The Land of 2,200 Temples

Fly to Bangkok,Thailand, fly or bus to Bagan via Yangon. Where is Bagan? Bagan is in Burma, now known as Myanmar and until recently off limits to most Westerners. If you travel there take cash, it is not a credit card economy and the US dollar is welcome. About communication-hmmm, don't expect your cell phone to work. Expect spotty Internet connections that are monitored by authorities, it is usually available in the large hotels. Hotels in Bagan are few, the price range is from $30-70 a night. Many of the roads are dirt or gravel, paved roads are in the bigger cities. Many of the hotels in Bagan will provide with decent accommodations are are clean, many even have TV, although the real show is outside your room. The weather is hot and humid to steamy, depending on the time of year.

Now that you are there, expect a wondrous time exploring the 2,200 temples that lay within an area that is the size of Manhattan. From the air, the site of so many temples is simply staggering because some of the temples are three stories and full of intricate architecture. Scattered across the vast, dusty, Bagan plain are scores of exotic Buddhist temples. Bagan dates back to the early 2 B.C., yet the region entered its golden age much late during the King Anawrahta reign in 1057. From that time, until 1287, more than thirteen thousand temples, pagodas, and other religious structures were built. What is now left are the 2,200 temples. The Gawdawpalin temple, built in the 12th century by King Narapatisithu, is 180 ft. tall, the Ananda Temple is 150 ft. tall. Most of the temples do require a charge to enter and be prepared to see a lot of Buddhist monks wherever you go!