Temples, sunrises & life in Myanmar

We arrived at Yangon Airport and took an Uber to our hotel, Pan Pacific Yangon. It was an easy ride, and the city already felt very different from anywhere I’ve been before.

After a short rest, we took an Uber to Shwedagon Pagoda. It’s the most famous and important pagoda in Myanmar, and also one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the country. Everything is golden, very calm, and people are actually praying, not just taking photos. We found a local guide there, and I’m really glad we did. He explained how everything works and what each statue means.

Later, we walked to Kandawgyi Lake. The area is very peaceful, and from there you can see the Karaweik Palace. This big golden building on the water looks almost unreal, especially with the reflection.

We also found a small hidden temple nearby where a local caretaker showed us how to pray at each statue. It didn’t feel touristy at all, more like a real local experience.

For dinner, we went to Yoon Kitchen, a Chinese restaurant near the lake. The food was really good, but the best part was the view, you can see the Shwedagon Pagoda from there, especially beautiful in the evening. It was a perfect way to end the first day.

We started the day with breakfast at the hotel, then went to the pool. It was a bit cool, but still comfortable, and the view was really nice.

After that, we walked to Bogyoke Aung San Market, just a few minutes from the hotel. You can find everything there, like souvenirs, jade stones, and clothes. Instead of taking a taxi, we walked around downtown. This was one of the best decisions because you can really see local life. We found a small food market where we were the only tourists. People were smiling and very friendly. It felt very real. They were even selling live chickens.

We continued to Sule Pagoda, right in the center of the city, and then stopped at Maha Bandula Park to relax on the grass. The park felt clean and modern, very different from the noisy streets.

Later, we went to Oishii Sushi. It was surprisingly good, with fresh sushi, a nice place, and good prices.

In the evening, we took an Uber to Botahtaung Pagoda. Again, we were the only tourists there. Locals were coming after work to pray, and the atmosphere felt very peaceful and authentic.

After that, we went back, grabbed something quick to eat at Junction City Mall, which is connected to the hotel, and got ready for our night bus to Bagan.

Travel Tip: getting to Bagan
You can get to Bagan by plane or by night bus. Flights are fast but quite expensive. The night bus is much cheaper, but it’s hard to buy tickets online, as most websites don’t accept foreign cards. The easiest option is to ask your hotel to help. They can book the ticket for you at the local price, and you pay them in cash.

We arrived in Bagan early in the morning, around 5 AM, after the night bus.

We went straight to our hotel, A Little Bit of Bagan. Normally, check-in is later, but they let us go into the room right away for a small extra fee of about $5, which was really helpful after the long trip.

After some rest, we decided to find the best option for a hot air balloon ride for the next sunrise.

We asked at the hotel and also checked a small agency nearby. Since there are not many tourists now, only about 2–3 balloons fly per day, so prices are lower. We were offered $135 per person, which felt like a good deal, so we booked it.

After that, we rented an electric scooter at the hotel and went out to explore Bagan.

This place is incredible, there are around 2,500 temples and pagodas, and they are everywhere. No matter where you go, you always see more.

We visited more than 12 temples and pagodas that day, including the Bagan Golden Palace, Sulamani Temple, and other well-known temples in the area. Each one felt different, but all had a very peaceful and spiritual atmosphere.

At one point, we tried to find a temple where we could climb up for a view. Recently, it’s been strictly prohibited. But in one of the temples, we found a small door with a gap, and I managed to get inside while my husband stayed outside to watch. It felt a bit risky and exciting, but the view from the top was absolutely worth it.

Later, a local man stopped us and offered to show us a good sunset spot. We followed him, and he took us to a beautiful place away from the crowds. He also showed us a great location for sunrise and where to watch the hot air balloons in the morning.

In the evening, I found a small restaurant with a view of a family temple, The Village House. It was about a 25-minute ride by scooter, but we decided to go anyway.

I was a bit worried they wouldn’t accept us because there aren't many tourists now, and usually you need to book in advance. But they welcomed us warmly, cooked fresh food, and the head of the family sat with us and shared stories about the temples and their life.

People in Myanmar feel very open and kind, no matter where you go, you feel welcome. We came back when it was already getting dark, and we were actually a bit late, we were supposed to return the scooter before 6 PM. It was a bit stressful at the moment, but everything worked out fine.

This was the day of our balloon flight, and we were really excited.

We were picked up from the hotel around 5 AM and taken to the launch area. On the way, we met a travel blogger we knew from the bus from Yangon, so it was nice to share this experience. When we arrived, there was a light breakfast and a short safety briefing. Then we got into the balloon and slowly started to rise.

The view was not exactly like I saw on the internet, with many balloons, there were only about 2–3 in total. But honestly, it didn’t matter. The view was still breathtaking. Seeing thousands of temples and pagodas from above at sunrise is something very special. Everything looked calm and unreal.

After the landing, they gave us champagne, certificates, souvenirs, and a package of photos, which was a nice bonus. We were then taken back to the hotel and still had time to enjoy breakfast there.

Later, our friend from the bus suggested going to Mount Popa, a monastery on a rock about an hour from Bagan. We decided to go together and took a taxi. On the way, there were many checkpoints, but everything felt safe.

When we arrived, we were greeted by a lot of monkeys. To reach the top, you need to climb 777 steps barefoot, which is part of the experience.

Honestly, the monastery itself was not very clean and not as impressive as we expected. But the place is still interesting because of its location.

After going down, we decided to find a better view from outside, and that was definitely the right decision.

We went to Popa Mountain Resort, where you get an amazing view of the monastery from a distance. It looks much better from there. We were allowed to enter as long as we ordered a drink, so we stayed there for a while and relaxed.

After that, we returned to Bagan, had lunch at a local restaurant near the hotel, Pyiwa Restaurant, and started preparing for our night bus to Inle Lake.

The hotel also helped us buy the bus tickets, which made everything much easier.

We arrived at Inle Lake early in the morning, around 5–6 AM, and went straight to our hotel, Inle Sanctum Resort.

They let us check in early for free, gave us a very spacious room with a terrace and a beautiful view of the lake and the pool, and even allowed us to have breakfast, It felt like a very warm welcome after the long night bus.

After some rest, we booked a boat tour at the hotel. The boat departs directly from the hotel, which is very convenient.

We chose a later time so we could see the sunset and hopefully the famous fishermen. There is also a special viewpoint for sunrise, but we preferred to stay on the boat to take photos. Unfortunately, we didn’t see the famous fishermen. We were told that because there are not many tourists now, they don’t come regularly.

Even without that, the trip was very interesting. We made several stops, visited pagodas, saw how people live on the lake, and everything felt calm and natural. There was no aggressive selling, which we really appreciated. Everything was very relaxed and at its own pace.

We came back in the evening and had dinner at the hotel restaurant. The food was very good. To be honest, there were not many other options nearby, so eating at the hotel was the best choice.

After breakfast, we took bicycles from the hotel, which were free, and decided to explore the area and look for an ATM. We rode all the way to the town center, but unfortunately, we couldn’t withdraw any money. Some ATMs were not working, and others didn’t accept our cards. Luckily, our hotel accepted card payments, and that saved us. So it’s definitely something to keep in mind, it’s better to have enough cash with you.

On the way back, we stopped at Red Mountain Estate Vineyards & Winery. It turned out to be a really nice place. We had a bottle of wine and watched the sunset with a view over the vineyards.

It was a very calm and beautiful moment, and a nice change after the temples and busy travel days. After that, we returned to the hotel and had dinner there again.

The next morning, we arranged a taxi to Heho Airport, which is about one hour from Inle Lake. We booked it through the hotel and were able to pay by card. If you have cash, you can usually get a taxi for a much lower price. From there, we flew back to Yangon to continue our trip to another country.