Bagan is known for its morning sunrise tours with the hot air balloons in the background. Or you can actually go take a hot air balloon ride. I looked into this but found it too expensive for my taste.

One thing I’ve learned is to look out for tour guides at airports or bus stops. They are either in a taxi or tuk tuk, and know all the tourist sites. It was difficult to plan for Bagan due to the number of temples you could visit. There’s over 2,200 of them. So I let my tour guide decide the next 6 hours.

The most important was where I would watch the sunrise. One of the most popular places to watch the sunrise is Shwesandaw Pagoda. My guide said it tends to be overrun with tourists and could be a better experience in the evening. He suggested I go to Lowka Oushang Temple, where the view would still be good and it’d be less crowded. I think any tall temple would have worked, in my honest opinion. You have to arrive early to get a good spot though. Even at Lowka was a little crowded.

After the sunrise, I got some breakfast and then proceeded to visit 10 temples and Minnathu Village over the next 4 hours. I was pagoda’d out by 11am. Sunrise by far the best. I visited Shwesandaw Pagoda for sunset, which was just as gorgeous.

At Minnathu Village, I got to try a cheroot, a traditional cigar. They are made of tobacco, bark, stems, roots and sundry leaves wrapped in a corn husk. It was good, and surprisingly light, even though my face doesn’t show that.

Anyhow, if you love temples, go to Bagan. You will not regret it.