Known for it's well-preserved pagodas and temples, magical sunrises and sunsets, we decided to head down Bagan.
Braving the 9 hours of bus ride we reached Bagan. We grabbed our bags and headed straight into the bus company's holding area avoiding the swamp of pushy taxi drivers. Stuck in the middle of Bagan at 4am, we decided to take on a sunrise tour before heading to our guest house in Nyaung-U.
After 20 minutes of drive, we arrived at our destination, Buledi Pagoda. Buledi Pagoda is one of the more popular locations for beautiful sunrise. The Pagoda was filled with people when we arrived. We sat at the 3rd tier of the Pagoda and waited patiently for the sun to crawl out of bed.
ABOVE: Us, waiting patiently for the sun to rise at Buledi Pagoda.
The sky lit up gradually and we could see the vast grassland, ridges and numerous pagodas in front of us. The sky had brighten up and the crowd started leaving. We were disappointed that we missed the sunrise. Soon enough, the sun peered through the clouds and greeted us on our arrival to Bagan. That's our first moments of our Bagan Adventures.
ABOVE: Sunrise taken from Buledi Pagoda. That's our first moments in Bagan.
We checked in to Six Star Guest House and had my first motorbike lesson. Circled around the small field outside the guesthouse for 30 minutes, we finally hit the road and started exploring the temples. I would highly recommend the rent of E-scooters. Firstly, it cost only around 10 SGD per day. Secondly, it's less strenuous compared to getting a bicycle. Lastly, it's much faster! Furthermore, there weren't lots of vehicles on the road. Just keep to the sides of the road and you'll be safe.
ABOVE: Shwesandaw Pagoda and Ananda Temple
We spent our first day exploring Old Bagan. We especially love this part of Bagan where we are able to roam freely on our little scooter. Furthermore, we got to climb up pagodas like Mahazedi Pagoda. The view up there is magnificent!
Please be aware of what you wear in Bagan. There's a dress code when entering temples in Bagan. Thus, dress appropriately.
You are required to remove your shoes and socks before entering all temples in Bagan. It's a good idea to wear slippers during temple visits. Some of the temples have strict dress code of no shorts and spaghetti tops for ladies. Basically, your knees and shoulders should be covered. So, dress appropriately and show them some respect.
ABOVE: Tourists climbing onto Mahazedi Pagoda to get a nice photo.
We visited Shwezigon Pagoda on our first night. While admiring the beautifully lit golden pagoda, I felt this indescribable calm and sense of peace as though, I am relived of some of my sufferings.
We headed back to our scooter only to find out that our slippers were held hostage by the store keepers. They were pretty intimidating and pushy making us patronise their souvenir stores. Things got worse when I realised I had locked the key inside the seat compartment of the scooter.
ABOVE: Shwezigon Pagoda and Bupaya Pagoda
Fortunately, the contact number of the shop was printed on the scooter plate. The scooter owner was kind enough to ride all the way just to bring us a spare key. Lesson learned: Avoid over-friendly locals who approaches you and ALWAYS CHECK before locking something.
Last day in Bagan, we headed over to New Bagan. New Bagan was built more recently to house the local population who were removed from Old Bagan to form this new village. The atmosphere in New Bagan is totally different from that of Old Bagan and Nyaung-U. The streets bustled with people and the accommodation seems more expensive.
That concludes our awesome temples adventures in Bagan. We were disappointed to miss the hot air ballon filled sky due to the rainy weather across our 2 days in Bagan.
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