Tag Archives: JUL 2013

The Key is Deprivation: Kyaiktiyo, Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmar’s wet season, which lasts from May to September, is W.E.T. — with all letters capitalized.

I had read about the wet season in my guidebook and was prepared for (daily) heavy rain, but I didn’t expect this kind of rainstorm up in Mt Kyaiktiyo!

Kyaiktiyo, home of the sacred golden rock, is one of the most important religious pilgrimage sites in Myanmar. Legend has it that the large boulder is able to maintain its precarious balance because its stupa holds a strand of the Buddha hair. From Kinpun, the base camp, you have two options to get to the rock.

  1. Hike all the way (approx 7 miles) there, average time is between four to six hours.
  2. Ride a truck to the Yatetaung bus terminal, average time 45 minutes.
Paying pilgrimage at the sacred Golden Rock, in Kyaiktiyo, Myanmar (Burma)

Paying pilgrimage at the sacred Golden Rock, in Kyaiktiyo, Myanmar (Burma)

Most people choose the second option. The ride costs K1500/person one-way (roughly $1.50), but that price depends on whether or not there are enough passengers. If there are not enough passengers, you will have to pay more to make up the difference. The trucks, with wooden benches, sit 35 or so people and do not leave unless they are really packed.

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