Hpa-An

Hpa-An sits on the Thanlwin river surrounded by limestone karsts that rise abruptly from flat paddy, and the caves in them have been used as shrines for centuries. Sadan cave runs right through a hill: you walk in past enormous seated Buddhas and carved reliefs, through a long dark passage, and out the far side to a lake where boats punt you back around the outside. Kawgun cave is faced with thousands of small clay votive tablets pressed into the rock. Mount Zwegabin, a sharp peak above the town, is climbed by a stairway of many hundreds of steps, usually started before dawn, with a monastery on top and monkeys along the route. At its base, a field of a thousand Buddha statues sits in ranks.

What you actually see

• Sadan Cave - walk through the hill and return by boat across a lake.
• Kawgun Cave - walls covered in thousands of small clay votive tablets.
• Mount Zwegabin - the pre-dawn stairway climb to the summit monastery.
• Lumbini garden - ranks of a thousand seated Buddha statues at the mountain's foot.

When to go

November to February for cool dry weather. The Sadan cave boat return only runs when water levels allow, generally after the rains. Climb Zwegabin before dawn to avoid the heat and catch sunrise from the top.

Honest expectations

Caves are dark, uneven and often wet underfoot, and shoes come off at shrine areas, so you walk barefoot on rough stone; many visitors find this unpleasant and bring socks. Zwegabin is a long steep climb of many hundreds of steps, and the monkeys near the top are aggressive about food and bags. The Sadan boat return only runs when water levels allow.

Nearby

Mawlamyine is an hour and a half south; the Thai border at Myawaddy lies east.