Editor’s Note: This post is part of my Myanmar–Thailand trip to Asia. For more on this trip, check out my other posts on Myanmar, Thailand, and Japan.
Editor’s Note: This is the second part of the “48 Hours In Bagan: How To See Bagan In 2 Days” series.
Click here to read the previous post on “48 Hours In Bagan: Day 1”
Day 2 – Balloons Over Bagan
Day 2 in Bagan started off with a “bucket-list” item in the form of a hot-air balloon ride over Bagan.
I cover this experience in-depth in the link below.
Click here for a full review of Balloons Over Bagan
We have lift-off
Soaring over some of the 2,200 pagodas of Bagan
Day 2 – Poolside Drinks At Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort
After the balloon ride, we were returned to our hotel, the Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Resort.
Still on a high from Balloons Over Bagan, we decided to take advantage of the tropical sun and relax with some poolside drinks.
Enjoying the view
After about an hour, we heard from Azusa from Curiosity-Travel who was down for meeting up for lunch in New Bagan.
Day 2 – The “Orange Route”
We consulted our trusty map with the routes planned out. Turns out, the “green” route we used the day before worked out perfectly. Today, we’d see if we could repeat that feat with the “orange” route.
The “orange” route [below] would take us to New Bagan, Lakananda Pagoda complex, Dhamma-ya-za-ka Pagoda, up through the bush of the Hsutaungpyi area, then over to Dhammayangyi area for sunset.
Day 1 = The “Green Route”; Day 2 = The “Orange Route”
Stop 1: Lunch At New Bagan
Like the day before, we first headed over to our hotel’s front desk and rented some e-bikes for the day.
The first official stop on our “day 2” tour of was the newest section of Bagan called simply “New Bagan”, south of our hotel. This section, like Nyaung-U, is a haven for backpackers and the home of many locals.
I’m told the area south of New Bagan is set to become ground zero for the development of a brand new “hotel zone” that will feature many shiny new “mega resorts”. For now, this area is still relatively undeveloped (and that’s a good thing).
We met up at a popular restaurant called the Black Rose Restaurant.
We used the Black Rose as a chance to try several of the “dishes you must-try in Myanmar” such as Shan-style Rice, Burmese Tempura, Giant River Prawns, and the Spicy River Fish.
Oh, and of course, some Myanmar Beer to wash it all down.
The Spicy River Fish Was De-licious!
Everything we tried (and we tried a lot) was delicious. My personal favorite was the Spicy River Fish.
Stop 2: The Irrawaddy River And The Lawkananda Pagoda Complex
From New Bagan, we continued south to the Lawkananda Pagoda on the Irrawaddy River.
Crows over the Irrawaddy River
At the top of a hill was the golden Lawkananada Pagoda. This pagoda was notable for the fact it contains a replica of a Buddhist relic, as well as its location overlooking the river.
There were very few foreign visitors here, most visitors to the pagoda were locals.
Lawkananada Pagoda
These guys work here
Down the hill from the Pagoda is a small market area, and across from that is a “hidden” lake, the Lawka Nandar Lake. The long walkway leads out over the lake to a small Buddhist temple.
Seems like a lot of locals (and stray dogs) come here to relax and feed the giant black koi fish.
Stop 3: The Dhamma Ya Zi Ka Pagoda
From the Lawkananada Pagoda area we headed back to New Bagan and headed east on Kayay St. through the town to the Dhamma Ya Zi Ka Pagoda.
The Dhamma Ya Zi Ka Pagoda (under renovation)
Originally built in 1196, this pagoda complex was very large and under a major current renovation.
Despite this, and its isolation, the pagoda appeared heavily trafficked (primarily by the local people). Like many other things in this area, there were very few tourists here.
This pagoda stood out from the others because it was far more detailed than most, and it seemed truly “cared for” in a way most other pagodas did not.
This pagoda in particular had a really nice vibe to it and was pleasant to walk around in its entirety.
Writing in an entrance to the pagoda
Flowers in bloom in the back of the pagoda
Stop 4: Hsutaungpyi And The Surrounding Bush
Continuing east from the Dhamma Ya Zi Ka Pagoda, we next came upon the Hsutaungpyi Pagoda.
About this time, the sun was beginning to set, so we decided we needed to find a good spot to watch the sunset.
Although you are forbidden to climb pagodas in Bagan, we kept hearing the ever-present persistent rumors (amongst tourists) that there was “one pagoda where they let you climb”, but nobody knew exactly where it was or what it was called.
It was in this area (supposedly), so we set off into the bush to see if we could find it.
In this part of the bush, the dirt roads rapidly devolved into rustic muddy paths rife with termite mounds and overgrown trees, in other words “things got really wild”. This area turned out to be one of the funnest places to explore in all of Bagan.
There was an extremely high-density of long-abandoned, but beautiful pagodas. There was almost nobody else around, no roads, no signs, and no cell phone reception. Just us and the ancient pagodas. Hundreds of them.
Every once in a long while we’d run into tourists like us, completely lost in the jungle, and loving it. “This feels like we’re on a hunt for a hidden treasure!” my friend commented, and she was totally right.
In the end we didn’t find “the temple you can climb” but we did eventually find a legit dirt road.
FHOP Tip: Turns out the “temple you can climb” does exist. It’s called the Shwe San Daw Pagoda, located between The Dhammanyangyi Temple and Wall of Old Bagan. Known for its white-washed color, the Shwesandaw pagoda is the tallest pagoda in Bagan.
We picked up the pace and headed up the road toward the only landmark we could see rising above the jungle canopy – the massive Dhammayangyi Temple.
There was still a little time left to find a spot to watch the sunset, but that window was closing fast.
Stop 4: Dhammayangyi Temple And The Sunset Wall
We ended up at the Dhammayangyi Temple, not far from where we were the previous night for sunset.
Dhammayangyi Temple
Dhammayangyi Temple is interesting for several reasons, most notably because it’s the largest temple in all of Bagan (which makes it a must-see place to explore). It’s also thought to be cursed and extremely haunted.
Across from the Dhammayangyi Temple, we found our spot for the sunset – the “Sunset Wall”.
Pilgrims for the sun god
Like the night before, sunset was spectacular.
Picture of me racing off into the sunset (Image courtesy of Curiosity-Travel.com)
Stop 5: Back To The Hotel
Fun fact: Bagan gets freezing cold at night (even in the “hot” dry season).
Due to that fact, which we learned the previous night, we decided to head back to our hotel to grab some warmer clothes and a drink or two at the bar.
Tropical drinks in the Tropics!
It’s been said that our hotel (Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Hotel) has the best sunset in all of Bagan. I’ll let you decide.
Watching the sunset change colors in a matter of minutes
Stop 6: The Ananda Pagoda Festival
By another stroke of good luck, it turned out we were visiting Bagan during the Ananda Pagoda Festival.
It is said this festival has been taking place annually since the construction of the Ananda Pagoda almost 1,000 years ago. Today, it is a big attraction, but mostly for local residents of Bagan (and Myanmar).
Part carnival…
Part bazaar…
Part food market (This guy made the best Burmese Dosas!)
Burmese Dosa
You haven’t lived until you had a Burmese quail egg cooked over an open flame. I think I had 5 of these things!
Stop 7: Drinks In Nyaung-U
After spending a couple of hours living it up like a local and eating some of the best Burmese street food of the entire trip, we decided on one last stop – the backpacker district in Nyaung-U for some bar-hopping action.
We got there pretty late, and it was getting downright frosty (the tuk tuk drivers were wearing hooded parka jackets), so we settled on a spot that our Balloons Over Bagan pilot suggested, Weather Spoon’s Bagan.
This place was packed for it being so late. They had the largest selection of local Myanmar beers that we’ve seen on our trip up until that point, so we decided to try some of the brews we hadn’t yet tried.
The menu was also huge, so we went with more stuff from the “dishes you must-try in Myanmar” list.
Burmese Papaya Salad – spicy and delicious!
Tea Leaf Salad – awesome!
We stayed until closing, but by then it was freezing outside. We saw our friend off and wished her well on her upcoming awesome travels, while we took a tuk tuk back to the hotel because we had an early morning flight out to Inle Lake.
Final Thoughts: 48 Hours In Bagan: How To See Bagan In 2 Days
Bagan was an incredible experience from beginning to end. I remember asking my friend’s sister (who had been there before) how long we should stay there. Her answer, “at least six days”. She was probably right, but that was impossible for us.
Had we more time, I’m sure we would done another day getting lost exploring pagodas, took a river cruise on the Irrawaddy, relaxed more at the hotel, and hiked Mt. Popa. But, I’ll save all of that for next time.
We were under strict time constraints so we tried to make the most of our 2-day time in Bagan, and I feel confident we did. Balloons Over Bagan was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my travels, as was pagoda hunting on “e-bikes”.
Using the “green” and “orange” routes, we wasted no time and really “saw Bagan”. Sure, you can hire a tour or a tour guide, but you can also easily explore Bagan on your own. In many ways, I believe doing it on your own is far more rewarding, in fact, I’d say it’s the secret to finding the amazing “hidden treasures” of Bagan.
Cheers!
Click here to read the previous post on “48 Hours In Bagan: Day 1”
