Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
if it all proves too much, sedan chairs are available. On descent, be aware that trucks from
Yathetaun to Kinpun are far less frequent than those from the mountaintop - unless you are
travelling with a group you may end up waiting for hours for the truck to fill up.
On the mountain
Ticket office daily 7am-9pm • Two-day pass K6000 • Dress appropriately (no shorts or revealing clothing)
Once at the top of the mountain, foreigners are required to pay a
government fee
, which
buys a two-day pass. From the ticket office it's a short walk to the main complex, an expanse
of tiles and minor shrines surrounding the Golden Rock itself. Men are allowed to cross the
footbridge
totheRocktoaddtoitslustre(atinysheetofgoldleaf;K1700),butwomenmust
stay a short distance away.
Pilgrims throng Kyaiktiyo both day and night, but activity is greatest early in the morning
and at dusk, with people praying, lighting candles and making offerings. Among the
stalls
thatcrowdthemountaintop,keepaneyeoutforonedeckedwithspotlights-donateK20,000
and you can have the pagoda illuminated in your name for a night.
It is worth taking time to explore beyond the crowded main plaza, where several quiet trails
lead across the mountains. For a short, sharp walk follow the path down past
Yoe Yoe Lay
hotel to a T-junction. The left-hand path leads 2.5km downhill to
MoeBawWaterfall
, while
the right-hand path leads past a small
cave shrine
and dozens of macabre traditional medi-
cine stalls, decorated with centipedes and goat skulls, up to
Kann Pa Sat
, a small pagoda
with a large loudspeaker that broadcasts blessings. From Kann Pa Sat you can head straight
back to the plaza (making a 1.5km loop), or continue along the ridge, past a row of helipads
and through attractive wooded scenery to a series of smaller improbably shaped rock-and-
stupa combinations. One of the more striking places to aim for is
Bodhi Taw Kaw
, 1.5km
alongtheridgefromtheplaza,whereranksofsmallBuddhastatuesseatedonpedestalscover
the hillside. The 3km trail ends in a winding set of steps that lead down to
Kyauk Ta Gyi
, a
small shrine set deep in a wooded valley; from here you'll need to retrace your steps to the
plaza.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION: KYAIKTIYO (GOLDEN ROCK)
By bus
Some buses run direct to Kinpun, stopping outside
Sea Sar
restaurant, while others
stop 15km away in Kyaikhto and transfer passengers to Kinpun by truck (included in the bus
ticket). Bus tickets can be purchased in Kinpun at the booths opposite
Sea Sar
, with most
services finishing by mid-afternoon.
Destinations
Bago(7daily;3hr);Hpa-An(3daily;4hr);Mawlamyine(4daily;4hr);Yangon
(daily; 5-6hr).
By train
The nearest railway station to Kyaiktiyo is in Kyaikhto. All trains between Yangon
and Mawlamyine stop here, most passing through inconveniently early in the morning, al-
