The Wonders.
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Places of wonder are those that whisk
visitors away from the world of the mundane and transport
them into the realm of the fantastic. Such locations evoke a
sense of awe and surprise that expands the mind, changes
one’s view of the world and challenges assumptions about the
limits of the human imagination.
Myanmar has no shortage of these wonders, many of them sites
of religious importance that leave visitors gaping in
amazement not only at the ingenuity and devotion of those
who built them long ago, but also at the beauty of the
monuments they left behind. To enter these temples and
pagodas is to step into a mysterious world that acts as no
less than a showcase for the endless beauty of Myanmar art,
architecture, cultural heritage and spirituality.
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Bagan
 No trip to Myanmar is complete without a
visit to Bagan, where ancient temples too numerous to count
rise from the red soil of a 42-square-kilometre plain along
the banks of the Ayeyarwady River.
Visitors can spend days exploring Bagan’s
thousands of structures of various shapes and sizes, their
earth-toned reds, browns and greys muted by age, their
crevices sprouting plants and moss. Inside many temples can
be found Buddha statues and murals that provide a
fascinating look into the culture of those who lived in
Bagan during its heyday from the 11th to 13th
centuries.
No matter how you choose to see Bagan –
by open horse cart, bicycle, motor vehicle or even hot-air
balloon – be sure not to miss the ambience of the early
morning mists of the Ayeyarwady drifting among the temples,
or the spectacle of the sun setting beyond the spires of the
ancient city.
Nearby sights include the town of Salay,
known for its wooden monasteries, and Mount Popa, an
important site for nat (spirit) worship.
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Yangon
 No
other city in the world is quite like Yangon, an
urban centre of nearly 6 million people that
straddles modern and traditional worlds.
Shopping centres stand next to hectic vegetable
markets, while sidewalks are shared by people
sporting contemporary fashions and those wearing
traditional sarongs called longyis.
Rising above the dynamism of the city are
a number of landmarks that are, by their very nature, oases
of tranquillity. These are the Buddhist pagodas whose spires
glitter like golden treasures in the tropical sun. Their
names are familiar to Buddhists everywhere: Sule Pagoda, Botahtaung Pagoda and, most famously, Shwedagon
Pagoda.
Shwedagon Pagoda, the most important
Buddhist site in Myanmar, boasts an awe-inspiring 98-metre
spire that can be seen from anywhere in the city. Best
experienced during the cool, tranquil hour of twilight just
after sunset, the pagoda platform holds a dazzling array of
shrines where devotees gather to meditate, make offerings,
meet friends and share food. It is a vibrant, life-affirming
atmosphere that illustrates the essence of Buddhist culture
in Myanmar.
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Kyaikhtiyo (Golden Rock)
 Golden Rock Pagoda is one of the most
revered Buddhist sites in Myanmar. It balances as if by
magic on the edge of a cliff on the peak of Mt Kyaikhtiyo,
its mystical aura permeating the hills and forests of the
surrounding region.
Swathed in a blanket of intense
spirituality, the gold-leaf-covered pagoda arouses a sense
of wonder in all who see it. All through the warm days and
cool, breezy nights, worshippers chant, meditate and light
candles on the pagoda platform.
Visitors can choose between riding up the
mountain in a truck or walking along an 11-kilometre trail
that passes through mountain forests laced with paths
leading to hidden pagodas and shrines dedicated to the
spirits of the mountain.
Kyaikhtiyo can be visited as a two-day
trip from Yangon via bus or hired car. Along the way, you
can also stop in the town of Bago, once the capital of an
ancient Mon kingdom and now brimming with fascinating
religious sights, including Shwemawdaw Pagoda and the huge
Shwethalyanung reclining Buddha.
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Mingun
 At 50 metres high, Mingun Temple is so
big that you will be able to see in from the
very start of the 11-kilometre boat journey
from Mandalay up the Ayeyarwady River to the temple site.
The unfinished temple is a mere one-third
the height that King Bodawpaya intended when he started
construction in 1790, a project that was later abandoned on
advice from astrologers. Climbing to the top provides views
of the Ayeyarwady River to the east, pagoda-dotted hills to
the west and the village of Mingun in between.
Another of Mingun’s attractions is the
90-tonne bronze bell cast in 1808
to hang at the temple, said to be the biggest ringing bell
in the world. Nearby is the shining
white Hsinbyume Pagoda, designed to represent legendary
Mount Meru at the centre of the Buddhist cosmos.
During the boat ride, be sure to watch for the
elusive Ayeyarwady dolphin, an endangered
species that can only be found along the 70-kilometre
stretch of the Ayeyarwady River north of Mandalay.
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Mrauk U
 A trip to remote Mrauk U begins with a
boat journey from the coastal town of Sittwe, during which
you will feel as if you were floating back in time as you
pass fishing villages and farmland.
The ancient temples of Mrauk U, which
served as the last capital of the Rakhine kingdom from 1430
to 1785, nestle in a landscape of narrow valleys and low
hills. The structures are as scenic as the geography,
including Laungbyanpauk Temple with its colourful glazed
tiles, and Kothaung Pagoda, the biggest in Mrauk U and named
for the 90,000 religious images placed inside by its
builder, King Mintaikkha.
The distances in Mrauk U are not great,
so it is possible to explore much of the area on foot.
Walking between clusters of temples will take you through
busy villages where locals work, children play and cattle
wander. You may well imagine that lifestyles have not
changed much since Mrauk U was at the height of its power
hundreds of years ago.
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Pindaya
 The Pindaya Caves near Inle Lake in Shan
State contain more than 8000 Buddha statues dating back
hundreds of years. It is an astounding sight that has long
beguiled Buddhist pilgrims and casual visitors alike.
The entrance to the cave system is marked
by the 15-metre-high Shwe U Min Pagoda. Beyond lie thousands
of Buddha images, most of which have been painted gold and
now glint mysteriously in the dim light, some clustered in
groups that reach to the ceiling on stepped pedestals, some
tucked away in secret corners.
There are also rock formations with
evocative names like the Weaving Loom of the Fairy
Princesses, while wooden mallets indicate the location of
stalactites that, if struck just right, make a “gong” sound
that resonates through the subterranean chambers.
The town of Pindaya is also worth a visit, with its tranquil
Boutaloke Lake nestled beneath a soaring limestone ridge. It
is a popular starting point for treks that provide firsthand
insight into local lifestyles.
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