Mount Popa is an extinct volcano that rises 1,518 metres out of the Myingyan Plain. It is home to the 37 nats (spirits) and has many temples and relics, making it a popular pilgrimage site. The volcano is covered with lush forest and home to much flora and fauna, including packs of macaque monkeys, so much so that it has been designated a nature reserve and national park. The most impressive feature of Mt Popa is the sheer volcanic plug roughly halfway to the summit which is crowned by a Buddhist temple – it can be reached by climbing 777 steps.