Introduction
Bagan is one of the most amazing sight in SE Asia. In an area of 40
km², there are more then 1000 shipas and payas. You can spend at least
a week here.
Accommodation
You can stay in 3 places:
- Nyangu (we did)
- Thirpyitsaya (New Bagan)
- Old Bagan (expensive hotels)
In Nyangu there's a lot of competition between hotels, so prices go down.
We stayed at the very good Eden hotel for only 2 US$ pp including breakfast and AC. Bathroom, fridge and TV is 8 US$ a double (7/99).
Because Bagan is very touristic, there's no electricity problem here. So even cheaper hotels have everything included.
Another good hotel is the New Heaven Hotel. It's quiet, has a nice garden and costs 3 US$ pp (11/98).
New
Park Guest House: 3$/4$ (depends on the burmese): very large and clean
room, bathroom, ventil, AC, small breakfast and... bicycle! What more
for this price? The manager (she) is very friendly (6/2000).
Restaurants
In Nyaungu, you'll find a lot of noodle shops. Some are clean, others
more or less. Be careful for food poisening. They are cheap (1 US$) and
offer quite good dishes.
For lunch or teatime, you can go to the big hotel THAN TE. It's near the Sapada paya in the center of town. Pastries are cheap and good.
Our favourite restaurant in Bagan area is Aye Yeik Tha Yar
restaurant. It's on the road to Old Bagan. It's a little bit more
expensive (a change of budget is sometimes good for you), but the meals
are great.Expect to pay around 4 to 5 US$.
Dinner at Royal House (very close to New Park), good and friendly. 1100 K with several beers.
Restaurant: Dinner at ATA, Indian, in the center of Nyaung U, ask. Very good, very friendly. 1 chapati with meat + 2 beers 0.6 = 1000 K.
Near the river where you can get the jetty to Mandalay, there are also some noodle shops.
What to do ?
When your bus enters Bagan area, or when you get off the boat, you have
to pay 10 US$ to the MTT (6/2000). With this ticket you can stay for 5
days, but nobody checks, and you can ask for the ticket of other
travellers who only stay 3 days f.i.
Visit the temples
This is of course the main thing to do in Bagan. Relax and take your
time to experience the beautiful area. You can rent a bike 80 cents pp
per day or go by horse cart (2 to 3 US$ for 6 hours). You can visit
some nearby payas by foot, but the area is so big you won't get far.
Remember it gets very hot in Bagan, so leave early in the morning and
relax at noon time and hit the road again (with torch) in late
afternoon.
Everybody
has his own favourite temples in Bagan. We liked the Wi-ni-do group,
not far from the airport. If you take this remote route, you can go
from Nyangu to New Bagan and then to Old Bagan and return to Nyangu.
It'll take you a full day and a lot of water, but the trip is
fantastic.
Don't forget to take some pictures of the sunset
over the Bagan area. You can take these pictures from the mingalazedi
on the Swesandow paya. It gets very crowded there. ONE TIP: simply wait
till everybody is gone and you'll have a great night view all by
yourself.
Update 6/2000: visit of Bagan temples by bicycle
is very nice and tricky (temple names are not always in English...),
bring a good site map and... a cap! If you have a flat tire...
(rough tracks to reach some temples), fare is 50 K per hole in a repair
shop on the main road. - it is now necessary to pay 30 K to take
photographs in Shwezigon - even if you paid an entry fee of 10$, you
need to pay again some tens of Kyats in larger payas for photographs!
- not to be missed : Ananda Ok Kyaung (beside Ananda Patho): given
some K, a kid will open you, superb murals.
Swimming
You can take a dive in the pool of the Than Te hotel in Nyaungu. They charge you 2 US$.
Mount Popa
50 km from Bagan, you can do the pilgrims hike to the mountains. You
pass a lot of monasteries on your way. The climb is 35 minutes and we
heard it was very steep. You can aryou can share a taxi to go to MT
Popa: 15$ both ways (for 3 people).
A little bit expensive (see bus), but the Mt P. is interesting. arrange transport in every hotel in Bagan.
Getting away
Mandalay
Several buses a day, every hotel can arrange you a booking.Prices are around 2,5 US$.
You can also take the boat back to Mandalay, expect to pay more then 15 US$ pp.
Pyay and Yangoon
We
took the bus to Yangoon and got off in Pyay. Our hotel arranged the
tickets costing 4 US$ for the 8 hour trip. Our bus did have a breakdown
and we were stuck in the middle of nowhere for 3 hours. The total trip
took us 14 hours.
The guide book mentions a boat to Pyay. We
wanted to take it, but we couldn't find the boat, although we searched
and waited for about 3 hours.
There are also flights to Yangoon.
UPDATE 2001
Transport
· Bus Kalaw > Bagan, 2.800 Kt/pp, 9h.
·
Stay in Myaung U in the Golden Village Inn or New Heaven Hotel (next to
each other, same chinese owner). 10 $/room. Quit, central, ...also
recommended.
Food
· Italian food : San Kabas-restaurant (in Myaung U).
·
Toe Toe Win , near the Anada-pagode, near Tour en Travel Myamer in Old
Bagan. (Wrong situated on the map in the Lonely Planet !). A typical
Myanmar buffet with almost 20 different things for only 600 Kt/pp.
We're sure that you also will like Toe Toe : A Birmanese version of
Nina Hagen !!! - Also excellent food in the restaurants one street
away from the Village Inn or the New Heaven !
To see
·
2.000 temples and pagodes (*****), drive around on a rented bycicle
(300 Kt.day). please don't take a taxi of van or whatever ! - Ask for
the "smallest foto lab in the world" (****) when you visit the big
white pagode - we forgot the name, but it is the one they still use, 10
minutes west of Myaung U village.
· Fly with Schwe Lay Ta Gun
Travels and Tours Co. Ltd. - for "only" 185 $/pp - in a balloon over
the temples. Attention : "Passengers should be fit enough to climb in
and out the basket and be able to stand for about an hour !"
·
Make a stop to visit a lacquerware-factory (...if you like
lacquerware). Or buy a souvenir (textiles, woodcarvings,...) in one of
the many shops around the temples (only if you can bargain VERY VERY
VERY hard).
· The way to / from Minnanthu-village is very quiet.
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