Kyaiktiyo Pagoda - The Golden Rock


The Golden Rock and Kyaiktiyo Pagoda are one of the major Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Myanmar, and the area mainly caters for locals. The town of Kyaikto is on the Hpa-An-Yangon main road, from here you have to get to Kinpun which I did on the top of a truck. The village is very touristy, with a big KFC right in the middle, and lots of shops selling souvenirs and all kind of things. Restaurants are overpriced and not really good, it is indeed a real tourist spot. From here, regular trucks with many rows of seats make the trip to the top of the mountain where the Golden Rock is. There is a chance to take a cable car for the last bit of the trip, if someone wants to get out of the truck, but it is only for fun as the trucks will go up there anyhow. At the top, there are a few expensive hotels, many small shops and street vendors, porters and all that is needed to make visitors happy. The setting is very beautiful, however, and the Golden Rock is a really nice balancing boulder, said to be held in place by a hair strand of the Buddha.
































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