Myanmar

Myanmar: Hpa-An, Between Caves and a Sacred Rock

Buddhist caves carved into limestone peaks, then a monastery where monks live alone alongside monkeys

Myanmar

Myanmar: Hpa-An, Between Caves and a Sacred Rock

A journey through Kayin State, far from Bagan and Inle Lake: Hpa-An, a small town nestled among spectacular limestone peaks that shelter Buddhist caves adorned with thousands of statues, then Mount Zwegabin, the region's highest summit crowned by a monastery where monks share their roof with free-roaming monkeys and where a night ascent allows visitors to catch sunrise over the surrounding rice paddies.

When

Nov to Feb

Price

From 2 500€ excl. flights

(based on 2 people sharing)

How long

5 nights

Ideal length

The Buddhist Caves of Hpa-An

Days 1-2

The first chapter unfolds in Hpa-An, a small town in Kayin State nestled among limestone peaks that rise abruptly from the surrounding rice paddies, a landscape largely spared the mass tourism affecting other regions of Myanmar. Sadan Cave, turned into a Buddhist sanctuary for centuries, runs straight through one of these limestone mountains and opens onto a lake surrounded by rice paddies, a route punctuated by thousands of Buddha statues nestled in the rock.

Day 1

Crossing Sadan Cave

A walk through Sadan Cave, a Buddhist sanctuary carved into a limestone peak and adorned with thousands of Buddha statues, to a lake surrounded by rice paddies on the other side of the mountain.

Day 2

Kayaking among the limestone peaks

A kayak outing on the Thanlwin River at sunset, among the limestone peaks reflected in the water, with a stop at a traditional fishing village.

1 / 3

Mount Zwegabin and its Monastery

Days 1-2

The road to Mount Zwegabin, the highest summit in the Hpa-An region, crowned by a monastery where a handful of monks live in near self-sufficiency alongside fully free-roaming macaques, fed daily according to a local Buddhist tradition. The night ascent, made by headlamp to reach the summit before dawn, is rewarded by a sunrise setting the surrounding rice paddies and limestone peaks ablaze.

Day 1

A night ascent to the summit

A night ascent of Mount Zwegabin by headlamp, through dense forest, to reach the summit and its monastery before sunrise over the surrounding rice paddies.

Day 2

The monastery and its free-roaming macaques

A visit to the summit monastery of Zwegabin, where monks share their daily life with fully free-roaming macaques, then a descent by a different trail through the jungle.