2025 Myae Nae Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in May)

Monywa, located between Bagan and Mandalay, is famous for the Phowintaung Caves, the world's second tallest Buddha statue, and the colorful Thanboddhay Pagoda, which is also known as the 'Fairytale Temple.' Thanboddhay Pagoda is a modern construction, not an ancient temple with a hundred-year history. It features various exaggerated elements and vibrant colors, likely designed to attract attention and evoke a sense of childlike wonder. Its proximity to India may have influenced its style, giving it an Indian temple-like appearance. However, due to its overly gaudy appearance, it lacks the solemnity of traditional Burmese pagodas and instead resembles a large amusement park, successfully capturing the attention of visitors. Purchasing a ticket to enter and explore is quite an attractive option!

#timetotravel Thanboddhay is the only pagoda with this unique shape in the whole country. The square temple base (each side about 166 feet) which worshippers can enter is topped by receding terraces. with myriads of small stupas (864 in number) surrounding the central golden chedi. 132 feet in height. Tourists can study and take photos of the twenty tagundaing. huge decorated pillars. and also big masonary fruits in the shape of bunches of bananas and coconuts. water melon. mangos. jackfruits. papaya and so on . These fruits are also objects of veneration for the local farmers.

#springitinerary "Where surreal landscapes and ancient spirituality collide in central Myanmar" 🚗 GETTING THERE From Mandalay: 3hr drive (shared taxi 15,000 kyat) or local bus (5,000 kyat) Best Transport: Rent motorbike (10,000 kyat/day) for remote sites 🌅 DAY 1: Spiritual Wonders ☀️ MORNING 5:30 AM Thanboddhay Pagoda Sunrise 500,000+ Buddha images in a candy-colored temple (free entry) Pro Tip: The inner sanctum glows gold at dawn 8:30 AM Breakfast at Shwe Pyi Moe Try Mee Shay Monywa (thick rice noodles with duck) 🏜️ MIDDAY 10:30 AM Po Win Taung Caves 900+ sandstone caves with 15th-century murals (5,000 kyat) 1:00 PM Lunch at Golden Hill Famous Shan-style Tofu Salad 🌇 EVENING 4:00 PM Bodhi Tataung Standing Buddha Walk inside the hollow 116m tall statue (world's 2nd tallest) 7:00 PM Night Market near Clock Tower Try Mont Lone Yay Paw (sticky rice balls) 🏭 DAY 2: Industrial & Rural 🌄 MORNING 7:00 AM Letpadaung Copper Mine Controversial Chinese-backed mega-project (view from overlook) 10:00 AM Chindwin River Cruise Local ferry to traditional pottery villages (3,000 kyat) 🚣 AFTERNOON 12:30 PM Lunch at River Garden Fresh Nga Htamin (fish rice cakes) 2:30 PM Shwe Ba Taung Temple Indiana Jones-style cliff carvings 🌙 EVENING 6:00 PM Sunset at Aung Sakkya Pagoda Golden stupa with panoramic views 💰 BUDGET (2D1N) Accommodation: $15-50 (basic guesthouses) Food: 10,000 kyat/day Activities: 15,000 kyat (entry fees + transport) 📸 MUST-CAPTURE: Thanboddhay's psychedelic interiors Bodhi Tataung's towering Buddha at golden hour Ancient murals in Po Win Taung caves 🍽️ LOCAL FLAVORS: Htamin Jin (fermented rice with fish) Shan Noodles with peanut sauce Mee Shay Kyaw (crispy noodle fritters) ⚠️ TRAVEL NOTES: Dress modestly - shoulders/knees covered at religious sites Best season: Nov-Feb (avoid scorching summer) Carry small kyat notes - rural areas lack change "Monywa is Myanmar's most surreal spiritual journey - where Buddha armies stand guard over copper-rich lands!"

you are travelling to Monwya by car you should stop about 20 kilometres before you reach the town to visit this most unusual Buddhist temple complex on 37 acres of land which is part of the Mohnyin Forest Monastery retreat. The pagoda was started on 20th June 1939 and completed on 2nd March 1952. It was the brain-child of the famous Mohnyin Sayadaw whose life-like effigy can be seen nearby. Some visitors say that this Pagoda reminds them of Borobodur, as it is similar in architectural design. Unlike Borobodur this is a modern place of worship, well maintained, and with interesting samples of modern Buddhist art. There are many different Buddha images, row upon row in ascending tiers in niches along the walls: the total number is 582, 257, an amazing figure! Unlike most of the pagodas in Myanmar, the entrance is not guarded by Chinthes, the mythical lions, but by statues of a pair of magnificant white elephants which are sacred and auspicious in Buddhist symbolism. Thanboddhay is the only pagoda with this unique shape in the whole country. The square temple base (each side about 166 feet) which worshippers can enter is topped by receding terraces, with myriads of small stupas (864 in number) surrounding the central golden chedi, 132 feet in height. Tourists can study and take photos of the twenty tagundaing, huge decorated pillars, and also big masonary fruits in the shape of bunches of bananas and coconuts, water melon, mangos, jackfruits, papaya and so on . These fruits are also objects of veneration for the local farmers.

Walking into the sea of Pagoda, it is hard not to be shocked by its exquisite appearance, imaginative and varied colors. Blue sky and white clouds and luxurious golden stupa make every visitor shocked. The elaborately carved palace is a religious belief in Buddhism. Time is always here at this moment, waiting quietly here. When I first saw such a delicate building, I couldnt help but respect it.

The beautiful pagoda is filled with carnival-like colors, pink, orange, yellow and blue. In every corner of the stupa, there are more than 500,000 Buddha statues. I have to be amazed by the local villagers enthusiasm for Buddhism. Into this magical temple, not only shocked by the imagination of the day, but also the enthusiasm of people for their enthusiasm.

If you don't personally walk into the Pokeda Temple, which is full of romantic feelings, it is hard to imagine how much the Burmese living in this land is persistent and crazy about building a tower. In this remote, not too large temple, there are tens of thousands of magnificent pagodas, which decorate the whole temple with a world of Buddha statues. Depart from the small county of Wangfu, Sagaing, and drive for about 20 minutes, you can reach this colorful and beautiful temple. At the main entrance of the monastery, two huge elephant sculptures stand guarding the gates of the temple. Through the walls of the temple, you can already see the orange-colored tower above the tower, and it is a towering stupa. Entering the interior of the temple, a white bell tower stands tall, and the square tower of the bell tower is plated with beautiful Phnom Penh. Passing through the clock tower, you will reach the most important tower of the temple. This pagoda is huge in size and presents a distinctive square structure. The most incredible thing is that there is a large size above the tower of this stupa. Small, densely packed small stupas, some appear pink, some show yellow, and the stupa is dotted with a few colors. This dense array of hundreds of thousands of small towers is also beautifully engraved with many exquisite patterns, and the level of detail is incredible. The gap between the towers is also decorated with countless Buddha statues made of clay. The whole temple is like a grand architectural handicraft, which allows the Burmese to witness the crazy attitude of the building tower movement.