In the pagoda is located one of the largest Buddhas in the world, which is 65m long and beautifully sculpted with 108 sacred symbols drawn on the soles of the feet (all are explained in English). The Buddha is created in a feminine form with blue eye shadow, long eyelashes made of steel wire and pink nails. There is a monastery here and you will see monks returning with food donated by local homeowners in the mid-morning. On the other site of the way is Nga Htat Gyi Pagoda, containing sitting Buddha made in 1990.
Address: Shwegondaing Road, Tamwe Township
Getting there: take a taxi
Opening times: daily, 6am-8pm
See more: http://www.mon-premier-blog.fr/voyagevietnam/
If most travelers consider Inle Lake as the most must-visit destination in Myanmar tours and travel, this monastery by the lake will make the trip to Inle Lake more interesting. The 200-year-old teak Ordination Hall has a magnificent carved wood ceiling and unusual oval windows. In the monastery are thousands of Buddha images, leading to a room full of colored glass mosaics illustrating Buddhist stories. As the light is poor in some areas, you should visit there in the mid-morning and bring with yourself a torch.
Address: North of Nyaungshwe
Getting there: cycle or walk from Nyaungshwe
Opening times: daily, 8am-6pm
Travelers to Mandalay in their Myanmar tours and travel hardly neglect this temple, which has been covered in tons of gold leaf since the 14th century. Every day, a constant stream of pilgrims come to worship, dance and chant in the temple precincts. Beautiful 19th-century murals in the south and west corridors are worth contemplating. There are souvenirs stalls aimed at pilgrims outside the temple, selling some weird mechanical toys made by the Chinese.
Address: 82nd Street, Mandalay
Getting there: take a taxi
Opening times: always open
U Bein is the longest teak bridge in the world, which is 1,200m long. The bridge was built in 1894, from more than a thousand teak columns taken from the royal palace in nearby Ava. Although some of the teak posts have been replaced by concrete ones, most are originals. Come there at sunrise to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and witness the line of workers breakfast-snack sellers and monks crossing the timbers of the bridge. At sunset, a magnificent color of mixing red and yellow covers the whole of space on the lake, creating an unforgettable moment in visitors’ Myanmar tours and travel. It takes 30 minutes driving from Mandalay to the bridge.
Address: Thaung Tha Man Lake, Amarapura
Getting there: take a taxi
The fishing village of Lintha is situated around the headland from the hotel strip on Ngapali Beach. Several years ago, a British woman established a school which teaches English to a high standard here. You can visit the school and talk to the students. Along the main street is a library where the donations of books are always welcomed. Residents in the village are very friendly and hospitable. You will able to meet a child who may take you home to meet his or her family. It’s heart-warming to see an enthusiastic village like that in the cold modern world.
Address: Lintha Village, Ngapali
Getting there: walk or cycle
The free-to-visit destinations above are evidently against the bad rumor that you have to pay for everything in Myanmar tours and travel. Do not miss these in your trip!
See more Myanmar travel