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temples

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

  1. Avoid coming during the rainy season from mid-May to September. In Mrauk U. When it rains, it pours!
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. Bring lots of insect repellent. You’ll be thankful you did.
  5. 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.
  6. 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

Filed Under: Burma Tagged With: buddha, buddhism, mrauk u, rakhine, temples

Taking the Slow Lane in Chiang Mai

March 17, 2013 by Bino 8 Comments

I won’t beat around the bush — Chiang Mai has got to be one of the best cities to live in Southeast Asia. In a region where cities are known for chaos, endless traffic jams, overpopulation and crushing poverty, Chiang Mai offers a nice change with its affordable laid-back lifestyle, cultural inclinations as well as variety of things to see and do, all within an infrastructure framework that is developed and most importantly, convenient for city living. I went to the city for a short visit and was definitely impressed with what it had to offer. My only regret was why I had not visited earlier.

wat phra singh in chiang mai

Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second largest metropolis but the contrast from Bangkok could not be any greater. At first glance, it has all the trappings of a large modern city – shopping malls, an international airport, high-rises and luxury hotels dot the urban landscape. But what really sealed the deal for me is the city’s laid back attitude. Even the tuk-tuk drivers here never once attempted to overcharge me. There’s a certain calmness that doesn’t take long to infect city-folk like myself, and in no time I was swaying to the unhurried rhythms of this northern town.

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Filed Under: Thailand Tagged With: asia, buddhist, chiang mai, photography, Southeast Asia, temples, things to see in chiang mai, travel

Exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Town of Luangprabang

December 12, 2010 by Bino 4 Comments

The 8-hour car ride from Vientiane was one of the bumpiest I’ve been in. The driver couldn’t speak English but seemed as if he was on a mad dash to see who could get to Luangprabang first. Our van literally jumped every few minutes as it also had to contend with the relatively poor state of the roads. We came ahead of many other buses and vans plying the same route – and ended up arriving in the town a good 2-3 hours earlier than most. Not too shabby, except that our driver kept at this speed despite the harrowing cliffs that were prevalent in the few hundred kilometer journey.

at luangprabang night market

Luangprabang was literally our first real destination in this trip. We took a short plane ride to KL, where we also spent the night. Next day, our flight to Vientiane got delayed because of an unexpected massive downpour – and we spent that night in Vientiane. So by default, we were on “transit” for 2 nights, albeit in different places.

I had high hopes for Luangprabang – given that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Town after all and I heard quite a lot of rave reviews about it, both from friends and from independent travel magazines. But after we had crossed into the city limits, it looked like any provincial town in Southeast Asia. The town is quite spread out, but the overwhelming majority of the attractions are actually situated in the main street called Sisavangvong Road….

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Filed Under: Laos, Luangprabang Tagged With: asia, colonial, french, laos, luangprabang, luangprabang itinerary, luangprabang sights, luangprabang travel, photography, Southeast Asia, temple, temples, travel, xieng thong

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Hi, I'm B, a part-time wanderer and a Singapore-based travel blogger. In this site, I share with you my top travel itineraries. Along the way, I also provide travel guides and tips, recommendations on awesome food to try and impressive hotels to stay! Read More…

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