Bago city
Bago city is just 80 km (50 miles) north of Yangon and is easily accessible. It is one of the richest archaeological sites in Myanmar. Apparently the Mons were the first to have settled at this site. The city was founded about 825 AD. Bago was made the capital of the Mon Kingdom and was the seaport of ancient Mon kings.
The Ye Le Paya at Kyauk Tan was built in the 3rd century BC. The pagoda complex comprises several buildings including a monastery. Pilgrims and visitors are ferried across and one can feed shoals of long river catfish, which surface to snatch bits of food thrown at them. When food is thrown, they reach out to snap at it, revealing their size, which can reach up to one meter in length.
The Kyaik Kauk Pagoda is built on a hillock on the road to Kyauk Tan. It is an imposing golden pagoda a half-hour's drive by car or train from Yangon.