They say Bagan will soon be overrun with tourists, and seemingly in preparation for this, everybody wants to open a hotel here.
Bagan in Myanmar is home to a sprawling and dusty archaeological zone that contains so many temples and pagodas that it makes Siem Reap in Cambodia look like Disneyland in comparison. If you can brave the overnight bus to Bagan from Yangon, or if you can risk making the journey by air, you will find a whole host of good value hotels in the area where you can lay your bags for a few nights while you explore the temples and mingle with the monks. But which are my recommendation for the best hotel in Bagan? Here are five of the best:
5. Amazing Bagan Resort. This resort is surely one of the top places to stay in Bagan, and it even has its own golf course! It also has wonderful traditional architecture that will take you back to a bygone age. The pool is large and there is a lot of green trees nearby that provide welcome shade from the intense Burmese heat. Prices start at £65 per night. http://www.bagangolfresort.net/index.php
4. Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary. Well-known for its amazing spa, this international standard hotel welcomes the more discerning traveller, and it has one of the largest swimming pools in all of Bagan, and this overlooks the main building of the hotel. Great food here, too. Prices start at £75 per night. http://www.thiripyitsaya-resort.com/
3. The Hotel at Tharabar Gate. This hotel is known by all travellers to Bagan as being one of the very best available – and it has relatively good prices. There is some amazing wooden décor in the hotel, with a beautiful swimming pool to relax in after a day spent admiring the temples. Prices start at around £90 per night. http://www.tharabargate.com/
2. Thazin Garden Hotel. A wonderful budget option for when you’re travelling on a shoestring. You great value for money here and the hotel even allows free usage of their bicycles for when you want to go and explore the Archaeological area. Prices start at £52 per night. http://www.thazingarden.com/
1. Aureum Palace. This one is more expensive than the others on this list, but it is worth the price. There are private pool villas available if you should desire, and the resort has an observation tower that looks down on many of the nearby temples on the Bagan plains. Prices start at around £135 per night. http://aureumbagan.htoohospitality.com/
Wherever you choose to stay in Bagan, make sure you have a great time exploring the fascinating Buddhist temples nearby before you enjoy the amenities of the hotel! You may only get one chance to see Bagan before it gets too touristy, so don’t miss out on the best bits!
Prices quoted for hotels are an example only and for random dates in summer 2018 – but prices can and will increase in peak periods so look for good deals online!
Page last updated 4 January, 2018. Please report any dead links.
backpackerlee 
I’ll remember that warning!
All the hotels are just Wow
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You mean the warning to go before it gets too touristy? I can’t believe you haven’t been before…I think you would love it. For someone who is such an avid photographer like you, you will be in your element in Bagan, and not just around the temples, but also in the markets and Old Bagan town.
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Yea, before it gets too touristy 🙂
Haha.. there are plenty of places I haven’t been to. Its on the list anyway 😀
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nice information on hotel accomodations. Bagan is a must for me when i plan to visit Myanmar again. we missed it last time!
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For me, I missed Mandalay. 😦 I also wanted to get to Ngapali Beach in the west, but I am definitely doing that WHEN (not IF 😉 ) I return to Myanmar! I may even teach in Myanmar soon, who knows…I could take the kids on field trips to the temple sites and basically just take photos for my blog instead of teach them stuff about their history 😛
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Nice hotels!
Myanmar is definitely one of the ASEAN countries that I really wanna visit soon.
I thought of visiting the country before I get married next month but unfortunately, that will not come true. But I really2 hope that I can visit it soon before it is overrun by tourist.
If that happens, then the originality will be missing.
Just a few days ago, the first KFC outlet was opened in the capital city.
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Great post, thanks for sharing! We are heading to Myanmar in October during our backpack through SE Asia, I too want to visit there before it gets too touristy. I’m thinking we will only have time for two cities, definitely Bagan, then either Mandalay or Yangon. Did you make it to either of those? Or anywhere else in SE Asia that you’d recommend? I wanted to do Inle Lake, but it’s currently off-limits for my husband’s job, so we may have to go back in a few years. 🙂
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Hi Danielle! 🙂 I would recommend Yangon and Bagan as the two cities you should visit. Mandalay is also nice, but not essential for a first time visit to Myanmar. Check out my Myanmar category, and you can see all my posts on there – including how to get from Yangon to Bagan!
Regarding other places in South East Asia, I am a fan of Laos, especially the south (Vientiane, Champasak), as well as Siem Reap in Cambodia. Maybe fit in a nice Thai beach holiday at Phuket too? 😉
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