Just as we arrived at the outskirts of Bagan (and a wonderful bonus; we were an hour early, so 6 not 7 hours) we stopped and all foreign visitors had to report to a hut with their passport and a $10 "donation" to the upkeep of the thousands of stupas, temples and pagodas that literally hog the horizons.
It's obligatory and allows you to visit any and all sites free of charge thereafter.
Personally I felt this was unnecessary as any donations should always be voluntary but at $20 for the two of us, it's not a huge amount. It's just a pity that there seems to be little evidence of any restoration works currently being undertaken.
I'm also not sure what was worse:
- not being made aware of this entry fee by our travel agent
- having to pay without choice
- being considered a tourist...
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