Following pilgrims – magnificient Golden Rock

Golden Rock

The first Burmese guy we talk was a taxi driver from Yangon airport. He gave as a lot of advises what to do and where to go in Myanmar. He advised us to go to Golden Rock as well.

From Sule Pagoda we took a local bus N 43 to Highway bus station, which is 7 kilometers from center of Yangon. On bus station we found only one company who had buses to Kinpun, the base camp of mountain Kyaiktiyo, where the Golden Rock is located.

The ticket cost us 6000 kiat per person, the locals pay two times less. We tried to find another opportunities, but we was not lucky. The bus was local type, very old with tree rows of chairs, without air condition and any kind of comfort.

Kinpun is a small village, indeed it the basement for travelers and pilgrims going to Kyaiktiyo. Kinpun has only two option for budget accommodation: Sea Sar and Pann Myo Thu. We were staying in last one, where we got a room with cooler for 7 dollars even with breakfast.

Pilgrims

From Kinpun to summit of mountain Kyaiktiyo only trucks are allowed to drive. Cars, pick-ups and even motorbikes are prohibited. The siting place on th truck cost 1000 kiat (with 60 people occupancy), the chair in a driver cabin cost 2500 kiat. It is possible to do all way up by foot, it takes usually from 4-6 hours.

Foreigners have to by a ticket on summit, near the enter to main relic, USD 6 per each, plus 2 for camera.

Golden Rock it a boulder colored with gold with small stupa on top. The boulder is delicately balanced on the edge of a cliff at the top of Mt. Kyaiktiyo. Like Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon, Golden Rock is one of most sacred Buddhist sites in Mynmar.

Sacted Golden Rock

For the trail to go down to Kinpun we had to ask locals, there is no any sign from the main road. We were trekking for about 3 hours. It was pretty nice and interesting, because the train passes thought small villages and views are beautiful.