Bagan was a struggle for me.
Everybody loves Bagan, and it is arguably Myanmar's most famous tourist attraction with its thousands of temples scattered throughout the countryside. And don't get me wrong, it's like nowhere else and you should definitely go there.
Everybody loves Bagan, and it is arguably Myanmar's most famous tourist attraction with its thousands of temples scattered throughout the countryside. And don't get me wrong, it's like nowhere else and you should definitely go there.
It just felt different to the rest of Myanmar.
It is a lot more touristy, and those familiar feelings of bracing yourself for a scam like in other parts of South East Asia start coming back. The people are still lovely, but they are used to tourists and their money, so be prepared to be hassled a bit.
There are also a lot of kids hanging around the temples who will be your best friend, and then convince you to go to a certain temple, with the goal of you buying whatever it is that their family is selling there that. This kid just jumped on Simon's bike and directed us to a temple, and then yes, we did end up buying sand paintings from his family, but to be fair the seller was charming and funny! I know it encourages them...but those sand paintings are cool!
It is a lot more touristy, and those familiar feelings of bracing yourself for a scam like in other parts of South East Asia start coming back. The people are still lovely, but they are used to tourists and their money, so be prepared to be hassled a bit.
There are also a lot of kids hanging around the temples who will be your best friend, and then convince you to go to a certain temple, with the goal of you buying whatever it is that their family is selling there that. This kid just jumped on Simon's bike and directed us to a temple, and then yes, we did end up buying sand paintings from his family, but to be fair the seller was charming and funny! I know it encourages them...but those sand paintings are cool!
Another common one is people, mostly kids, asking where you are from, and then saying they are collecting coins. They will then proceed to show you what they already have and will ask whether you have any NZ dollars. It's cute the first time when it's a little kid, but it gets tiring after that...it's funny just how many people collect coins as a hobby in Bagan....
A lot of the temples also have souvenirs sprawled out everywhere when you walk in, which takes away from the authenticity of them, and distracts you from actually enjoying the temple.
There are also a lot of people. Sunset and sunrise is amazing, and the view from the temples is truly unique. However, be prepared to share your area with a hundred other tourists. I personally hate crowds, so if I could go again I would do a lot more research on the temples to find which ones people don't know about. A lot of tours come to Bagan, which means the most well-known temples are often really crowded.
I also found it hard to get to the temples. I have one hand, so riding an e-bike wasn't really a safe option for me. I tried going on the back on the others' e-bikes, but I felt like I was going to die and I could only handle that after a few drinks. Maybe my friends just aren't the best drivers (no offence guys!). The e-bikes are definitely the best way to get around, especially to get to the far away temples, ie the least crowded ones, and I'm sure they are a perfect mode of transport for the majority of people.
Another option is cycling, but it's 35 degrees! And it's also not something I feel particularly safe doing with one hand either.
We did get a horse and cart one morning, but I felt really guilty about the horse having to carry us, so I didn't enjoy that. Also, it just poops into a bag tied to its butt while it's walking. Poor horse, I wouldn't want to crap into a bag while carrying people. That was a good way to see some secret temples though, and the driver was lovely!
I think a lot of the tour groups have their own drivers that go to all the temples, so that's another option, though an expensive one.
Bagan needs tuk-tuks, or thoun beins! That would have been much more enjoyable. Maybe they do have them somewhere, but I didn't see them. You could easily pile in the back with your friends, and see the little-visited temples.
We stayed in Nyuang U, which was a nice area, but I think being in Old Bagan and just being a little bit closer would have been better. New Bagan is far away and we didn't spend much time there, so Old Bagan is a much better choice if you want to be near the temples. Nyuang U has some great little restaurants though, 4th street is where they all are. Don't miss Weather Spoon's for great burgers.
I did leave Bagan with mixed feelings. I still had a great time though, and I'd love to go back! It was still an adventure...like the time we climbed one abandoned temple to first of all have a bat fly at us, and once we recovered from that and started up the dark stairwell again, Simon started screaming about snakes! We made a pretty swift exit after that.
Do go to Bagan, but don't mistake it for the real Myanmar. Make sure you visit the other places like Hpa An and Inle Lake which are deserving destinations on their own. Experience the street food of Yangon. Muddle your way around Mandalay. Don't make Bagan you're only stop, Myanmar deserves so much more.
A lot of the temples also have souvenirs sprawled out everywhere when you walk in, which takes away from the authenticity of them, and distracts you from actually enjoying the temple.
There are also a lot of people. Sunset and sunrise is amazing, and the view from the temples is truly unique. However, be prepared to share your area with a hundred other tourists. I personally hate crowds, so if I could go again I would do a lot more research on the temples to find which ones people don't know about. A lot of tours come to Bagan, which means the most well-known temples are often really crowded.
I also found it hard to get to the temples. I have one hand, so riding an e-bike wasn't really a safe option for me. I tried going on the back on the others' e-bikes, but I felt like I was going to die and I could only handle that after a few drinks. Maybe my friends just aren't the best drivers (no offence guys!). The e-bikes are definitely the best way to get around, especially to get to the far away temples, ie the least crowded ones, and I'm sure they are a perfect mode of transport for the majority of people.
Another option is cycling, but it's 35 degrees! And it's also not something I feel particularly safe doing with one hand either.
We did get a horse and cart one morning, but I felt really guilty about the horse having to carry us, so I didn't enjoy that. Also, it just poops into a bag tied to its butt while it's walking. Poor horse, I wouldn't want to crap into a bag while carrying people. That was a good way to see some secret temples though, and the driver was lovely!
I think a lot of the tour groups have their own drivers that go to all the temples, so that's another option, though an expensive one.
Bagan needs tuk-tuks, or thoun beins! That would have been much more enjoyable. Maybe they do have them somewhere, but I didn't see them. You could easily pile in the back with your friends, and see the little-visited temples.
We stayed in Nyuang U, which was a nice area, but I think being in Old Bagan and just being a little bit closer would have been better. New Bagan is far away and we didn't spend much time there, so Old Bagan is a much better choice if you want to be near the temples. Nyuang U has some great little restaurants though, 4th street is where they all are. Don't miss Weather Spoon's for great burgers.
I did leave Bagan with mixed feelings. I still had a great time though, and I'd love to go back! It was still an adventure...like the time we climbed one abandoned temple to first of all have a bat fly at us, and once we recovered from that and started up the dark stairwell again, Simon started screaming about snakes! We made a pretty swift exit after that.
Do go to Bagan, but don't mistake it for the real Myanmar. Make sure you visit the other places like Hpa An and Inle Lake which are deserving destinations on their own. Experience the street food of Yangon. Muddle your way around Mandalay. Don't make Bagan you're only stop, Myanmar deserves so much more.
