Bago is only about a 90-minute drive from Yangon, making it an ideal destination for a half-day trip, or as a place to break up the journey to or from Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock). There are several pagodas of historical interest in the town, including Myanmar’s tallest pagoda (114 meters high), Shwemawdaw Paya. There is also a very long reclining Buddha (longer than the famous one in Bangkok), and the huge four seated Buddha figures at Kyaik Pun Paya.

Bago is also home to Kha Khat Wain Kyaung, which is one of the largest monasteries in the country. If you wake up early enough you can witness the spectacle of hundreds of the resident monks making their alms rounds in the pre-dawn hours. Visitors are also welcome to stop by the monastery during the day to observe the monks studying or having their late morning meal.

My motorcycle driver in Bago was a friendly fellow that knew all the best places to go. Besides the usual bevy of pagodas, he found a nice hilltop sunset spot, and a good restaurant, the Three-Five, where I enjoyed a delicious meal and a much needed cold beer.

But the thing I found most interesting in Bago was the lively morning market. Located on a side street near the Bago River, the market is full of vendors selling everything from flowers and fish to pepper and vegetables. The morning I strolled around the premises there were no other tourists around, making me more the center of attention.