Salay is a colorful old religious center in Central Myanmar it is about 1 ½ hours south of Bagan. In between visiting the numerous ancient monasteries, adorned with beautiful woodcarving, you can enjoy the beauty of this compact city of colonial buildings, monasteries and pagodas.

 Day-trippers make it here to visit the famous monastery “Yoke-Sone-Kyaung” which is a cultural heritage site in Salay, which in situated on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River, and some select Bagan-era shrines, and peek at a handful of untouched British colonial buildings.

It can be paired with Mt Popa on a full-day trip, although the two are in different directions from Bagan. Eating choices tend to be better in nearby Chauk (famous for its production of the sweet tamarind flakes that are served at the end of all meals in Bagan), but you can get noodles in the Salay market.