5 / 5 - One review
How to get there
4hr drive from Mandalay
When to go
From November to March
Minimum stay
1 to 2 days
Unknown to the Burmese for many years, the Po Win Daung caves are fascinating, being home to the largest collection of cave art in Southeast Asia.
I was left moved by the caves and their hidden treasures - not stately temple monuments, but rather humble, hidden and underground vestiges of the past.
Most of the caves were dug out between the 14th and 18th Centuries and the works of art pay homage to Buddha. It's estimated that the caves house more than ten thousand statues of Buddha, which are spread across the site.
I was bowled over by the energy that the caves emit; rather than being an open air museum, it's a pilgrimage site to which worshippers come to leave their offerings. Real-life magic.