The volcanic peak of Mount Popa, less than an hour from the very popular destination of Bagan, has the distinction of being crowned by a Buddhist temple looking out over the valley. A disappointing attraction…
Mount Popa is an important place of worship. According to Buddhists, it is the home of "nats", Burmese spirits.
My suggestion
You will have to climb 777 steps to reach Taung Kalat monastery, situated at the summit of Mount Popa. Note that you must climb barefoot, and the place is infested with monkeys. The ground is dirty as the monkeys ease themselves freely all over the place.
Alexandra Maillet
Seasoned Traveller
2
The volcanic peak of Mount Popa, less than an hour from the very popular destination of Bagan, has the distinction of being crowned by a Buddhist temple looking out over the valley. A disappointing attraction…
My suggestion
Take advantage of the street food stands at the foot of the mountain, where you will find some excellent potato chips, tofu, onions and other delicious vegetables: these will give you the strength you'll need to climb the 777 steps to the temple!
Nat Ma Taung, which is also called Mount Victoria, is the highest point of the Chin Hills and also the highest point in Chin State. It is more than 3,000 m high, which makes its one of the highest in south-east Asia.
When you talk about Burma (nowadays also called Myanmar), people immediately think about Buddhist monks, a multitude of pagodas with golden roofs, unequalled cultural riches or luxuriant forests. They usually forget that the country has coasts along a large part of its borders and is a seaside destination that hasn't yet been discovered by mass tourism.
Myanmar's cuisine is perhaps less sophisticated than that of its neighbours but it is full of flavour and more consistent. You need to find the place where the locals eat - on the street - to admire the variety of meals made with rice and 5-10 sides. Feasts are savoured tepid in Myanmar so you need to come with a large appetite!
Mandalay and Bagan. Two names which will quickly be written in travel guides as two spiritual and historic destinations in the amazing and welcoming Burma. Two names that you must write on your list of places to visit in this country.