Mount Zwegabin Hike at Sunrise - Hpa-an, Myanmar

Climbing Mount Zwegabin, a stunning 722 meter high mountain that rises out of the many rice fields around Hpa-an, was one of the best sunrise hikes I’ve done in a while. Starting at 3:30am and hiking up the strenuous hour long trail, made the view even more worth it. We watched as the clouds moved in and out of the long mountain range. Monkeys that climbed over the cliffside, surprised us and almost attacked us. Luckily, a dog from the pagoda was there to help us and fight off these monkeys. It was an epic battle to have witnessed – alike to any action – King Kong movie – a dog fighting off many monkeys at a time above the thousand foot cliff. Long story short, when the sun finally pierced the clouds, we could see the stunning landscape that we had just climbed.

The hike takes about two hours up and an hour down. Near the top, you’ll see a good side trail to the left when facing the mountain top, that will lead to a good sunrise location. See the Maps.me app. Be sure to not break out too many snacks and don’t leave your bags unattended. We had monkeys climbing to the top of where we were sitting and they almost attacked us.

Luckily, there was this pagoda dog at the top, who came down and fought off the monkeys. Thank you, pagoda dog.

The morning is very dark, so make sure to bring a head lamp. It can also be cold, so bring a light light jacket. By morning it should be warm. A rain jacket should suffice.

And then, as the sun comes up, enjoy the view of the mountains below and the clouds disappearing.

Location:

The Mt. Zwegabin Hike starts at the Lumbine Buddha Garden, which has an entrance fee of 4,000 kyat – about $3 USD. You can park your bike (or use a tuk-tuk) to go to the Motorbike Parking Spot as shown in the Google Maps below. To reach the top at sunrise, you’ll likely have to get there around 4am, as the hike takes two hours to climb. We were a little faster and made it to the top in an hour and a half.

Be prepared for a strenuous hike that will be fairly warm by the time you climb down. The morning might also be cold once you reach the top so pack a light jacket.

Most of all, have fun and enjoy the epic views.