Arriving at our hotel after a long boat trip (told here, and practical advice here), we are greeted by a receptionist with impeccable English. It’s a change from Mandalay where we had difficulties to communicate! Of the blow we take advantage completely to ask him all the questions which we want

Our hotel is located in the Nyaung U district, not expensive, 10 minutes by e-bike from the temples. Here, neither walking nor cycling is recommended. Electric bicycles (e-bike), which look more like scooters than bicycles, are very popular and convenient to visit the beautiful pagodas of Bagan. Rented for 8$/day for two (or 6$ for one person), the battery lasts all day for a maximum speed of 55km/h (we did the test)

We dine at the restaurant Bibo, in the “street of restaurants” (according to the receptionist, understand “the street of tourists”), that we highly recommend for its fresh salads and its happy hour (great Burmese Mojito!)

Day 2 :

We dedicate this day to visit the most touristic temples: Shwezigone Pagoda, Htilominlo (the last of the great Buddhist temples in Bagan), Ananda temple, Thatbyitnnyu temple (the highest in Bagan), Gubyaukgyi temple (for its murals), Dhamagyi temple (the largest but unfinished) and Shwesandaw (for the sunset). With a lunch break in a great cheap restaurant in New Bagan(Ma Mae Naing) and a short nap at the hotel while waiting for the sunset

The famous Burmese curry served with a multitude of side dishes

I don’t know if it’s the spiritual energy here in Bagan or the fact that I’m a bit “in the country” that makes me feel particularly good here. Really very well

Edit 24/08/2016 : 2 days after our visit, an earthquake damaged several temples in Bagan 🙁

Shwezigone Pagoda

My favorite of the day with an impressive golden stupa and the closest to the Nyaung U district

Htilominlo temple

It is an imposing temple that can be seen from afar. Other than that, there isn’t much of interest

Ananda Temple

Very nice temple

Thatbyitnnyu temple

In the past, you could climb on it, but for conservation reasons, it is forbidden now

Gubyaukgyi temple

It is necessary to bring a flashlight to see the murals, it is rather pretty but unfortunately badly preserved. Photos and cameras are forbidden

Dhamagyi temple

I advise you to walk around the temple, outside because the inside smells strongly of bats. It is the only temple where there are two Buddhas side by side

Edit 24/08/2016 : Unfortunately, 2 days later, the temple doesn’t look like this anymore because of a 6.8 magnitude earthquake 🙁

Shwesandaw

The ascent is more difficult than the pictures show, the steps are high and the slope is steep, but fortunately there are handrails. Many blogs blame this temple for the number of tourists coming here for sunset. Honestly, this did not bother me. You just have to go down one level to have more space, without spoiling the view. There are also 4 stairs to go up to the top, you just have to take the one farthest from the parking lot

The sunset is very beautiful. Unfortunately, the pictures are a bit spoiled by the view on the parking lot (full of cars). I think that the sunrise will be much more beautiful from this temple because on the other side, there is no parking lot

Day 3: La Poste & Pyathadar Hpaya

We will spend the whole morning at La Poste, to send a poor 1kg parcel to France. It’s raining like hell but if we leave Bagan without having seen the Pyathadar Hpaya temple, known for its huge terrace, we might regret it forever. We still remember the torrential rain in Mandalay which made us miss the famous Amarapura bridge. Lesson for us: in full monsoon, it is never necessary to postpone to the following day what we can visit today

We brave the rain, armed with our rain ponchos and advance through the mud. Finally, this temple does not disappoint us. The view at 360°C is magnificent despite the rain

Pyathadar Hpaya is the other little known alternative to Shwesandaw. One can also admire a magnificent sunset from this temple. The disadvantage compared to Shwesandaw is that the density of temples is lower vs. Shwesandaw. Thus, a better camera will be needed to capture the sunset here

The famous terrace

It is with 0 regret that we leave Bagan the next day at 8 am for the Inle Lake, 350km away

Part 2: Practical Tips

How to get there

It is possible to take a bus (day or night) from Yangon, Lake Inlay or Mandalay. You can also take the boat (like us), from Mandalay, by slow boat (15$/person – between 11h and 15h trip), or express boat (35$/person – only 7h trip)

Budget

• Mandalay Boat – Bagan : 15$/person
• E-bike rental: $5-$6 for one person, $7-$8 for two people
• Hotel Motel Zein (highly recommended for its impeccable service): 22$ per double room with air conditioning
• Food: 3000 kyats/dish, between 3500 and 5000 kyat the famous Burmese curry-> between 10 000 kyat and 12 000 kyats/meal for two, fruit juice included
• Conservation costs: 25,000 kyats/person
• Tricycle port -> cab: between 5000 and 7000 kyats

Tips

• Rent an e-bike, instead of renting bicycles. It is very hot in Bagan, even if the terrain is flat, pedaling under the sun isn’t very pleasant
• Everything is accessible by e-bike so do not hesitate to choose a hotel at Nyaung U, far from the temples (even next to the airport), we will be only 20mn or 25mn from the main temples
• Don’t forget the sunscreen – it’s time to test the Thanaka, the Burmese sunscreen
• Don’t forget the rain poncho, which your hotel can lend you
• To see the sunset, two alternatives to Shwesandaw are : Bulethi and Pyathadar Hpaya (great terrace but the road is bad especially in rainy weather)
• Prefer New Bagan to Nyaung U for restaurants, it’s half the price
• If you have a crush on Buddha masks, think twice before buying them. If you make a transfer to Thailand, know that there, they consider the purchase of the head of Buddha is a big no-no.