BC, but spirit / Nats worship or animism is also practiced.

The local spirit world has thirty-seven Nats, some are of the house, the river, the air, the jungle and many other. Think about twice if you can handle the stairs all the way up to the peak but once you are there , the panorama will take your breath away.