The world’s longest teak footbridge gently curves 1300yd across shallow Taungthaman Lake, creating one of Myanmar’s most photographed sites. In dry season it feels surreally high and mostly crosses seasonal vegetable gardens, but after the summer rains, the area becomes a big lake and water laps just below the floor planks. A handful of the 1086 poles on which it stands have been replaced by concrete supports.
A great time to visit the bridge is just after sunrise when hundreds of villagers and monks commute back and forth across it. The light is often best around an hour before sunset, but by then it will be swamped with busloads of tourists. However, while the bridge gets extremely busy and shops hawk trinkets and souvenirs, the views can still feel surreal and the atmosphere, while far from serene, is unique.