Yangon

At some unholy predawn hour, when rational folks are still embracing sleep or nursing a hangover, you'll find yourself clambering into a wicker basket attached to an oversized party balloon. Welcome to Balloons Over Bagan-a breathtakingly surreal journey drifting serenely over Myanmar's ancient landscape, speckled with more than two thousand temples that pop out of the mist like ornate stone mushrooms. Dating from the 11th and 12th centuries, this sprawling plain was once the height of Burmese civilization, before history wandered off and left these stunningly overbuilt reminders behind. Aim for the first flight of the day when sunrise bathes the temples in golden hues, and plan at least a month ahead because apparently floating in a delicate basket hundreds of feet above sacred ruins is, shockingly, a popular pastime. Budget roughly $350 per flight (painful, yes-though cheaper than therapy, and arguably more effective in soothing existential angst). Bring your camera, a dash of courage, and perhaps a hip flask filled with something that tastes better at 2,000 feet. Even if drifting lazily in a hot air balloon wasn't already on your bucket list, trust me-hovering silently over Bagan, sipping whiskey at dawn, will unquestionably turn you into either a poet or a storyteller, possibly both.

At first glance, Myanmar's Bagan Archaeological Zone seems like yet another sprawling collection of temples, pagodas, and stupas-until you realize you're staring at a landscape that makes Indiana Jones look underambitious. Spread across a dusty plain, roughly two thousand brick-red temples rise like stubborn relics of a civilization determined to impress eternity-and frankly, they're succeeding. Once capital of an empire that thrived from the 9th to 13th centuries, Bagan feels like history with attitude: faded frescoed walls whisper ancient gossip, while monks in maroon robes glide solemnly through corridors that once echoed with medieval intrigue. Visit at sunrise or sunset, when the temples glow warmly like fresh toast, and balloon crews fire up their burners, lifting visitors (who've planned at least a month ahead and forked out roughly $300 for the privilege) into skies painted improbable shades of tangerine and lavender-though exploring on a rented e-bike for $5, a dusty map in hand and sunblock on your nose, might be the more authentic, less Instagram-influenced option. Bring plenty of water, sturdy shoes, and a willingness to lose yourself among ruins-just avoid midday, unless heatstroke is your kind of adventure. Sure, it's dusty, hot, and vaguely overwhelming, but standing atop Shwesandaw Pagoda, gazing over a sea of spires, you'll understand precisely why humanity keeps stubbornly trying to leave something beautiful behind-and even if you don't, trust me, the travel anecdotes alone will score you free drinks for years.