{"id":11659,"date":"2018-03-12T17:30:47","date_gmt":"2018-03-12T16:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.sommertage.com\/?p=11659"},"modified":"2023-09-22T12:17:50","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T11:17:50","slug":"hpa-an-myanmar-mount-zwegabin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.sommertage.com\/en\/hpa-an-myanmar-mount-zwegabin\/","title":{"rendered":"Hpa-an in Myanmar: Sunrise on Mount Zwegabin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The idyllic Hpa-an and its lush green landscapes<\/strong> were one of our highlights during our trip through Myanmar. We had fallen in love with the beautiful landscape of green limestone cliffs<\/strong> before our first bus had even arrived. In that moment, we had no idea that the view from Mount Zwegabin<\/strong> would top even that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this blog article, we\u2019ll share with you which sights and experiences<\/strong> you absolutely should not miss in Hpa-an in Myanmar. First and foremost is the climb up Mount Zwegabin, which is one of our sweatiest, but also one of the most impressive experiences in Myanmar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"Hpa<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Overview Hpa-an: Limestone Cliffs and Caves<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Hpa-an is about six hours by bus east of Yangon<\/strong> and is the exact opposite of your big city chaos. Sure, in the centre of a city with 50,000 inhabitants, there\u2019s a fair amount of hustle and bustle, but the rest of the Hpa-an, especially the surrounding areas, is pure bliss<\/strong>. Nestled between the Thanlwin River and the limestone cliffs, Hpa-an is certainly one of Myanmar’s most scenic destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most visitors are drawn to the impressive limestone caves<\/strong>, which are in abundance here in Hpa-an. Another frequently visited site is the Kyauk Ka Lat Pagoda<\/strong>. There, in the middle of a small lake, perched upon the summit of a steep, green-clad rock – a pagoda, poised up into the skies. (A pagoda is a is a multi-layered Hindu or Buddhist temple most commonly found in India or South East Asia). The Kyauk Ka Lat Pagoda is deserving of being one of Hpa-ans’ most photographed landmarks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best personal highlight of our trip in Hpa-an was no doubt found at the summit of Mount Zwegabin. This sunrise view was one of the most beautiful moments of our entire Myanmar trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Climbing Mount Zwegabin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We contemplated for hours, whether or not we should take on the strenuous challenge of ascending Mount Zwegabin. Finally, we came to an agreement – up it was! Luckily we did! And what we can say is that the view at dawn was totally worth all the effort<\/strong> to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yes, that\u2019s right, DAWN. Most people start their hike to the summit after sunrise, but we really wanted to watch the sunrise from up above. It\u2019s no easy thing to do for two non-morning people like us. At 4am, the alarm goes off. By 4:40am we were on our way up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Hpa<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Sunrise<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The hike to the summit of Mount Zwegabin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At 800 metres<\/strong> elevation – it was one sweaty mission, as you can probably imagine. A large part of the track consists of stairs<\/strong>, some are in very good condition while others have clearly been worn away over the years. In some sections you\u2019ll find handrails for support, but every now and again you\u2019ll have to settle for tree roots and tree trunks. Basically, the route along the stairs is very unpredictable and varies a lot, so you constantly have to watch where you step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from a few, very short, mildly flat stretches, it\u2019s uphill all the way<\/strong>. Even though we started in the middle of the night, our T-shirts were covered with sweat in no time. Around 6:15, we reached the monastery at the summit. Overall, it took us a little over 1.5 hrs to get to the top<\/strong> – but the hours felt like eternity. Despite our general level of fitness, we found the hike to be very demanding. Especially when we had to make it all the way down again, it was exhausting running back down when we hardly had any strength left in our legs. We wanted to take a few stops but eventually bit down our tongues and made our way back to the village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What you should consider if starting before sunrise:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n