Kyaiktiyo — the Golden Rock — is one of Myanmar's most extraordinary sights: a gold-leafed boulder perched on the very edge of a cliff, seemingly defying gravity, with a small pagoda balanced on top. According to legend, a hair of the Buddha holds the rock in place, given to a hermit monk who requested it be enshrined in a boulder shaped like his own head.
The site is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage destinations in Myanmar. Devotees apply gold leaf to the rock (women may not touch it) and the views from the ridge across the surrounding hills are magnificent, especially at sunrise and sunset. Popular belief holds that those who make the pilgrimage will grow rich.
Kyaiktiyo is accessible mainly during the dry season (October to April). The base town of Kinpun is about four hours by bus from Yangon; from there, open-backed trucks wind up the mountain road, and the final stretch is a steep walk or a ride in a sedan chair carried by porters.