Bagan was my first stop after leaving Yangon. Bagan is quintessential Myanmar and was my favorite stop while in the country. This place felt relatively authentic despite the obvious relocation of the city’s indigenous population from “Old Bagan” to “New Bagan”. Temples are what dominate the itinerary and landscape upon arrival. 

EXPERIENCE

Temples, temples, temples! This is the mantra of Bagan. We explored the thousands of brick temples which make up the Archeological Zone scattered throughout Bagan’s flat expansive landscape in several ways. We did this first by traditional bicycles which we rented from our hotel. This made for a really fun day of biking around on our own. The area is so large you really feel as though you have the place to yourself, I loved that. The following day we rented e-bikes from the hotel which were also really fun. This made for a speedier way to zip around and get over to New Bagan to explore the markets and tour a local lacquer factory called MoMo. While I am not usually a fan of these type of factory tours, this process was particularly interesting and involved many more natural materials than I had expected. 

The true highlight of Bagan, however, was our sunrise hot air balloon tour. This is a well known activity while in Bagan and pretty pricy, but I would say well worth every penny. Balloons Over Bagan is presently the only company offering this option. They are incredibly reliable and professional and it made for a spectacular day of sightseeing the temples from the most majestic of vantage points. The tour includes hotel transport, coffee before, and a champagne toast to follow. Be sure to include this in your itinerary if at all possible, hope for good weather!

One standout activity while in Bagan was a sunset cruise down the Irrawaddy River, this was private and incredible inexpensive. It was a nice way to view the temples along the riverbanks and relax with a local brew while the sun went down in one of the most incredible sunsets I have ever had the pleasure of taking in. 

STAY

While in Myanmar we stayed in Old Bagan, I would suggest doing this for proximity to the main attraction– temples! We stayed at Hotel Thande Bagan, which was not government run (an essential consideration if traveling responsibly in Burma). This place was beyond expectations with a lovely view of the Irrawaddy River, beautiful gardens, a nice spa for massages, a nice pool and helpful staff. This place included a wonderful buffet style breakfast on the outdoor patio. 

EAT

I loved the food in Burma more than I even anticipated. We ate one evening at the hotel because it was so lovely at sunset to be on the Irrawaddy. Our meal staples were various chicken curries, fresh tomato salads, avocado salads, and skewered chicken. We ventured out into Old Bagan one evening for an awesome Indian meal at Aroma Indian Restaurant, this place was incredible, complete with many dipping sauces and complimentary soups.