Standing in the presence of 14 centuries of meditation energy is quite something - humbling and awe-inspiring. The day we visited - 13th March 2020 - we saw not one other foreigner, just Karen and Burmese families paying their respects, praying and enjoying a family day out.
Kawgoon Cave is a Buddhist Temple which lies about 30 mins outside of the city of Hpa-a, the capital of Karen State in Eastern Burma.
Dating back to the 7th century AD, it is lovingly and remarkably preserved by the caretaker monks and Buddhist scholars.
I literally have a stiff neck after standing for what seemed like hours trying to take in the texts and Buddha's set into the soaring rock cave walls.
The images and texts are in remarkable condition, and one senses that Kawgoon is, and remains, primarily a living-breathing temple, rather than a tourist or historical site.
The scale of the temple is hard to convey - everything about it requires you to look and climb upwards.
Phobia about moneys? Be pre-warned that the entrance of the temple is "guarded" by a small army of the most adorable and cheeky little monkeys.
How to get there: we hired a tuk tuk driver through our hotel in Hpa-an for 30,000 kyat (USD $21.65) for the whole day - Kawgoon Cave Temple was one of 8 places he took us (all caves & temples) in our almost 8 hour journey. The price is per tuk tuk, which can seat up to 6 people, so superb value if you can organize a small group. Our driver spoke only about 7 words of English - more than enough to get through the day with hand gestures and smiles, but you definitely need to do your own reading and research about the places you visit. There was very little information on site, in English.
Cost: the monks who take care of Kawgoon Cave Temple charge foreigners 3,000 kyat (USD $2.16) to enter - Karen & Burmese nationals free.
Access: As with most ancient temple sites in BBurma, stairs are required and part of the journey towards worship. There is no disabled access.
Facilities: There is a rudimentary toilet on site but (thankfully) no souvenir stalls or vendors other than a charming Karen lady selling fresh fruit and cool water.
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That cave temple is amazing! I can't imagine the work that went into putting all those texts and everything into those walls and especially the high ceilings!