The Kaladan River hides Mrunk-U in its watery embrace and as you approach by boat you don’t immediately get the feeling that you’re arriving at the greatest capital of the Arakan, who for 350 years ruled over most of what is now Bangladesh and large parts of Burma. What you do soon realise is that you’ve found the rarest of beasts a beautiful, peaceful and largely unspoilt (by tourists or government) town where the ancient architecture and historical sites sit within the community.

2nd Largest Number of Pagodas and Temples in Myanmar

Legend has it that the city was founded after a monkey laid an egg as a sign of devotion to Buddha. From this a man emerged and built a city on the edge of the jungle naming it Mrauk U, meaning “Money egg”. By the 15th century it was the capital of a powerful kingdom and one of the richest cities in Asia, but by the 18th it was starting to crumble and has been largely ignored for more than 100 years, even though it’s home to the 2nd largest number of pagodas and temples in Myanmar. As part of the troubled Rakhine State its renaissance may be a way off, but petitions to grant it UNESCO World Heritage status are finding traction.

Venture a little further and you can explore a countryside dotted with Chin villages, paddy fields, local markets and river scenes. Like a lot of places that you have to make a bit of an effort to get to, very much worth it.