Burma

Journey to Mrauk U in Burma – Southeast Asia’s Most Remote Ancient Buddhist City

July 14, 2019 by Bino 29 Comments

The alarm rang. At 5:30 in the morning, my mind was still in a murky haze having arrived in Mrauk U just a few hours before. The entirety of the previous day was spent traveling by plane, boat and jeep and yet there I was, up and on the go once more.

in a dreamlike state…

Burma’s Rakhine state, where Mrauk U is located, is closer to Bangladesh than to Yangon. The roads here are so underdeveloped that an 80 km road trip between two points in the state takes almost 5 hours. We decided to take a longer but less bumpy route, and went on a 6-hour journey by boat after we arrived in Sittwe, the administrative center of Rakhine state.

How to Go to Mrauk U

One of the things that has deterred many travelers and kept Mrauk U mainly off-the-radar despite its ability to give Angkor Wat a run for its money is the long hours involved in getting there. You can basically look at a few ways of getting here, assuming you take a domestic flight with any of the more reliable airlines like Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways or Air KBZ from Yangon to Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine state (around an hour fifteen minutes flight).

By Boat

By far, the most popular method of getting to Mrauk U, it is also one of the longest. You can either take a public ferry which runs every day from Sittwe (similar from the other direction in Mrauk U) at 7AM in the morning. This takes about 6 hours. There is also a fast boat on some days, which takes only 4.5 hours. Alternatively, you can charter a private boat which can fit up to 4 or 5 people. The boat (including the crew) will basically wait for you for a few days while you’re in Mrauk U and will similarly take you back.

By Car

Despite popular notions on the contrary, it is possible to take a car from Sittwe to Mrauk U. But it is a very bumpy ride. According to the map, Sittwe to Mrauk U by road is a 145 kilometers in distance but the roads are in poor shape so expect the journey to take around 5 hours each way.

Temples of Mrauk U

Shwetaung Paya

At 5:30 in the morning, I found myself scaling some unknown peak in utter darkness, with the faint luminance of a flashlight guiding the way. A closer peek revealed a golden pagoda at the top – the Shwetaung Paya, from where the sunrise views of Mrauk U are said to be legendary.

“This better be worth it,” I muttered to myself. The air was a lot colder than what I remembered from when I had arrived. Surely, it wasn’t what I expected for the tropics.

By the time we reached the top, the first sign of daybreak had arrived. I could make out a fog forming in the lower altitudes while the sky turned dark blue and later into purple. What happened a few minutes later was perhaps the most magnificent sunrise I have seen in my entire life. The landscape in Mrauk U in Burma’s restive Rakhaing state at dawn is a mishmash of cauliflower fields and village huts surrounded by the morning fog and punctuated by hillocks with several centuries old stupas – it’s a dreamlike scene made even more apparent by the fact that I was still only half-awake on this pre-dawn hike. The sunrise view also served as my orientation to the scattered temples of Mrauk U. There were about 700 in the horizon, and I would only be able to visit a handful.

Later that morning, we started our exploration of the fascinating but little known temples of Mrauk U. As we had only 2 full days to spend in the area, we decided to hire a jeep (a normal car isn’t able to withstand the poor state of the roads) for about $40 a day. Our driver was an amiable chap who spoke decent English and tried his best to offer some stories to the temples we were visiting.

Kothaung Temple

kothaung temple

We started our exploration at the temple of 90,000 Buddha images or otherwise known as Kothaung temple. To have started here was pretty symbolic. If there was anything that drove me to insanely pursue such a long trip to get to a remote place like Mrauk U, it was the sight of this square-shaped edifice.

From the outside, its large size and cube-like construction gave off a faint reminder of Borobudur in Central Java. The exteriors are replete with hundreds if not thousands of small stupas that give Kothaung a bit of a pointy / thorny look. The inner chambers on the other hand reveal almost life-sized Buddha statues on both sides of the wall. I reckoned the gray monotone construction and exotic looking statues would make the temple a shoo-in if there is ever a need to scout filming locations for the next Indiana Jones movie. The place was just sublime.

the exterior of kothaung temple – notice the hundreds of stupas

There are a few other interesting temples surrounding Kothaung – which is one of the farther sites in Mrauk U. The semi-destroyed Pizi Paya for instance, offers a nice hilltop view of the pointy outer shel of Kothaung while Paya Ouk and Mokhong Shwegu served as nice excursions on the way back to town.

Sakyamanaung Pagoda & Ratanamanaung Pagoda

the relatively understated sakyamanaung stupa

Heading towards the direction of town, we passed by a couple of working temples. Sakyamanaung in particular seemed quite popular among locals. The temple itself consists of one large, multi-tiered pagoda. At the top, it is bell-shaped but as it extends downwards, it assumes an octagonal shape. It was the only temple in Mrauk U where I saw brightly-colored guardians with sharp teeth by the entrance, similar to what I sometimes encounter in Thailand. Ratanamanaung, which is about half a mile away, had a similar design though it also had a more modern construction next to it with a large Buddha statue and an unassuming souvenir shop.

Ratanabon Pagoda and Andaw Pagoda

5 of the 24 small stupas surrounding a large central one in ratanabon pagoda

By now, we were well within the town center of Mrauk U. There were a couple of notable temples here as well, perhaps the most visited among the archeological sites in the area. We stopped by the Ratanabon Pagoda, one of the most photographed in Mrauk U. The massive and bulky stupa is quite unlike others in the area, in the sense that it is ringed by 24 smaller stupas. There is a hill next to the temple from where some people go for sunset / sunrise views. The structure seen today had been extensively reconstructed, no thanks to treasure hunters who looted the place many years back. Ratanabon is translated as “treasure,” and precious objects were said to originally lie in the central stupa.

A few feet away from Ratanabon Pagoda is the Andaw Pagoda. Like Ratanabon, there are numerous stupas surrounding a central one but the difference here is that all of them are roughly of the same size. There is also an interesting inner chamber at the main stupa with a handful Buddha statues inside. However, it was pitch black when we entered and we couldn’t see a thing.

Shitte-thaung Temple

scenes inside the shitte-thaung temple, the second photo has lots of depictions of life in medieval mrauk u

Widely recognized as the “main temple” of Mrauk U, the Shitte-thaung Temple is where most visitors start in Mrauk U. The $5 zone fee is collected here. When I stopped by the temple, I scanned the log book for the visitor profiles. Not a single Filipino it seemed, visited in the 2 or 3 months before I did. When I asked the guy at the registration, I was told that I was the first Filipino tourist he had seen around Mrauk U. The log book didn’t reveal many visitors from Southeast Asia either. Around 1 or 2 other Singaporeans, Malaysians and Indonesians; a couple of Thais and that was about it for the past 2 or 3 months. I wasn’t really sure how I was going to react to the guard’s assertion – the brief thought that I may be the only Filipino insane enough to come briefly popped up, but was quickly quelled by the fact that I was enjoying what I was seeing so far.

Of the temples in the entire archeological site, Shitte-thaung probably ranks as my second favorite. The temple itself is divided between a newer and older part. The older part consists of the passageways that run through the temple’s perimeter. Within it, I saw more Buddha statues in stone – though these weren’t as exotic looking as the ones I saw in Kothaung. But apart from that, there were fascinating carvings depicting daily life as well as royal life in the outer passageway. The sheer number of objects in the wall carving as well as the level of detail were very impressive and there’s a walkway from which one can have a great view of a bunker-looking temple down the hill.

Htukkanthein Temple

the bunker temple of htukkanthein

That temple that looked like a bunker was actually the Htukkanthein Temple. Again, this is considered to be one of the main temples in Mrauk U due to its sheer size. Like the other temples, the inside is filled with Buddha statues though the difference here is that the passageway coils its way for several times before leading to a large and more modern-looking Buddha statue at the very center. There was a great deal of speculation by the British as to why the temple look the way it does. There were some theories that claimed that the temple doubled as a shelter during times of war. Or that the hard outer shell helped to protect the structure against the fierce winds of Arakan. But I guess we’ll never really know.

Laymyatna Pagoda

natural light on the Buddha

Another bunker-looking temple lying immediately west of Htukkhanthein is Laymyatna or the 4-faced temple. Compared to the other temples, the restoration here wasn’t extensive but that served to heighten the atmosphere of the place. The temple has arch-shaped windows that give light to the Buddha statues within. It’s a particularly small temple though at the time of my visit there were quite a few locals hanging around outside, using the tall facade as a shade.

Other Temples

some of the other temples around mrauk u

The temples of Mrauk U are spread across the four corners – I only managed to visit the ones in the east, center, north, some southern ones but completely skipped the western ones. With an extra day, a substantial portion can be covered. But to avoid getting templed out, a one or two day trip around the temples should suffice.

Sunrise & Sunset Views

The sunrise and sunset views around Mrauk U alone are worth the long trip to get here. Aside from the classic Shwethaung Pagoda sunrise on my first day, I also ventured to a place called Discovery View (fee of 500 kyats) just north of Ratanabon Pagoda and the hilltop temples of U-mrawa and Haridaung close to town. Here’s a peek of the views from up there:

morning mist – it was a cool 13 celsius in the mornings but quickly rose to a sweltering 35 by noon

just gorgeous!

Where to Stay

the $25 a night room at prince hotel

I stayed at a humble little place called Prince Hotel. Rooms were about US$ 25 a night. The owners here are mighty proud to have built the very first hotel in Mrauk U. Very simple accommodation run by a family and the owners are quite knowledgeable regarding the area. Service is excellent. I like how they would invite us to sit by the dining table every night to to help us sort out the following day’s plans. They also arrange boat trips to remote Chin villages for a decent price. You can also check and compare prices for hotels in Mrauk U HERE.

Tips for Mrauk U

Avoid coming during the rainy season from mid-May to September. In Mrauk U. When it rains, it pours!
The best time to visit Mrauk U is from November to mid-March when it’s cooler in the mornings and you get to see the morning mist
Put at least a 1 day allowance to your trip to cater for possible ferry or flight cancellations. It’s pretty common over at these parts
Bring lots of insect repellent. You’ll be thankful you did.
Myanmar has one of the highest incidences of malaria in Southeast Asia and Mrauk U is considered to be more frontier than Bagan or Inle Lake. While it may still be okay to visit without having taken malaria pills, it’s best to wear long-sleeve shirts and pants to decrease the chances of getting the disease.
Change your kyats beforehand. Avoid changing in Mrauk U. The exchange rate here is very bad.

Possible Itinerary

Day 1
Sunrise: Shwetaung Paya
East Group (Kothaung, Pizi Paya, Mong Khong Pagoda)
Central (Shitte-thaung, Ratanabon, Andaw, Ratamanaung, Sakyamanaung)
North (Mahabodhi Shwegu, Laungbwanbyauk, Httuparon)
Sunset: Discovery View

Day 2
Sunrise: U-mrawa Paya
Chin Village Excursion
-or-
Excursion to Vesali and Mahamuni

The Perfect 2-Day Itinerary For Yangon (仰光自由行)

March 19, 2018 by Bino 1 Comment

Yangon may no longer be the capital of Myanmar but the city still remains to be its largest and its primary commercial center. In recent years, the face of the city has undergone a massive transformation as Myanmar opened up to the outside world. The dilapidated cars of yore have since been replaced with the latest models while chic speakeasies and specialty restaurants have popped up throughout the city. Whether you are here on a weekend trip or to get your bearings before heading out to Bagan or Mrauk U, here is a suggested itinerary for Yangon that you can easily follow. The city is worth at least two days with its plethora of temples, markets and host of colonial buildings.

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Burmese Days Pt 3 – From Scenic Pindaya to Placid Inle Lake

January 26, 2010 by Bino 4 Comments

The third and final leg of our trip took us to the highlands of Shan State, which is not very far from China, Laos and Thailand. Again, we boarded a short morning flight – this time to Heho. By this time, the faces we saw inside the airport were beginning to look very familiar. Many others were taking the same route that we did. The authorities seemed to be stricter this time around – and we were asked for our passports despite it being a domestic flight.

not the typical southeast asian landscape

Heho, and the surrounding areas, seemed like a different region altogether. The landscape, consisting of fields sunkissed in yellow, brown and red, seemed inconsistent with what I would typically associate with Southeast Asia. This, along with numbingly cold temperatures, made it hard for me to imagine that I was only a few dozen miles away from the punishing tropical jungles of Burma and Thailand.

inside pindaya cave

The main highlight for this third leg was Inle Lake, but we made a detour and went the other way to see Pindaya Cave. West of Heho, the cave was a labyrinth filled with thousands of Buddha images. Some parts were pitch black, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some paths actually led to a secret passageway.

From Pindaya there was also a great view of the lake and surrounding plains below. As I said earlier, it really was not the typical Southeast Asian landscape.

almost perfect reflection

inle lake

From Pindaya, it was another 2 hours drive to Inle Lake. We passed by several oxcarts and trucks cramped with people hanging onto the handles. It reminded me a bit of East Timor although the weather this time was certainly much more pleasant. We arrived in Nyaungshwe, the traditional departure point to reach the lake, in late afternoon. A $3 zone fee was collected from each of us upon entry. Our boatman was already there waiting for us at the dock- our “programme” was certainly well-arranged. Our driver left us there, promising to show up two days later to take us back to the airport.

temples on the lake

Having seen similar places before, I wasn’t all too impressed by the lake per se. The formation was a bit similar to some of the lakes in the Philippines, and many other places in Southeast Asia could offer similar views. What was more interesting about those 2 days in the lake however, was our ability to observe how the locals manage to preserve their traditional way of life. Though a lot of them have managed to find a living around the tourism industry, most of the people still work in the agricultural sector.

looking out for the morning catch

We stayed at the Myanmar Treasure Resort, one of the newer accommodation options in the Inle Lake area. Like all other “resorts” in the lake, our room consisted of a cabin on stilts – well, sort of. For about US$80 a night, we got a very spacious room that included a living area which could very well sleep up to 5.

monks

There are several interesting villages surrounding the lake, with each famous for a certain thing such as silverware, weaving, soy-based products, etc. The highlights are Indein, and Ywama. Most boatmen will take tourists to see some of these shops, where the quality is commendable. The good thing is that there is absolutely no pressure to buy – even when there’s no option for the customer to just walk out (because it’s on a lake).

village women

thaung tho kyaung stupas

Those who happen to be there during the weekend can actually catch the market gathering activities which the tribes people do during Saturdays and Sundays. On display are arrays of jewelry, knick-knacks, vegetables, spices and whatnot. It’s a good place to take interesting photos of locals who wear curiously draped headgears.

Tip: It can get extremely cold in the mornings. During the two days that we were there, temperatures reached near freezing (4 degrees celsius) in the morning. Accommodations there don’t have any heaters so warm clothing is essential!

Burmese Days Pt. 2 – We’ve Only Just Bagan!

January 13, 2010 by Bino 13 Comments

We left Rangoon for an early morning flight to Nyaung-U, the gateway to the ancient city of Bagan. Having been to both Angkor in Cambodia and Borobudur in Indonesia, I wanted to see with my own eyes how this much-raved about archeological zone compared with the other two.

ladies catching up on the morning gossip

Our flight from Rangoon departed very early in the morning. For the journey, we were brought to the domestic airport which in all honesty, looked like a dilapidating monstrosity. As I had requested to avoid government-run joints, the travel agency arranged for me to take Yangon Airways, a small outfit consisting of just 2 planes. Conditions were better than I expected, and we were actually served snacks during the flight. I was fortunate enough to get a window seat. As we were landing in Nyaung-U, the pilot was quick enough to point out the swathes of temples scattered beneath us. We were finally in Bagan!

bagan!

I had arranged for a car to take us around the different temples in the huge archeological zone. Many of these were haphazardly restored by local authorities without supervision from UNESCO so it was left out from the World Heritage List. Otherwise, I believe Bagan rightfully deserves the title.

one can find buddhist frescoes inside some of the old stupas

postcard sellers in bagan

We spent two days exploring many of the main temples as well some of the minor ones in Bagan, as recommended by my trusty guidebook. Midway in the journey, I realized that it would be unfair to compare Bagan with Angkor or Borobudur as they are all different from each other. For Bagan, the highlight would definitely be the scenery. Many of the large temples are open for climbing, and the view from the top is definitely breathtaking especially during sunrise and sunset. The silhouette of the pagodas in the distance contrasted against the yellow sun is definitely a highlight of any trip to Burma.

this ain’t no painting

shwesandaw paya – offers a good sunset view so come here before the crowds do!

Like Angkor and Borobudur, souvenir vendors were standing by at every major temple. Although not as pushy as their Cambodian or Indonesian counterparts, the vendors in Burma would actually strike conversations with tourists (with the intention of making a sale of course) and follow them inside. This proved to be an annoyance, although the locals just take it all in good humor.

shwezigon paya

The next day, we ventured into Mt. Popa – an extinct volcanic crater with a temple at the peak. Considered to be the center for the 37 nats (spirits), the climb to the top consisted of 700+ steps amid Macaque monkeys competing for space with humans. The 25 minute climb was by no means easy but the view from the top was certainly spectacular. In the afternoon, we went back to Bagan and I rented a bike for an hour just to try it out. For the rest of the afternoon, we visited more temples. My personal favorite’s Sulamani Pahto, with its impressive frescoes inside depicting the Buddha.

mount popa — the “extinct” crater

the actual mount popa

in sulamani pahto

a good view

We ended our second day in Bagan watching the sunset again, this time from a different viewpoint. The colors were again magnificent, and the crowd of photographers seemed even bigger this time. I came to realize that spending my Christmas holiday here was a very good decision after all.

what can i say? the sunsets here are really something else!

Recommended Top 5 temples in Bagan:

Sulamani Pahto
Ananda Pahto
Upali Thein
Manuha Paya
Dhammayangyi Pahto

Burmese Days Pt. 1 – Introduction to Yangon

January 11, 2010 by Bino 2 Comments

“This is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know about…”

-Rudyard Kipling

The second largest country in Southeast Asia, Burma (Myanmar) is not a place where people normally spend their Christmas and New Year holidays (that is, unless you’re Burmese). Many people have no idea about the majestic sights found in this isolated country, despite its proximity to Singapore or to my home country. Because of Burma’s relative isolation and calls for tourism boycotts, the country only gets about 500,000 tourists a year – a trickle compared to neighboring Thailand. This time, I was again bombarded with questions by friends on why I was going and whether there was “anything noteworthy to see there.”

mother and child – on the streets of rangoon

As Burma was in my Top 3 countries to visit, I decided to finally push through with this trip last month. I had arranged with a travel agency based in Burma for domestic plane tickets and accommodations as it was cheaper that way. After months of going back and forth on plane schedules and suitable places to stay, we finally landed in Rangoon (Yangon) on a misty morning during Christmas Day. The first thing I noticed as we exited the airport was how most men wore skirts. Burma has been relatively isolated since it gained independence from Britain in 1948 so the people still maintain their traditions. The skirt is called longyi and it’s actually a versatile form of dress worn by both men and women. The second thing I noticed was how green Rangoon was compared to many other Southeast Asian cities. The roads are tree-lined, and there are many parks dotted around the city. In Downtown Rangoon, the streets are also laid out on a grid so it’s easier to find your way around.

strand hotel – the poshest in burma (myanmar)

a trip to rangoon is like a trip back in time – many colonial buildings remain intact such as this one

Although home to about 5 million people, Rangoon itself does not feel like a big city. The pace is quite relaxed and there’s not a lot of cars on the roads. Neon lights are a rarity here. The trade embargoes are very much evident with the lack of international brand names – for some reason though, Bossini is very popular in Rangoon. Most cars are disheveled and are literally falling apart. The taxis consist of outdated models such as Isuzu Gemini and Toyota Corolla from the late 70’s to the early 80’s. Needless to say, there’s no airconditioning. It’s practically a miracle how they manage to run these contraptions after several decades of use.

shwedagon paya is considered to be one of the most sacred sites in burma

That day happened to be Christmas Day so most shops were closed. We started the day by having a walking tour of downtown Rangoon, which still has a lot of buildings dating from British colonial rule. This include the Strand Hotel, which is Rangoon’s version of Singapore’s Raffles Hotel or Manila’s eponymous hotel. In the afternoon, we visited the Chaukhtatgyi Paya with its famous reclining buddha as well as the main attraction – the Shwedagon Paya. It was truly an amazing sight, and I was at awe with the gold-encrusted main pagoda that stood out even from a distance. The place was packed with tourists and locals alike, and it was a great way to just people-watch. It was a hodgepodge of human activity. In one corner there would be people praying and bowing their heads to the Buddha while in another, a group of German tourists would be taking snapshots of the fine architecture. Shwedagon was a relatively big complex so we spent some time circling it – there were several other altars and mini-temples with dozens of Buddhist images. There were a couple of notable banyan trees near the edges that were supposedly transplanted from the place in India where Buddha gained enlightenment. Gold was the prominent color and it was evident in almost every structure that made up the massive complex.

the majestic shwedagon paya

We had dinner at this Chinese restaurant owned by a Singaporean. The owner told us how he ended up starting a business in Burma – because it was extremely competitive in Singapore and it was difficult to make money there. What he said was true in a sense – this is why most Singaporeans end up in the corporate world rather than set up their own businesses. Those who do set up their own gig find themselves facing head-to-head competition, especially in the food and beverage industry. But I digress. Moving back to Rangoon.

rangoon city hall – with a fresh coat of paint!

The next day was spent walking around Downtown Yangon. We started at the Strand Hotel, a fine colonial building that’s reminiscent of Singapore’s Raffles Hotel. We walked towards Sule Paya, an attractive Buddhist pagoda right smack at a roundabout. This walking tour ended at Bogyoke Aung San Market, where all sorts of handicrafts and Burmese souvenirs were sold. There wasn’t anything we particularly liked, although shops selling rubies, diamonds and other precious and semi-precious stones were in abundance. We also found this market to be a good place to change Kyats (Burma’s local currency).

rangoon during rush hour

We had nothing to do that afternoon so we decided to visit the Gems Museum. Among the things they had for display was a sapphire measuring several hundred carats, rubies, emeralds, diamonds and all sorts of treasures that attested to Burma’s wealth in natural resources. Interestingly, the display was also a sad reminder of how a country can at once be rich and extremely poor.

Looking back, the 2 days we spent in Rangoon was excessive. One full day should have been enough, and the extra day could have been better spent elsewhere in the country. But it was a great introduction to Burma nonetheless.

How to get there: Most popular method is to go through Bangkok where Thai Airways and Air Asia have direct flights to Yangon. An alternative is to go through Singapore where Jetstar Asia and Silkair fly to Yangon.

Best time to visit: December and January are supposed to be the most pleasant months to visit Burma. In Yangon however, we found the heat to be unbearable from noon up until 4pm. Temperatures vary considerably within the day. Normal morning temperatures in December average at a cool 16 to 18 degrees celsius, while afternoon temperatures reach 32 to 35 degrees celsius.