It was definitely love at first sight. I love Bagan so hard it's not even funny. It is hands down, the most spectacular place I've ever been to. I call this ancient city My Unicorn Land (yes, it's that magical to me). We only had 2 days in Bagan but I would quite happily spend 2 weeks here. 

Bagan is the site of a ruined city in central Myanmar that was a powerful capital nearly a thousand years ago. At its peak there were over 10,000 temples, pagodas and stupas in the city. Today, there are only just over 2,000 remaining. What makes Bagan so remarkable is that there is always a temple in viewing distance. With so many temples scattered everywhere, it was impossible to visit all of them. These are the key temples we visited during our short stay.

Built in 1105 AD, the Ananda Temple is Mon architecture at its finest. 

Built in late 12th century, the Dhammayangyi Pagoda is usually associated with King Narathu, who built the temple during his ruthless 3 years tenure. Legend has it that the the evil king (he killed his father, brother and wife with his own hands) demanded the temple brickwork to be fitted together tightly so that even a pin could not pass between 2 bricks. Failure to achieve this resulted in the slaves being killed as it was assumed that they lacked work efficiency. The Dhammayangyi Pagoda is the biggest temple on the plains of Bagan.

Bagan surprised me in every way, the pureness of the nature, the picturesque scenery, the simple lifestyle. It is hard to imagine a place so ancient and unchanged in the modern world of Southeast Asia. It was a privilege to be able to walk through this former empire. 

I have read on blogs that at some point, you get "templed-out" or simply tired of seeing the same Buddhas, temples and sunsets. After 2 days, I still wasn't "templed-out". I felt like I could have repeated the days I spent there over and over again and never get tire of it. 

Everything in Bagan felt romantic, and this oldness was something I dreamt about. There is nowhere in the world like wonderful, magical Bagan.