Roads Less Travelled – Bago, Myanmar

Now only the remains of a royal palace and a throwing of pagodas and stupas of minor importance lay testament to Bago’s glorious past. Yet it pays to take a stroll along Bago's hectic streets to feel a very specific vibe of the city.

The most prominent example of Bago’s royal architecture is the Shwemawdaw Pagoda. Towering impressive 114 metres it is the country’s tallest stupa, 14 metres over the golden pagoda of Shwedagon in Yangon. Another attraction not to be missed is Myanmar’s oldest Reclining Buddha. It is housed in the Shwethalyaung and dates back to the 10th century. A few crumbling Portuguese churches in Thanlyin are the remnants of the buccaneering Portuguese privateer Filipe De Brito E Nicote's short reign at the very beginning of the 17th century.

From Yangon, Bago is easily reach either by train or bus via a relatively short 90 minutes–two hours trip. Soon a new international Hanthawaddy airport may appear in Bago putting it back on tourists' map. 

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