Charming karst country.

Rich with Buddhist caves.

Statues and carvings fill every nook and cranny.

Green rice fields extend for miles. Ducks run along.

Young men paddle us through paddy channels and archways.

A British family challenges our boat to a race. The son rewards the driver with a tip.

We grow tired. Trade tour time for snacks.

Come sunset, we climb a tentatively tied ladder to view the river. 

Phew.

Locals beat on homemade drums to coax millions of bats out for their nightly feed.

Their slithering line jumps with each beat. They stream out steadily for twenty minutes.

***

I hope you enjoyed an introduction to Hpa-An. This was probably our favourite tour/activity day in all of Myanmar, this time around. I highly recommend it if you're ever in the area. It took about twelve hours but was very worth it! 

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!