BAGAN
An ancient city home to over 2200 historical temples and pagodas
Bagan is a city in Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia.
From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Pagan
Kingdom, the first kingdom that unified the regions that would later
constitute Myanmar.
During the kingdom's height between the 11th and 13th centuries, more than
10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the
Bagan plains alone, of which the remains of over 2200 temples and pagodas
survive.
Bagan is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Bagan Archaeological
Zone is a main attraction for the country's nascent tourism industry.
Three practical travel tips for Bagan
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🧒 Hire a local guide!
Visiting Bagan is all about history and architecture. Having a Lonely Planet on hand is obviously insufficient. Plus, there are 2,200+ temples and pagodas - even Google Map is overwhelmed. -
👡 Wear sandals!
You will be visiting multiple temples and pagodas every day, and you would need to take off your shoes when entering the sacred places. There are just too many things to see, don't waste time tying shoelaces! -
🌇 Forget about the popular Bagan sunset viewpoints!
Every travel blog tells you to go to Shwe San Daw Paya for Bagan sunsets. Trust me, you won't want to go there. It is crowded with tourists. No picture of yourself without photo bombs. No quiet moment with the nature neither. Where should you go then? Ask your local guide! They know all the secret sunset viewpoints that travel blogs won't be able to tell you.
Unsure if Bagan is the right travel destination for you?