Originally Posted by
ChiefNWA
Slightly updated itinerary:
Day 1 - Arrive in Yangon, sightsee.
Day 2 - Morning flight to Bagan, sightsee (including sunset photo op)
Day 3 - Bagan most of the day, afternoon/evening flight to Heho/Inle Lake
Day 4 - Inle Lake sunrise, sightsee all day
Day 5 - Maybe a morning day tour somewhere nearby? Someone on Lonely Planet recommended biking around the countryside. Afternoon/evening flight to Yangon, off to somewhere else in Asia to head home from there.
From my experience, the sunrises are more beautiful than the sunsets in Bagan. Viewed from a high enough vantage point at the top of a pagoda/temple, you can see a mist that covers the entire expanse. Pretty amazing. Also, you can get shots of hot air balloons, which I believe only go up during sunrises. Bring a headlamp or some other hands-free light as climbing up a pagoda/temple in the dark can be sketchy, especially ones with very shallow stairs (more rise than run, if that makes sense). However, being that you're in Bagan to see the seemingly endless stretch of pagodas and temples that dot the land, might as well experience both the sunrise and sunset.