Myanmar is known as the golden land for the thousands of pagoda spires covered in real gold that one could see even on remote hilltops. The Kyeikhtiyo or Golden Rock pagoda have been built and it seems a veritable miracle, a huge boulder balanced on the very edge of a steep cliff standing 1100 metres above sea level. On this boulder is a glittering 25ft spire with an elaborately fashioned ' Hti ' or umbrella tip. This Kyaikhtiyo or Golden Rock pagoda is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Myanmar for the Buddhist, after the Shwedagon Pagoda of Yangon and the Maha Muni Pagoda of Mandalay.

It is only a few hours drive from Yangon and it is 160km from the base camp to the pagoda and one could drive up or trek, passing through spectacular scenery.
People who are too young, old, weak or who just like their creature comforts can be carried up the hill by porters in a basket cradle. Along the way, there are many places of importance in local lore. Kyeikhtiyo as a pagoda of miracle has a lot of myths and legends surrounding it and people talk of hermits who meditate deep in the forests and who lives to be hundreds of years old.

On moonlight nights or in the blue mists of dawn, the golden boulder and the pagoda shimmer like a magical palace spire out of a fairy tale. For Buddhist pilgrims it is an awesome shrine of great religious importance. During the Light Festival celebration in October or for the new Year's Eve celebrations on December 31st, the wider pagoda platform adjacent to the boulder but separated by a gully, is ablaze with the light of nine thousand candles and perfumed with the scent of as many flowers.