South East Asian Trips

History

Bagan dates back almost to the beginning of the Christian Era. It lies on the bend of the Ayeyarwaddy River. Bagan can be marked to have started with King Anawrahta. He ascended the throne of Bagan in 1044. At that time, the kingdom was under the Mahayana religion. After Shin Arahan's arrival to Bagan, it converted to Theravada Buddhism. It was said to be that each and every household was able to donate an enshrined Pagoda, because of their faith in Buddhism believe and also because of their wealth.

The great Shwezigon was one of King Anawrahta's donation during his time.

How to Reach

Horse carts are popular ways travelling around Bagan. Visitors can also hire bicycles at some hotels and guest houses to roam around. The charges are taken per hour service. Ferry boats can also be hired to flow in the Ayeyarwaddy. The ferry stand is near the Bu Pagoda. The views from the Ayeyarwaddy is also an interesting way to explore Bagan.

Bus and Express

There are Daily Expresses from Yangon and other major cities.

Car One can hire a car from a car rental agency or from a travel agent. Different types of cars, coach seaters are available.

By Rail

Train

By Air

There are daily flights from Air Bagan, Yangon Airways, Air Mandalay and Myanmar Airways to Nyaung U Airport, Bagan. The flight schedules may change from time to time depending on the weather. But this is the fastest way to explore Bagan.

General Information

Today, Bagan has many hotels and guest houses to stay in. Most popular ones are Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sakura, The Hotel@Tharabar Gate, Kumudra Hotel and many more. One should also buy a map of Bagan, so that people can travel alone depending on their interests. Many souvenirs and antiques can be bought near the Bagan Pagodas. But it is also a bit difficult to differentiate between the genuine and fake. There are entrance fees to the Bagan Zone, Bagan Museum and some pagodas too.