Hot air balloon – Kriscel Diane

Bagan is an ancient city located in southwest of Mandalay, Burma. It can be considered as one of the world’s greatest archeological sites—more than 2,000 temples can be found here.

The weather in Bagan is generally hot but during the months of November to February the temperature can drop towards the night. When travelling during this time, it will be best to bring a jacket to keep you warm during the night.

1. CATCH THE SUNRISE AND SUNSET:

Our guide brought us in one temple and asked us to climb up. There’s a crowd already gathered on top by the time we got there. We waited until we witnessed how the horizon changed as the sun was rising. It’s really really REALLY lovely!!

My friends and I spent 2D2N exploring Bagan. Here are a few things you can do during your trip in Bagan:

Catch either the sunrise or sunset or if you can do both it’s better. I’m confident that it will leave you in awe. Plus, it’s Instagram-worthy. *wink wink*

We literally didn’t want to go down even after the sun had already risen. We can’t get enough of the view. On a side note, I think climbing temples and pagodas is already banned by the government as climbing can be damaging to these very old monuments.

2. FLY OVER BAGAN:

There’s another way to see the sunrise—it will cost you around S$400. You can opt for riding a hot air balloon. The view and experience—worth every money! For our hot air balloon ride we chose Balloons Over Bagan. And our pilot was Mike Petteford. Thanks Mike for making our ride an unforgettable one.

The Classic Balloon Flight package includes transport to and from our hotel to the launch and landing site, a celebratory glass of champagne, some light breakfast, postcard and a certificate.

The view on top is amazing!!!

Enjoy some champagne and snacks upon landing. #ThisIsTheLife

We saw this little girl selling her drawings. And being an artist, I just felt the urge to encourage and support her talent. And honestly, they are quite nice. Her name is Imani, which means faith. I hope she grows up into one excellent artist and person. And maybe get to meet her again.

3. CONNECT WITH THE LOCALS:

Burmese are one of the nicest people I’ve come across with. So go and take time to visit one of their village and interact with them. My friends and I spent half day touring around Minnanthu Village where we got to experience the following:

Experiencing their livelihood
Weaving, making and selling Cheroot (Burmese cigar), and sand painting are a few of the things they do for living.

Applying Thanaka Sunscreen
You’ll notice that almost everyone have a yellowish-white marks on their faces. It’s a natural sunscreen they use which is called Thanaka. The powder comes from grinding Thanaka wood on a Kyauk pin stone. Then water is added to produce a paste. Aside from protecting you from the sun, it also has a cooling effect and tighten pores. It smells fresh and clean as well.

Talking with the locals
Got to meet some locals while we’re touring around the village and some herd of goats and a dog as well!

4. PAGODA & TEMPLE HOPPING:

Bagan’s archaeological zone is such a big place and exploring it by foot is impossible. So there are three modes of transportation you can choose from—E-bike / Bicycle, Horse Cart and Private Van.

E-bike / Bicycle
Renting a bike is the cheapest way to go but it will be hardest since most roads are rocky and uphill. The best choice is the E-bike, if only you know how to ride something like a motorcycle. We wanted to try this one and go around to see the pagodas but our schedule was tight so we didn’t managed to.
Private Van
Comfortable but you don’t get to have that genuine rural experience and it’s the most expensive among the three.
Horse Cart
This one is a popular choice among tourists. The only downside is that sometimes it can get uncomfortable especially when passing on bumpy roads. Among the three, we end up choosing this.