Myanmar (Burma) - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 543

granting their land to foreign investors
such as mining companies. he state
remains largely off-limits apart from
Hpa-an , a town that makes a great base
for day-trips into rice fields overlooked
by imposing Mount Zwegabin, and also
provides access to the border crossing
at Myawaddy.
Other than the opening of the
Myawaddy crossing, the other big news
for tourism here has been the opening up
of the Tanintharyi Region further south:
until 2013, it wasn't possible to travel
overland to Dawei , Myeik or Kawthaung .
Some restrictions are still in place but it is
now possible to take a little-travelled
route south all the way to the hai border
and beyond.

times and the current one dates back only
to the 1950s.
A five-minute walk east from
Shwemawdaw is a smaller pagoda,
Hintha Gon , most notable for its nat
(spirit) shrine in which ceremonies are
often performed to bring good luck
to worshippers.

Shwethalyaung reclining Buddha
and around
To the west of the centre is the elegant
Shwethalyaung reclining Buddha , over
54m in length and said to have been built
by King Miga Depa in 994 to mark his
conversion to Buddhism. A ten-minute
walk further west is the Mahazedi Paya ,
completed in 1560 under King
Bayinnaung, a reformer who is said to
have put an end to human and animal
sacrifices by animists. It was
reconstructed in the 1980s.

7

BAGO
A plethora of pagodas, outsized Buddha
statues and monasteries attest to the
historical importance of BAGO , which
was at the height of its influence
following the decline of Bagan's empire
in the thirteenth century. Its location at
a major junction, 80km northeast of
Yangon, helps to make it a convenient
stopover or day-trip destination.

Kyaik Pun Paya
he Kyaik Pun Paya , located down a
road off the main highway, 3.5km south
of the centre, consists of four large
back-to-back statues representing the
four Buddhas who have appeared so far
in the current era. his back-to-back
arrangement seems to have originated
among the Mon before spreading to
Bagan and hailand.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Most of Bago's sights are covered by a
$10 government-imposed entrance fee.
It's a long walk between them, so ask at
accommodation about bicycle rental
(around K3000 per day) or motorbike
tours (around 5hr; K8000) which include
the attractions listed here - plus the
missable reconstructed palace and a
monastery where busloads of tourists
intrude on the monks' mealtime.
Motorbike drivers also wait for arriving
buses, and may suggest ways to avoid the
$10 fee (although this might mean
missing some of the main sights).

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus You can buy tickets at the bus station, around 1km
west of the town centre (K500 by motorbike), at your
accommodation, or from the o ces on the main road close
to the two listed hotels. Daytime buses stop at the bus
station only, while from around 6pm they may also stop
close to the ticket o ces.
Destinations Hpa-an (3 daily; 6-7hr); Kinpun for Kyaiktyo

(hourly until 4pm; 2hr 30min); Mandalay (4 daily; 12hr);
Mawlyamine (5 daily; 6hr); Nyaungshwe for Inle Lake (2
daily; 14hr); Taungoo (2 daily; 6hr); Yangon (very frequent
until 5pm; 1hr 30min).
By train The station is centrally located, just north of the
main road and most of the cheaper hotels. For Inle Lake
(via Shwenyaung), change at Thazi.
Destinations

Shwemawdaw Paya and Hintha Gon
he holiest site in Bago, Shwemawdaw
Paya , around 2km east of the centre, is
the tallest pagoda in the country at
114m. It's said that the original stupa was
built here during the lifetime of Gautama
Buddha, but it has been destroyed many

Dawei (daily; 22hr 40min); Kyaikhto for
Kyaiktiyo (3 daily; 3hr); Mandalay (3 daily; 14hr 30min);
Mawlamyine (3 daily; 9hr); Nay Pyi Taw (5 daily; 7hr
30min); Taungoo (5 daily; 5hr); Thanbyuzayat (daily; 10hr
40min); Thazi (3 daily; 10-11hr); Yangon (8 daily; 2hr).