With the Thanlwin River flowing like a ribbon through the lush land and towering karst mountains outlining the landscape all around, Hpa-An was like no other place in Myanmar. The only thing I knew about this laidback town was the presence of numerous hidden caves where thousands of Buddha eyes watched over Hpa-An.

The town itself didn't have much to offer but what immediately caught my attention was the murmur of everyday life; the hum of the prayer coming through the speakers of the mosque, the traces in the dust left behind by pedestrians and vehicles, the kids smiling timidly from behind chipped doors and the rhapsody of sounds coming from the market.

Like many towns in Myanmar, Hpa-An, too, was still very quintessentially Burmese. As with all travelers venturing to this part of Myanmar, we were in Hpa-An to follow the circuit highlighting the Buddha caves that are carved in the surrounding countryside.

WHERE TO SLEEP IN HPA-AN

Accommodation in town is scarce, and most are in need of a good makeover. Some more recent luxury hotels can be found along the road to Hpa-An but there isn’t much else around. We decided to stay at the Golden Sky Guesthouse located right in the center of town.

As soon as we saw the reception area, it was clear the Golden Sky Guesthouse didn’t live up to its name. Our room was a mishmash of old furniture; the two beds had sunken mattresses, and the dusty curtains hung limply. Fortunately, it was clean, there was hot-water was included and a great terrace on the second floor with views of the river. All things considered, it was fine for a short stay.

WHERE TO EAT IN HPA-AN

After asking around, everyone we spoke to recommended the same restaurant: San Ma Tau. The menu consisted of a variety of mini-dishes accompanied by herbs, salads and curries. We chose a few dishes with my favorite being khayan thee hnut, a delicious eggplant curry. Eating out in Myanmar is very affordable; our bill was only 2900 kyats (~$3) for two people including a big bottle of water.

HOW TO VISIT THE CAVES IN HPA-AN

Hpa-An boasts a total of seven caves. We only visited four caves and a small pagoda over the course of two days. The caves are very far from each other and from the main road which makes having a motorbike essential. Renting a motorbike costs 6000 kyats per day, and will give you the freedom to visit at your leisure. The only place in Hpa-An to rent motorbikes is located just down the road from the clock tower.

KAWCOON CAVE (ENTRANCE FEE 3000 KYATS / $2.20)

Dating back to the 7th century, Kawcoon Cave is the most impressive of all the caves in Hpa-An. Upon arriving, we were greeted by a row of Buddhas draped in gold sitting in the lotus position. I cranked my neck to have a look at the thousands of Buddha images on the interior wall. I had never seen anything like that before!

I followed the path leading to the inside of the cave where even more Buddha images adorned the scraggly walls. Dozens of Buddha statues of different sizes and postures were scattered all around the cave. I took my time exploring the cave contemplating all its intricate details.

YA-THE-BYAN CAVE (FREE)

As per the inscription at the entrance of the cave, "Studies show that the Buddha images and statues and the many votive tablets were donated by devoted pilgrims in the 17th century." Ya-The-Byan was smaller and less ornate than Kawcoon Cave in terms of votive tablets but it was bigger and deeper.

I felt like I was thrown back to prehistoric times as I made my way around stalagmites jutting out of the ground. As I headed deeper into the cave, I came across a few bats fluttering around, letting out their signature high-pitched screeches as if to warn of my unwanted presence.

KAW KA THAUNG CAVE (FREE)

This was the smallest of the caves with vibrant, newly painted Buddha artifacts set just outside the entrance. As with all the sacred caves, shoes had to be removed before entering but the floor was fully tiled giving the impression we had just walked into someone's living room.

Inside, of course, were several Buddha images carved out of solid white marble and votive tablets newly painted in the most vibrant scarlet and gold. Though Kaw Ka Thaung cave was small there was still a lot to see, my darting eyes were barely able to spot everything!

SADAN CAVE (FREE)

Given its sheer size, Sadan Cave is the mother-lode of caves in Hpa-An! It's one of the biggest and longest caves in Myanmar but it conceals its enormity quite well from the outside. Sadan Cave is the furthest from the main road with a long and winding dusty trail leading up to it. I don't know if there was a special occasion or if it's always like this, but this was the only cave temple with vendors out front selling water and snacks.

We took off our shoes and left them at the bottom of the steps alongside others awaiting the return of their owners. Once at the top of the stairs, we entered the cave and were left mouths agape not knowing which direction to go in. That's when I realized how big this cave actually was!

This was the only cave where we saw designs such as an elephant, a frog and a semblance of a temple made using some of the small clay Buddha images.

After walking through the cave temple observing all the Buddha images, we walked the long way to the other side of the cave; it took us about 45 minutes to cross the whole cave. Taking precaution with every step, the clammy stone ground was sometimes slippery and usually wet from condensation. Finally we arrived at the opening at the end of the cave where there was a small lake.

We had two choices: either go back the same dark and musty way through the cave or take a boat ride which took us back to the main entrance - or so we thought. We did ask but we soon found out our inquiry had been lost in translation.

The boat ride (which cost 1500 kyats/each) turned out to only be about 10 minutes taking us through a cave tunnel and to another bank on the other side - far from the main entrance. We then had to get out and walk another 20 minutes in the open fields under the treacherously hot sun, passing a few grazing buffaloes on the way.

The problem wasn't so much the heat but rather that we were barefoot and couldn't walk as fast as we would've liked. Adding to that the fact that the dry, cracked ground was very hot (ouch, ouch, ouch!) and covered in rocks, pebbles, tree roots and twigs. Nobody told us to bring our shoes and not wanting to be disrespectful, we had left them at the entrance of the cave not knowing we would need them afterwards - oops!

If you want to save your feet from an unwanted, painful foot massage, don't make the same mistake we did - bring your shoes! Although you won't be allowed to wear them in the sacred cave (if you do you might attract a few disapproving glares from the monks), at least you'll have them if you choose to take the boat ride.

KYAUK KA LAT PAGODA

On our first day of cave-chasing, we visited Kyauk Ka Lat Pagoda located close to Ya-The-Byan Cave. The pagoda is precariously perched on top of a rock formation and like many sacred monuments in Myanmar, it's covered in gold leaf. From the top of the pagoda, views of the beautiful landscape stretching as far as the eye can see were laid out before us like a painted canvas.

We climbed the winding stairs up to the pagoda where a wise, elderly monk sat on the floor and blessed visitors by chanting Buddhist prayers in Burmese. While visiting it's important to remember that this is a sacred site used for meditation; keeping silent and removing our shoes were both a sign of respect.

I only visited four of the cave temples and I'm tempted to say it was enough but in truth, I found each cave to be different with each having a different setting. Part of the fun was riding around on our rented motorbike and coming across stunning scenery, getting slightly lost allowing us to see and experience Hpa-An in our very own unique way.

READ MORE ON MYANMAR

• Like in a Misty Dream on Inle Lake
• The Gold Pounders of Mandalay in Myanmar
• A Close Encounter with Yangon’s Most Dangerous Street Gang
• A Brief Guide to the Most Compelling Temples of Ancient Bagan
• Olfactory Memories of Myeik
• The Biggest Reclining Buddha Image in the World
• Visiting Mount Kyaikhtiyo and the Sacred Golden Mount
• How to Make the Most of Your Time in Yangon

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Lydia

I’m the founder and creator of Life Untraveled. I quit my corporate job, sold everything I owned and have been traveling full-time since 2018. I hope to inspire you to travel differently on a budget.

More about me here.