Exploring Bagan: One Traveller’s Experience
Once the powerful capital of an ancient kingdom, Bagan is now one of the top attractions in Myanmar. Sitting on the banks of the Irrawaddy River, the site features several thousand temples, stupas and pagodas, making for a truly spectacular landscape. To give you more of an idea of what to expect, here I talk about my own experience exploring Bagan.
Hot Air Balloon Ride
Filled with so much excitement, despite the super comfortable bed, I could barely sleep that night. I had just found out that I’d cleared the waitlist to take to the skies for the hot air balloon experience the next morning. Which was lucky, considering just two days earlier it was cancelled due to the rain.
With only limited spaces available, I’d highly recommend pre-booking your hot air ballooning in advance. That way you’ll avoid the almost certain regret of there being no places available as the day draws near. It’s a completely worthwhile experience that’ll take your Bagan journey to the next level (pun intended).
After returning back to earth in the true aeronautical tradition, we enjoyed some champagne. Then we continued with our day’s sightseeing, exploring several different stupas and temples and revelling in the hustle and bustle of the Nyaung-U markets. The day ended with a sunset boat cruise on the Irrawaddy, the sky turning beautiful hues of pink and purple.
