Taung Kalat Monastery

About 50km southeast of Bangan, the monastery of Taung Kalat is located on the top of a volcanic plug (Mount Popa) that rises 737 m from the surrounding in central Burma (Myanmar). It is one of the most spiritual destinations of Myanmar and also one-of-a-kind temple that can’t ever be met in anywhere else in the world.

This place worships 37 legendary gods with the story about the spirit path of Zhuang bi. For the monastery’s unique architecture, it is worth passing 777 steps to reach that gilded stupa. Along the way, you will have to pass some platoons of highly aggressive monkeys (be very cautious to get near them and don't carry any food or drink).

The views from the top are fantastic. Many Buddhists believe that it would be lucky to spot one of the slow-walking hermit monks called yeti, who wear tall, peaked hats and visit occasionally.

Climate, best time to visit

The surrounding areas are arid, but the Mount Popa area has over 200 springs and streams, which bring about a comfortably cool and stable weather there. The dry season in Mount Popa is November to April while the rainy one takes the remainder of the year.

The annual average temperature is 26ºC and the precipitation is about 64cm. The hottest time in Mount Popa is in April, when it can reach to above 30ºC.

How to get in and out

Since the Mount Popa is not so far from Bagan, you can get into Bagan before come visiting Mount Popa. From Bagan, you can get to Mount Popa by buses or cars. Tailoring a tour to both Bagan and Mont Popa is also a great idea.

To discover Mount Popa, you can rent a bike or just walk. It would be able to explore Mount Popa within a day.

For further travels, you can get back to Bagan or come to Kyauk Padaung to take a bus or train to Yangon, Mandalay and Pyay.

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