Mount Popa and Taung Kalat of the Mandalay Region, Myanmar. On the foothills of the mountain you will find this beautiful temple perched high up on a hill.

© AYOTOGRAPHY/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Popa Taung Kalat Temple

Myanmar (Burma)


From the nat shrine, start up the many steps under a covered walkway and past the rows of trinket and souvenir shops and shrines to a revered local medicine man, Pomin Gawng. At a steady pace it shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes to reach the summit of this impressive rocky crag crowned with a picturesque complex of monasteries, stupas and shrines. Popa Taung Kalat Temple is but one of several buildings here that you can freely wander through.

Along the way, you’ll pass platoons of highly aggressive monkeys (be very cautious near them and don't carry any food or drink) and a small army of locals selling drinks and endeavouring (not always successfully) to keep the steps clean of monkey poo in return for a possible tip.

The views from the top are fantastic. You may be fortunate enough to spot one of the slow-walking hermit monks called yeti, who wear tall, peaked hats and visit occasionally.


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