Walking through Nyaung Ohak, a small lakeside village in Myanmar, is about as rewarding as a small walk can get. The area is practically littered with ancient Buddhist stupas and pagodas, making it into a sort of miniature Bagan. Bagan being an area with the highest density of Buddhist architecture anywhere in the world.

This site might not exactly be a secret, but it isn't exactly well known either. I wasn't even aware of Bagan until just a few years ago, and I imagine many more people aren't really aware of what there is to see in Myanmar in general. This Buddhist relief was one of many ancient Buddhist structures in this tiny little jungle attraction. Who knows what else you might uncover?

If you're willing to go just a bit outside of your comfort zone, you might just find that it's actually cheaper and more rewarding to go farther from home sometimes. Sure the plane tickets will be expensive compared to somewhere closer, but everything else will be cheaper and more exciting.

The face of Buddhism from another angle.