Bagan
From Wikitravel
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Bagan, also spelled Pagan, on the banks of the Ayerwaddy River, is home to the largest area of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins in the world – many dating to the 11th and 12th centuries. The shape and construction of each building is highly significant in Buddhism with each component part taking on spiritual meaning.
[edit] Understand
Bagan became a central powerbase of the mid 9th century under King Anawratha, who unified Burma under Theravada Buddhism. It is estimated that as many as 13,000 temples and stupas once stood on this 42-sq km plain in central Myanmar, and Marco Polo once described Bagan as a "gilded city alive with tinkling bells and the swishing sounds of monks' robes". Approximately 2,200 remain today, in various states of disrepair. Some are large and well maintained, such as the Ananda Pahto, others are small tumbledown relics in the middle of overgrown grass. All, however, are considered active sacred sites, so when visiting roaming among the stupas, feel free to show off all your best behavior.
Bagan's golden age ended in 1287 when the Kingdom and its capital city was invaded and sacked by the Mongols. Its population was reduced to a village that remained amongst the ruins of the once larger city. In 1998, this village and its inhabitants were forcibly relocated a few kilometers to the south of Bagan, forming "New Bagan" where you will find accommodation in its handful of cheap, quaint, clean hotels and religious centers.
Despite the majesty and importance of Bagan, Unesco has failed to include it on its world heritage site, because it says some temples were rebuilt in an un-historic way. Nonetheless, the site is arguably as impressive as the Pyramids of Egypt: a dry, vast open landscape dominated entirely by votive architecture.
[edit] Get in
When entering Bagan you pass through a ticket booth where you present your passport and purchase a US$10 ticket valid for your entire stay (March 2008). These passes are also needed for accommodation as hotels and hostels take down the ticket number when you check in.
Staff at the ticket booths round out their salaries by selling pirate copies of George Orwell's "Burmese Days" for around US$5.
[edit] By plane
You can fly into Bagan on Air Mandalay [1], Air Bagan [2], or Myanmar Airways for about US$ 65; if you want to be socially conscious, fly Air Mandalay; if you want to be safety conscious, I wouldn't fly any of the three.
SAFETY RECORDS
Founded in 2004, Air Bagan had its only accident when an ATR had to abort take-off on 19/02/08: 57 passengers with zero fatalities.
Founded in 1994, Air Mandalay has had no accidents so far.
Founded in 1943, Myanmar Air has had 132 accidents; 98 of the accidents are attributable to the US Army Air Force, the Royal Air Force and wartime twin-engine cargo flights into China. Since 1999, Air Myanmar has had only two accidents, one of which is the Air Bagan F-28 cited above because Air Bagan is a subsidiary of Myanmar Air. See http://aviation-safety.net/database/dblist.php?Country=XY for the full list. The airline had a streak of accidents 11 years ago, but has since cleaned up its act.
All data is from the Flight Safety Foundation as at Dec 1 2008.
[edit] By train
There is a direct train service running from Mandalay to Bagan. Third-class tickets are available directly at the railway station and cost US$4 USD (March 2008). They may refuse kyat.
Third class is rough, however. Most train routes in Myanmar are fairly nice, however when going on the Mandalay/Bagan route expect the train to be incredibly crowded. You will also have limited room to store your stuff, as well as cramped uncomfortable sitting conditions.
Comfortable bus links to Mandalay are also available for US$8 one way.
[edit] By Bus:
From Mandalay for $6.50 you can take a bus to Bagan as gruelling as any bus ride you've ever had. 6 - 7 hours of roads that are in such bad shape, along w/ the buses broken suspension. I rode in the rear of the bus and couldn't believe how bad the ride was. Then I found that a flight was only $30. If comming or going to Yangon, I'd def. recommend a flight for $65. The train wasn't a great ride either, $45 - Yangon - Mandalay. The only other form of transport I'd take is the ferry, Mandalay - Bagan, on Sunday and Wed. ONLY!
[edit] Get around
- For an unparalleled view of the Bagan plain, you can take a hot air balloon ride at sunrise through a company called Balloons Over Bagan, for ~295USD per person.
- It is also possible to rent a horse cart, along with a driver, for around USD5/day.
- Travelling around on a rented bicycle is quite easy (you do not have to compete with much vehicular traffic on the roads) and economical (as little as US 75 cents/day). In the morning, before it gets hot, is a particularly pleasant time to do this. People tend to rise late around Bagan, so travelling forth at 8 AM or so really emphasizes the sense of Bagan as "abandoned." Later in the day, particularly during the warm season, it may be uncomfortable to do this. In the dry season, bicycling through the sandy paths connecting the more remote temples can be harrowing exercise, but this is still the best way to get to where you want to go cheaply.
[edit][add listing] See
- Ananda - Bagan's holiest temple, built by the third king, Kyan-zit-tha in 1091. Ananda comes from the Pali word "anantapannya", which means "boundless wisdom". The temple houses four Buddhas facing the cardinal directions, which represent the four Buddhas who have attained Nirvana. The fifth, Maitreya, is yet to appear.
[edit][add listing] Do
The mood of the village is laid back and, after a day biking around in the stone forest of stupas, the evening entertainment is entirely DIY.
[edit][add listing] Buy
Bagan offers lacquerware, cloth paintings, T-shirts and other handicrafts. As elsewhere in Asia, it is "friendly" to grant a client 10% off. If you probe further, remember to always keep the bargaining friendly and to know when to stop eroding the seller's margin.
[edit][add listing] Eat
There are many places to eat in Old Bagan serving the traditional Burmese dishes, especially good old noodle soup. Some of the buffets are excellent; for about USD 1.50 you can eat to your heart's content from literally dozens of different traditional dishes, brought straight to your table.
- Mahar Bagan, Khayee Road, Khan Laung Quarter, New Bagan. One of the best restaurants in Bagan, with a cheerful and friendly owner who speaks great English and seems happy to indulge customers in stories about the area. The menu consists primarily of Chinese-style dishes. The restaurant does serve up an excellent array of traditional Burmese food, but you have to drop by 4-5 hours in advance to let them know your order, as most Burmese dishes take a long time to prepare. edit
- The Moon Vegetarian Restaurant, North of Ananda temple, Old Bagan, ☎ 061-60481. Not only the best veggy restaurant in Bagan, but overall just a great eating experience. Every single bit of food on the extensive menu is freshly prepared, and there's always a special dish of the day. Place sits around ~15pax, so you won't have to sit with the big tourist groups. Costs around 5 USD/pax. edit
[edit][add listing] Drink
As everywhere else in Myanmar, there's plenty of Myanmar Beer to go around.
[edit][add listing] Sleep
Thante Hotel, Nyaung U. Clusters of rooms set in bungalows all located around a central pool. Close to the market. Excellent service. Midrange prices.
Thasin Hotel. Bungalows and rooms overlooking a (rebuilt) pagoda. There is also a salon, expensive internet access, a limited library, billiards, a scenic pool, and a nice breakfast room. Mid-range prices in the summer, may be more expensive during the year.
- Kaday Aung Hotel, Hninn Pann St., Kyansitthar Quarter, Bagan Myanmar (Near Manuhar Temple), ☎ +95-62-65070, [3]. checkin: 02/26/2009; checkout: 03/01/2009. Kaday Aung Hotel near Manuhar temple, Myingabar village. Amazing! It was like Oasis in the desert with a lot of trees and shades. Garden and pool is ok but the cold environment from the shade of trees is priceless. The rooms are well decorated with woods and bamboo fixtures and arts, dinner and dance shows at outdoor/under the tree restaurant, buffet breakfast with local and continental menus are so delicious. All staffs are smiling all the time and manager is very helpful. Highly recommend 2.5 or 3 star budget hotel in Bagan. Staffs are nice, facilities are well suited for 3 stars level. It is simply the Oasis in Bagan. US$20-40. edit
[edit] Get out
From Bagan, you can do a day trip to visit Mt. Popa.
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