Things to know before you go Golden Rock

by Min Thu on 17-Dec-2019

Golden Rock(Kyaikhtiyoe) is a popular tourist site in Myanmar because of the mysterious history and religious belief by local people. It is located 1100m above the sea level on top of Kyaikhtiyoe mountain. 

Brief History

Let me give you a brief explanation about its history which is related to Buddha. Buddha gave one strand of his hair to the hermit and in turn, gave to the King. With the help of Tha-Gya-Min (the king of Heaven in Buddha Cosmology), they found a rock at the bottom of the sea and transport it to current place. And the pagoda is built on top of the rock with the hair enshrined. People believe that it is the power of the strand which keeps the rock from tumbling down the hill.

There is also a local belief that if you visit Kyaik-hti-yoe pagoda for three times within a year, you will be blessed with health and wealth.

It is visited by both local and international visitors and crowed in the peak season, from November to March and also public holidays.

Be aware of these things when you go Golden Rock in peak season

1. It is really crowded in public holidays so you should be careful because you might get hurt while walking through a crowd.
2. Be meticulous with your belongings because there might be pickpockets.
3. You need to be patient while waiting to get on the mountain truck because there are some who want to jump the line.
4. If you want to try local food, some Myanmar traditional are too oily or spicy which can get you a stomachache.
5. When you reach the top of mountain, men can stick gold leaf to the pagoda but women are forbidden.
6. There is cable car from Ya Thae Taung to mountain top so you still need to take mountain truck to reach the mountain top from Kinpun camp site.

If you have any problem, you can contact 

Local Police Station - 199, Tourism Police - 09428206641

Transportation from Yangon

By Bus

There are buses running every day from Yangon to Golden rock but the number of buses to golden rock is limited in the rainy season. But you can catch bus to Mawlamyine or Hpa-an and stop at the nearest place (Kyaikhto) and take a private taxi or ferry to Kinpun station to reach the Golden Rock.

By Car Rental

If you are traveling in group or you want to travel in private, contact car rental to get a suitable car for you. It will be charged around $160 for 3 pax.

By Train

There is one train operating from Yangon to Kyaikhto every day at 7:15 AM from Yangon Central Railway station. You have to take a private taxi or ferry to Kinpun station to reach Golden Rock. 

For more information you can contact [email protected] too