After 2 days of extensive temples and pagoda hopping in Old Bagan, we decided to do something different. Therefore took a day trip to Mt. Popa is about 50 km southeast of Bagan to a monastery atop the volcanic plug caused by the extinct volcano, Mount Popa. For this trip, we hired an air-conditioned private car with a driver from our hotel. The Taung Kalat monastery on Mount Popa is a popular tourist attraction in Myanmar for foreigners and locals alike. As usual, we wanted to start early, and our driver was right in front waiting for us; we quickly finished our breakfast fast and hit the road to Mount Popa.
Apart from our final day trip destination, the road trip itself was exciting. Because during the journey, we experienced the countryside of Myanmar. We saw villages pass by, small roadside makeshift shops selling bottled gasoline, young boys talking their goat herd for grazing, Cow-pulling carts occupying the entire highway, and beautiful views of endless rice fields and tall palm trees on both sides of the road.
Arrival at Mt. Popa
After two hours on the road with few stops and traveling through uphill and winding roads at the end, we finally arrived at the base of Mt. Popa. Still, very early in the morning, daytrippers had not yet flooded the area. Therefore, finding parking was not as difficult as we thought.
Climbing the stairs to the top
Now is our turn to climb up the stairs to the mountaintop Taung Kalat monastery. First, we passed through many souvenir shops on both sides of the stairs and monkeys everywhere; after climbing for a while, we came to a level where we had to take our shoes off. It was a long climb; the higher we climbed, the steeper it got. Once in a while, we needed to rest to catch our breath. However, it was an enormous satisfaction after making it all the way to the top of Mt. Popa, and I remember sweating like just coming out of a pool.
Climbing 777 steps to get to the summit is somewhat difficult for many visitors on a hot and humid day. However, even though the climb is arduous, once at the peak, you are indeed rewarded with an incredible view of the surrounding landscape, including the spiritual and peaceful environment. The monastery’s golden stupa is also a fantastic piece of architecture. Again, I enjoyed the 360 spectacular panoramic views—time for us to head back down to the base.
A few exciting stops on our way back
Testing wine from Palmyra Palm juice
On our way back from Mt. Popa, we stopped at a roadside rest area that looked a bit touristy; they have a place where they demo you how they are manually extracting sugar syrup from palm using a bull-powered grinding wheel. Also, I could see how they are processing them and making liquor.
They treated you with tea and snacks; also, one young guy climbed up a tall palm tree and brought us a few fresh Toddy Palm fruit. It was so juicy and delicious that it left me no choice but to give him some tips as a token of appreciation.
Quick stop at a road side bazaar
Many roadside vendors were selling fresh and delicious mangos and watermelon, which we preferred to have instead of stopping at the supermarket. I really enjoyed the short day trip to Mt. Popa; a great experience and enjoyable to see the lifestyle outside a big city.
Invited to a local wedding
The most interesting stop was at a village wedding party. We were curious to look at a decorated roadside building, a well-dressed gathering in the front, and hear the loudspeaker playing music. My friend had no problem talking it over, allowing us to join the party inside. As soon as we entered, a young girl greeted us with handmade cigars (biri in Bangladesh, Beedi in India). Spend time watching wedding activities, taking pictures, and then on the road again.
Unexpected stop at a toll booth
We quickly stopped at the local toll station and listened to the friendly young toll collector’s music. It was fun! Finally, after 6 hours of an incredible trip, we returned to our hotel in Bagan.
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