On a good day the drive from Bagan to Salay will take approximately one and a half hours and there are a couple of worthwhile destinations to stop off at along the way.

The first, a 30-minute drive from Bagan, would be Nyaung Hla village, which translates as ‘Beautiful Banyan’ in Myanmar language. The main attractions here are the thousands of fruit bats that emit high-pitched squeaking sounds from the top of the tall 200-year old tamarind trees. A rare find indeed and the spectacle will surely delight any budding photo enthusiasts. At the bottom of the village, close to the picturesque riverbank, you will also find the shrine of the female nat (a sacred spirit), Shwe Pone Shin. The villagers here are incredibly friendly, so do not be surprised if you are invited inside their house for a chinwag.

The second worthwhile stop is Chauk, home to one of the largest markets in the region. People travel from miles around to source goods from here, and in some sections, you may get the sense that you’ve just stumbled onto a medieval film set. A longyi (Myanmar sarong) would go down particularly well here, as would greeting people with a loud and friendly, “Mingalarbar”.

On arrival into Salay, we’ll first stop at Yoke Sone Kyaung, an impressive teak monastery famous for the intricate wood carvings that adorn its exterior. Inside you can view a selection of rare Buddhist antiques, the likes of which are hard to find anywhere else in the country. Equally as interesting is the 19th century building that neighbours the monastery, used by the present-day monks as sleeping quarters. This was built by the daughter of an influential Burmese merchant, U Po Gyi. U Po Gyi also made the formal request to King Thibaw to build Yoke Sone Kyaung, whom after accepting, famously donated the teak and other materials required for the monastery’s construction.

Across the road from Yoke Sone Kyaung is Man Paya Pagoda, home to the largest lacquerware Buddha in Myanmar. Dating back to the 13th century, this truly is an impressive piece of Buddhist artwork, and it’s one of the only images that allows you to crawl backwards and peer inside (assuming the caretaker’s there to unlock the small door). Five minutes here will be more than enough, but it is well worth the stop, even if it’s just to admire the size and craftsmanship of this sacred image.

Depending on time, we will then stop for lunch at Salay House, a recently restored colonial mansion that now operates as a restaurant, museum, guesthouse and souvenir shop. Here they serve a decent range of home-cooked style Myanmar fare, ranging from curries to salads.

Following lunch, we will visit U Po Gyi’s grand mansion, another unique colonial relic decorated with a variety of lavish stucco designs. Now looked after by a caretaker and his family, a stop here provides further insight into the life of a man who was extremely wealthy, often dabbled in political affairs, dangerously handsome and notorious for breaking the hearts of those he courted.

We hope a surprise highlight will be the little-known Sasanayaungyi monastery, inside of which you’ll find a dusty, cobweb-covered prayer chest packed full of ancient Buddhist manuscripts.

Finish the day with a stop at an independently run shop selling ‘Salay Zithi’, or sweet plum. The shop in question used to make and sell everything onsite, but due to the popularity of this eye-popping treat, the owner now produces everything in a factory on the outskirts of town. The plums are still packaged and coated in sugar here, so there’s no reason not to swing by and sample this regional delicacy.

Return to Bagan in time for dinner; without stopping, this journey will take approximately one and a half hours.