Myanmar is the Land of Golden Pagodas and offers countless cultural highlights. Almost everywhere in the country you'll find beautiful, golden Buddhist temples to admire. One city you should definitely visit in Myanmar is Bago.
Kanbawzathadi Palace
Bago is approximately 80 kilometers away from Yangon. It is the fourth largest town in Myanmar, but it has hardly the flair of a big city. Outside the town center it is totally quiet and it looks more like in a village. Only in the city center (which is basically one long street) there is a little more traffic and it can be a bit bustling.
Bago's most beautiful temples
Bago has many temples that you can visit. A stay of 1-2 days is enough if you explore the town and its pagodas either on your own or with a hired Tuk Tuk, including a driver. That's how I did it and it was great because the driver was very nice.
One of the places I liked most was the Shwemawdaw Pagoda. It reminded me a little of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. The nice thing about it is that there are comparatively few visitors and that it is not as crowded as the Shwedagon Pagoda. So you can enjoy the atmosphere in peace.
Shwemawdaw Pagoda
There are also 2 Buddhist temples in Bago, the Shwethalyaung Buddha and the Mya Tha Lyaung. One is open air and the other is in a large, covered hall. Definitely impressive and worth a visit, too.
Shwethalyaung Buddha
Mya Tha Lyaung
The most impressive Buddha in Bago, however, was for me in the Kyaikpun Pagoda. There is a colossal stone pillar with 4 Buddhas pointing in all directions: Gautama Buddha, Kassapa Buddha, Kakusandha Buddha and Konagamana Buddha. It is one of the landmarks of Bago.
There is also a Snake Monastery in Bago, where you can visit a huge python. It is considered sacred there and is very revered by the inhabitants of the town.
Conclusion: Bago is in my opinion a must-see in Myanmar. From Yangon you can travel very cheaply by train, which is also a little adventure and very much fun. During the train ride you can see the beautiful landscape with some rice fields.
Mahazedi Pagoda
Delicious Burmese dish that you can't miss: Lahpet Thoke (Tea Leaf Salad)