The magnificent archaeological site of Bagan, 690km to the north of Yangon used to be one of the great Buddhist centres of South-East Asia. Bagan is a truly remarkable sight. Scattered over an arid plain by the banks of the Ayeyarwady River are some 3, 000 pagodas, temples and other brick structures dating from the 11th to 13th century. Originally there were well over 10, 000 temples, an impressive landscape of ruins and restored temples, unique in the world. It is possible to climb to the top of some of the temples for a magnificent view over the historical site and the surrounding landscape of rice fields and toddy palms. The total area of the site is more than 40 square kilometres and it can be easily visited by car, bicycle or horse and carriage.

Ananda Temple, one of Bagan’s largest and best-preserved temples, is often referred to as Bagan’s masterpiece. Built in 1905, the design of Ananda inspired the style of later Burmese temples of the Middle Bagan period. Ananda is a perfectly proportioned temple with a central gold pillar with further gilded spires in the four corners. The four huge carved teak Buddha statues facing out from the centre of the temple to the north, west, south and east are a feature of Ananda. Just next to Ananda is Ananda Okkaung, one of the few surviving brick monasteries from the Early Bagan period.  The largest and one of the oldest of Bagan’s temples is the Shwezigon, with its beautiful bell-shaped stupa. Shwezigon Temple is one of the most important places of pilgrimage for the Burmese and is said to contain the Buddha’s collarbone and one of his teeth. South of Shwezigon is the 13th century Wekkyi-in Gubyaukgyi Temple with its Indian-inspired pyramidal spire. The interior of this temple was originally decorated with fine frescoes depicting scenes from the jatakas but unfortunately many of these have since disappeared.

Htilominlo Temple is a two-storey red brick temple standing close to the road from Bagan to Nyaung Oo, the main town of the Bagan area. Built in 1211 by King Htilomino at a height of 46 metres it is one Bagan’s larger temples. There are good views of the surrounding plain from the upper levels of Htilomino and some good examples of the original stucco decoration survive on the temple exterior.

At 62 metres high, Thatbyinnyu Temple is the tallest of Bagan’s structures. It was built in 1144 and is a classic example of Middle Mon architecture. The construction is based on two enormous cubes with wide terraces leading to the top. Other temples that are worth seeing in the little-visited Minnanthu area include the 13th century Leimyethna with its frescoed interior, and Payathonzu and Nandamannya which both contain fine Sino-Tibetan influenced murals. To the east of Bagan is the massive Dhammayangyi Temple, an impressive looking structure built in a similar style to Ananda. Right behind Dhammayangyi is Sulamani Temple, a fine example of late Bagan period temple architecture. The use of small bricks, arches and elaborate stucco-work of Sulamani are characteristic of this period.     

One of the not-to-be-missed experiences in Bagan is to watch the sunset (or sunrise for early-birds) from one of the temples. The upper terraces of Myauk Guni Temple, Shwenandaw or Tayoke Pyay at nearby Minnanthu, are ideal locations to watch the sun go down over the ancient temples and the Ayeyarwady River. Another unique experience is a an early morning hot air balloon flight over Bagan’s temples. Taking off before sunrise the flight lasts from 30 to 45 minutes and offers a bird’s eye view of this wonderful archaeological site.  

The nearby village of Nyaung Oo is a perfect place to walk around the colourful market, where old women smoking cheroots sell their home-grown produce. Apart from exotic fruits and vegetables the market also offers a good range of lacquerware and other handicrafts. At New Bagan, or Myinkaba, visit a local lacquerware factory where skilled craftsmen fashion ornate plates, trays, boxes and tables using a centuries-old process and perhaps take some examples home as a souvenir of this magical place. On the banks of the Ayeyarwady River there are always women doing their laundry, men loading boats or children playing in the water. A boat ride from here offers a majestic view of the temples of Bagan on the east bank of the river.

Just over 50km from Bagan is the extinct volcano known as Mount Popa. Rising to 1518 metres above sea level Mount Popa is the most magical of Myanmar’s mountains and has been a place of pilgrimage for over 700 years. Myanmar’s most powerful nats, Burmese spirits associated with natural features, are said to live here making Mount Popa the country’s centre for nat worship. On the way to Mount Popa look out for  people climbing the palm trees to collect toddy juice for making sugar or sweet cookies.