Kyaikkami Yele Pagoda

Kyaikkami was a colonial coastal station called Amherst, and the pagoda that gives it its name is built on a rock offshore, connected to the land by a raised causeway. At low tide you walk out; at high tide the sea is around and under the walkway and the compound stands in the water. The shrine holds Buddha images said to have floated ashore here, and the terrace looks straight out over the Gulf of Martaban. It is a modest site with an unusually good setting, and few foreign visitors get to it.

What you actually see

• The causeway - a raised walkway out to the rock, with the sea on both sides.
• The shrine - image halls on the rock itself, above the tideline.
• The tide - the whole character of the place changes between low and high water.
• The sea view - the Gulf of Martaban open to the west, best in the late afternoon.

When to go

November to February for dry weather and calm sea. Time the visit around the tide, which changes the site completely. The monsoon from May makes the coast rough and the causeway is closed in bad weather.

Honest expectations

It is a long drive from Mawlamyine for a short visit, and is best combined with Win Sein Taw Ya and Setse beach in one day. Facilities are minimal. Shoes off on the causeway, which is hot and rough underfoot.

Nearby

Setse beach is a few kilometres south, and Mawlamyine is an hour and a half northeast.