Bagan Warnings and Dangers

....there's always things to buy!! The usual roaming eagle eyed kids with postcards, T shirts and other bits. They accost you from the moment you arrive, and then again when you leave! If you stop, you will be surrounded - and it can be difficult to buy from one only. No matter how much resolve I start out with, I always end up coming home with dozens of postcards - often dirty and dogeared!

If you really don't want to buy anything, just be polite and say "no thank you" and keep walking.

It can be funny to watch the cluster when a bus pulls up at a temple! - particularly if you are not ON the bus!

This is more of a giggle story really than a tip - but, those amongst us who may be overly sensitive about body dimensions may be well warned!!!

Some of the temple based vendors have clothes besides the usual t- shirts. I nearly fell over laughing when this little girl came running over holding up this shirt - for ME! She looked thoroughly confused when I went into laughing convulsions and took her pic - errr and said "no thanks" when I regathered myself.

I guess we just look bigger than them - and big can be any number of X's before the L's!

1 more image

By the entrance of every temple you'll more or less find a number of vendors selling crafts. All of them will persuade you to buy, some are more persistent than others. If you don't want your visit to be spoiled by a continuous chase of soiuvenir sellers, then just ignore them. More persistent are postcard selling children who are even heart breaking to deny.
Keep in mind though that selling souvenirs is an important source of income for these people.

As Bagan lies in a plain and you've planned your trip during the dry season (mainly Jan onwards), remember to take your sunlotion and a hat as the sun can be very hot during midday. A bottle of water is a must (usually provided for free from upmarket hotels).
Consider also to break your journey in the heat of the day either by resting in your hotel or having a lunch somewhere with a slight breeze of air.
Things are better if you take a horse cart (they have a tent overhead), but if you opt for a bicycle then beware of a possible sunburn

4 more images

According to my horse cart driver, beware of snake if you intend to visit the temples after the sunset or night time.