Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → Myanmar → Mrauk U

♦ Intrepid Top Pick!

Location: Rakhine State, Western Myanmar

Time Required: Two days

Red Tape/Notes: Typically requires a 6 hour journey by boat from Sittwe to get to Mrauk U – snacks are somewhat scant on the charter boats, so you may want to bring your own if you think you’ll get hungry on the journey. It also can be a little chilly in the evenings and early mornings, so if you’re going to be on the river at these times, you may want to bring a light jacket of some sort.

What’s Nearby?: Probably some of the coolest stuff on earth, but this area is still somewhat questionable for exploration

Mrauk U was the capital of the Arakine Kingdom from 1431 to 1785 and has a rather fascinating history with Islamic influences, Dutch traders, Portuguese pirates, and fascinating fortress-temples. The easiest way to get here is to fly into Sittwe and then take a 6 hour boat ride up the Kaladan River, but I considered the boat trip to be one of the perks of traveling here rather than an inconvenience. The private boats are fascinating vessels converted for (fairly) comfortable river cruising, with plenty of windows, bow space, and upper decks for viewing the beautiful scenery you’ll be passing. We arrived late in the day and ended up doing most of our cruise at night, which was an unexpected delight – due to the low light pollution in this area, the night sky was stunning.

The style of the temples and pagodas in Mrauk U is somewhat different from those found in Bagan and other areas of Myanmar – these are my favorites, with mazes and passageways to explore, interior chambers with statues, and ogre statues guarding the holy sites. I’m not going to bother listing the temples here, since you should be able to see all of the main sites in a single day, and you have to spend at least one day here since it takes so long to make the journey. We also recommend getting up before sunrise and hiking to a nice hilltop location to watch the sunrise – it was one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve ever seen. I highly recommend making the effort to get out here. Don’t be a boring tourist who visits Bagan and Mandalay and then goes home.

Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → Myanmar → Mrauk U