Carved into cliffs overlooking the Ayeyarwady, about 19 miles downstream from Pyay, are dozens of buddha images at Akauk Taung. The site is named after the crafty toll-takers from the mid-19th century who, when not taxing boats, spent their time carving reclining and meditating buddhas into the steep cliff.
As interesting as the carvings is the boat trip along the river to see them. You'll get to see attractive rural countryside, fishermen casting out great big nets and pulling in ever so small fish, and you'll pass boats so overloaded with cargo that the merest hint of a wave threatens to sink them. Just beyond the final carving is a clifftop pagoda which can be reached via a steep trail (the boat will moor up next to this).
To get here, you’ll need to taxi across the Ayeyarwady to Htonbo (ထံုဘိုရြာ), a village about 90 minutes by road from Pyay, then travel by boat (about K15,000 per boat) for the 45-minute look. A return taxi to Htonbo from Pyay (sometimes with Shwedaung thrown in) costs about K60,000. Allow about four hours for the whole outing.
