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Added by Jopie, at 20 June 2017
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8 Reviews
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30 March 2018
Why do people rate this place so high is beyond me. I get that once you climb to the top the view is nice but there is absolutely nothing else that I can recommend about this monastery.
Myanmar is a third word country and there are downfalls that go with it, lack of hygiene being one of them, so one can't expect cleanliness anywhere but what is going on at Mount Popa is beyond anything I've seen in any other place in Myanmar.
There's filth everywhere, rubbish, scraps of food, monkey excrements, you name it. The smell of rotting garbage and faeces does not leave you even when you climb all the way to the top. The worst part, you have to leave your shoes downstairs and climb through all of this barefoot.
Along the way there are people that clean a few steps and for that they demand money.
I literally walked around with my scarf wrapped around my nose to avoid the stench.
The monastery itself is just as bad as the way to it. It's run down, overcrowded and filthy. We saw a bag of urine hanging from the fence.
Do your nose, feet and wallet a favour and go to one of many places actually worth visiting in Bagan.response / report this review -
18 March 2018
This place is the best place for relax and do good thing for life. The best
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12 March 2018
From afar, the temple/monastery are beautiful. The 777 steps is broken up with small landings and plenty of places to rest. It was really nice to see so many families making the climb together.
Unfortunately it is dirty, swarming with semi-aggressive macaques, and the entire path to the top is lined with stalls of clothing/souvenirs.
The multiple men maintaining/cleaning the staircase request for donations. The view could be nice if not for the distraction of trash, monkeys and commercialism; the charm or ‘spiritual’ wonder is lost.
It took an hour and half by car to reach from Old Bagan, and we went in the afternoon to catch the sunset however left much earlier because the site and view were too exhausting to be in, far from the calm, peaceful environment we were hoping.
I would not suggest visiting this site, and instead explore any of the small, less visited sites in Bagan.response / report this review -
27 December 2017
Interesting but by far not worth the time and long drive. The view from the top is pretty but you can't really see any temples. The monkeys are very aggressive so make sure you don't bring any food with you and stay away from any tourists that are intending to feed them. Bring wet wipes to clean your feet after. You don't need a hat as most of the way is covered by roofs. We spent about 45' round trip, going up and down the stairs. Our taxi driver charged us $35usd for a whole day of going to Mt Popa in the morning and the temples in the afternoon, he was amazing so we gave him a $15usd tip.
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17 December 2017
Good place for hiking.
Very nice view.Very nice place for Mountaineer.response / report this review -
11 December 2017
The best part of visiting Mt Popa is arriving but definitely worth the visit if you pair it with another site in the environs. Be prepared to hike many steps and fend off the monkeys. The monkeys WILL grab at you so keep your possessions close. There are ample food stands so it is OK to arrive hungry.
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21 November 2017
Pagoda and temple build on top of old volcano. Most interesting place in middle of Myanmar and many travelers visit this place. Also have natural resources and will see some kind of animals with nature.
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27 June 2017
Nice day trip from Bagan to explore! It was a nice hike to the top with great views. Main downside is that there are a lot of people asking for "tips for cleaning" who are mostly just standing beside a broom and bucket of murky water. Monkey poop is definitely an issue - just bring wet wipes for your feet and you'll be fine.
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