The Ancient City of Bagan is easily one of the most incredible sites I’ve seen. Originally built between the 9th and 13th centuries, the historic site used to consist of 4,000 pagodas and monasteries. Today, about 2,200 remain and seeing them is just incredible. Here is a photo blog from my 4 days in this phenomenal place.

The best way to explore the archaeological site is to hire an e-bike (battery-powered scooter) and spend your days riding around the arid, pagoda-clad landscape and just getting lost. There are so many ancient buildings to explore that you’ll often find yourself alone in an ancient pagoda – this creates for a truly special experience.

Hunting down the perfect spot to see a sunrise and sunset is big business here. As tourism continues to grow in Myanmar, the days of being the only person in a pagoda, witnessing this are long gone. But that shouldn’t stop you from finding a temple which is off the beaten track, getting there bright and early and witnessing the sun rise over thousands of pagodas. As soon as the sun is up, the hot air balloons take off – it’s truly special.

These photos are in no particular order and I really don’t know the names of the various pagodas and temples – there are so many and some of the most beautiful ones are often nameless.