What to do in Hpa An? Between caves and rice paddies

Myanmar

February 10, 2022

Hpa An is one of the jewels of Myanmar where you will visit dozens of temples inside caves, walk through rice fields and enjoy spectacular scenery! Hpa An is one of the great unknowns, for us it is necessary to dedicate at least 2 days.

How to get to Hpa An?

From Yangon

  • By bus: It takes about 6 hours and costs around $6 USD - $10USD depending on the company you choose and the timetable.
  • Trains: These are not recommended in Myanmar as they don't usually leave on time and take much longer than they say they will.

From the border Myawaddy - Mae Sot

  • Shared taxi: This is the best way to get to Hpa An from the border. The journey takes about 5-6 hours and, depending on your bargaining skills, can cost between 8-10 USD.

You can read more about border crossing here.

How to get around Hpa An?

The sights to see in Hpa An are an average of 20km from the town, so it's impossible to walk there. There are different ways to get around, but we chose the Tuk Tuk as we were a group and it was more comfortable.

Rent a motorbike: You can rent a motorbike for the day for $5 USD. This is a good option as it gives you more freedom and the possibility to manage your own time. The roads in Hpa An are pretty good all in all.

Tuk Tuk: A Tuk Tuk for the day to tour the caves and pagodas costs 20$USD and has a capacity for 6 people, around $3.3 USD per person. We chose this option as we were a group of 6 and it seemed the most economical and comfortable.

What to do in and around Hpa An?

1. Saddan Cave (Sacred Cave)

It is one of Hpa An's main attractions. It is a huge cave with a temple at its entrance and filled with pagoda and Buddha statues.

The best thing to do is to take the tour through the cave, it takes about 20 minutes. The tour is illuminated with LED lights (which makes the mystique a bit lost) but it is 100% worth it.

At the end of the cave there is a lagoon surrounded by rice fields. Here you have the possibility to take a boat back to the beginning of the cave or walk back the way you came. We recommend you to take the boat, it is a short but very nice walk.

As it is a temple, the walk through the cave is barefoot.

Entrance fee: 1000 Kyats

Boat: 6000 Kyats, approx. 6 persons

Inside Saddan Cave
Rice fields
How to go to the Saddan Cave?

Option 1: If you rented a motorbike it is about a 45-minute ride from the centre of Hpa An.

Option 2: On the Tuk Tuk tour as we did.

Important The cave is only open during the dry season: November to April.

2. Watching the sunset on Hpan Pu Mountain

Enjoy a different kind of afternoon appreciating Hpa An from above. The view and scenery are breathtaking and well worth the 30 minute climb.

The walk is not complicated but wear trainers and bring plenty of water as it is very humid. Also try to bring a torch as it gets dark quite quickly.

Sunset at Hpa An
How to get there?

To get to the mountain you will have to cross the Thanlyin River. Canoes to cross the river are taken to the right of the Shwe Yin Mhyaw Pagoda and cost 500kyats per person. Once you cross the river you will walk to the main street of the village and turn right. At the bottom you will see the mountain and the path to start climbing. The boats stop running after dark so arrange a time with your boatman to come back and pick you up.

Kyauk Kalat Pagoda

A small pagoda on top of a karst formation in the middle of a lake. It is an impressive sight to see!

Kyauk Kalat is a monastery and meditation place. Admission is free and you can go all the way up, except in the mornings.

Admission: Free

How to get there?

Option 1: If you rented a motorbike it is about a 30-minute ride from the centre of Hpa An.

Option 2: On the Tuk Tuk tour like we did

4. Watch the sunrise at Taung Wine Mountain

We couldn't do this mountain, but we really wanted to!

The climb takes between 45 minutes and an hour, so it is best to start an hour and a half before sunrise (it takes about 30 minutes from the centre to the mountain). It's best to make arrangements with your hotel the night before so that a tuk tuk can pick you up early in the morning.

The climb is not that difficult but it is very wet, which makes it a bit rougher! Don't forget to bring plenty of water.

From the photos we saw and from what we were told, watching the sunrise from the top of this mountain seems to be something incredible.

5. Explore the rice fields

Hpa-An is surrounded by stunning green rice fields. Rent a motorbike or bicycle and ride to the outskirts of town. They grow rice several times a year, so it's a great opportunity to see them.

Kawagun Cave

It is a small cave with more than 10,000 Buddha figures in various sizes!

But if there is something special that characterises this magical place, it is the mosaics of religious writings that cover the walls and ceiling. Many of them are hundreds of years old and are mixed with new ones that replace the old ones that have been destroyed over time.

Price: 3500 Kyats

Kawagun Cave
How to get there?

Option 1: If you rented a motorbike, it is about a 30-minute ride from the centre of Hpa An.

Option 2: On the Tuk Tuk tour like we did

7. Kaw Ka Taung Cave

It is famous for the red stone monks who guide you to the entrance. Admission is free and you can go inside and enjoy a 10-minute tour.

Outside the cave to the right is a small mountain that you can climb with a pagoda at the top. From the top you will have an incredible view of Hpa An, mountains, rice fields and rivers.

Admission: Free

Kaw Ka Taung
How to get there?

Option 1: If you rented a motorbike it is about a 25 minutes ride from the centre of Hpa An.

Option 2: On the Tuk Tuk tour like we did

8. Bat Cave

It is a cave where every day at sunset you can see the spectacle of millions of bats coming out of the cave.

Entry: 1000kyats

Bats in the Bat Cave
How to get there?

Option 1: If you rented a motorbike, it is about a 20-minute ride from the centre of Hpa An.

Option 2: On the Tuk Tuk tour like we did

9. Lumbini Garden and the Thousand Buddhas

A very curious place in Hpa An, it is a garden with 1500 completely identical Buddha statues!

Entrance fee: 4000 kyats

How to get there?

Option 1: If you rented a motorbike it is about a 45-minute ride from the centre of Hpa An, it is very close to Sadaan Cave.

Option 2: On the Tuk Tuk tour like we did

10. Mount Zwegabin

This is one of the most famous treks in southern Myanmar. It takes 2 hours to climb up the mountain and another two hours to descend, the climb is quite steep with lots of stairs. It is famous because at the top there is a monastery where you can stay overnight. The good thing about this is that you will be able to talk to the monks during the night and they will be happy to tell you about their religion and what Myanmar has been through in recent years.

There are different opinions on whether it is worth climbing or not, some nicknamed it the rubbish mountain because of the amount of rubbish along the way. They also say that the view is not incredible enough to be climbing for two hours. Others say the view is 100% worth the effort!

We didn't do it because we didn't have time, but if we had, I think we would have hesitated.