Lonely Planet Myanmar (Burma) (Country Guide)

© Lonely Planet Publications 13

Contents

Lonely Planet books provide independent advice. Lonely Planet does not accept advertising in guidebooks, nor do we accept payment in exchange for listing or endorsing any place or business. Lonely Planet writers do not accept discounts or payments in exchange for positive coverage of any sort.

The Authors

16

Should You Go?

17

Getting Started

27

Itineraries

30

Snapshot

34

History

35

The Culture

48

Environment

69

Food & Drink

74

Yangon

84

History Orientation Information Dangers & Annoyances Sights Activities Walking Tour Courses Tours Festivals & Events Sleeping Eating Drinking Entertainment Shopping Getting There & Away Getting Around

Around Yangon DELTA REGION Thanlyin & Kyauktan Twante

85 85 87 89 90 104 105 106 106 106 106 112 118 119 120 122 125

126 127 127 128

Around Twante Letkhokkon Beach Pathein Around Pathein Chaungtha Beach Ngwe Saung NORTH OF YANGON Taukkyan Bago (Pegu)

Southeastern Myanmar

129 129 130 135 135 138 140 140 140

147

Climate Dangers & Annoyances Getting There & Away MON STATE Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock) Thaton Mottama (Martaban) Mawlamyine (Moulmein) Around Mawlamyine KAYIN STATE Hpa-an TANINTHARYI (TENASSERIM) DIVISION Dawei (Tavoy) Myeik (Mergui) Kawthoung

Northeastern Myanmar

148 148 148 148 149 152 153 153 158 160 161 162 162 164 166

170

Climate Dangers & Annoyances Getting There & Away THAZI TO INLE VIA KALAW Thazi Kalaw Aungban Pindaya Heho Shwenyaung INLE LAKE History & Culture Information Festivals & Events Nyaungshwe Around the Lakeshore Around Inle Lake KENGTUNG & BORDER AREAS

171 172 172 172 172 173 178 178 180 180 181 182 183 183 183 189 192 196

14

CONTENTS

Kengtung (Kyaingtong) Around Kengtung Mong La Tachileik PYIN U LWIN TO LASHIO Pyin U Lwin Around Pyin U Lwin Kyaukme Hsipaw Namhsan Lashio MYITKYINA TO KATHA Myitkyina Bhamo Mu-se & Namhkam Valley Katha THE FAR NORTH Putao

Mandalay

226

History Orientation Information Sights Activities Downtown Walking Tour Mandalay for Children Festivals & Events Sleeping Eating Drinking Entertainment Shopping Getting There & Away Getting Around

Around Mandalay History Climate Getting There & Around ANCIENT CITIES Amarapura Inwa (Ava) Paleik Sagaing Mingun UPPER SAGAING DISTRICT Monywa Around Monywa Shwebo Around Shwebo Kalaymyo

196 200 201 202 203 204 207 209 209 213 213 217 217 220 221 222 224 224

227 227 227 229 235 235 236 236 237 238 240 240 241 242 245

246 247 248 248 248 248 251 252 252 254 256 256 259 260 262 262

Bagan & Central Myanmar

264

History 266 Climate 266 Getting There & Around 266 BAGAN 266 Orientation 266 Information 268 Boat Trips 268 Tours 268 Getting There & Around 268 Nyaung U 269 Old Bagan 273 Myinkaba 275 New Bagan (Bagan Myothit) 275 AROUND BAGAN 277 Mt Popa 277 Salay 279 Pakokku 280 Myingyan 281 BAGAN TO PYAY 281 Magwe 281 Pyay (Prome) 283 Around Pyay 286 MEIKTILA TO TAUNGOO 287 Meiktila 287 Pyinmana 289 Taungoo 290

Temples of Bagan

293

History How Big is Bagan? OLD BAGAN Gawdawpalin Pahto Mimalaung Kyaung Pahtothamya Nathlaung Kyaung Thatbyinnyu Pahto Shwegugyi Pitaka Taik Palace Sites Tharaba Gate Mahabodhi Paya Bupaya NORTH PLAIN Ananda Pahto Ananda Ok Kyaung Upali Thein Htilominlo Pahto Buledi Gubyauknge Wetkyi-In-Gubyaukgyi

293 296 297 297 297 297 297 298 298 299 299 299 299 299 300 300 301 301 301 302 302 302

CENTRAL PLAIN 302 Shwesandaw Paya 303 Dhammayangyi Pahto 303 Sulamani Pahto 304 Thabeik Hmauk 304 Pyathada Paya 304 MYINKABA AREA 304 Mingalazedi 304 Gubyaukgyi 305 Manuha Paya 305 Nan Paya 306 Abeyadana Pahto 306 Nagayon 306 Somingyi Kyaung 307 NEW BAGAN AREA 307 Seinnyet Nyima Paya & Seinnyet Ama Pahto 307 Lawkananda Paya 307 Ashe (East) & Anauk (West) Petleik Paya 307 Sittana Paya 307 SOUTH PLAIN 308 Dhammayazika Paya 308 Leimyethna Pahto 308 Tayok Pye Paya 308 Payathonzu 308 Thambula Pahto 309 Nandamannya Pahto 309 NYAUNG U AREA 309 Shwezigon Paya 309 Kyanzittha Umin 310 North of Nyaung U 310

Western Myanmar People Climate Danger & Annoyances Getting There & Around SOUTHERN RAKHAING Ngapali Beach Thandwe Kanthaya Taunggok NORTHERN RAKHAING Sittwe Mrauk U Around Mrauk U CHIN STATE Tours

Directory Accommodation Activities

311 312 313 313 314 314 314 317 318 318 319 319 322 328 328 329

330 330 332

© Lonely Planet Publications C O N T E N T S 15 Business Hours Children Climate charts Courses Customs Dangers & Annoyances Disabled Travellers Discount Cards Embassies & Consulates Festivals & Events Food Gay & Lesbian Travellers Holidays Insurance Internet Access Legal Matters Maps Money Photography & Video Post Shopping Solo Travellers

334 334 335 335 336 336 338 339 339 340 342 342 342 342 342 343 343 344 346 346 346 349

Telephone Time Toilets Tourist Information Visas Volunteering Women Travellers

Transport

349 350 350 350 351 352 352

354

GETTING THERE & AWAY Entering the Country Air Land River & Sea Tours GETTING AROUND Air Bicycle Boat Bus Car & Motorcycle

354 354 354 357 358 358 358 358 360 361 363 364

Regional Map Contents Northeastern Myanmar p171

Around Mandalay Mandalay p247 p228 Western Myanmar Bagan & Central p312 Mandalay p265

Around Yangon p127

Yangon p90

Southeastern Myanmar p149

Hitching Local Transport Pick-up Trucks Tours Train

Health

365 365

366 366 366

369

BEFORE YOU GO Insurance Recommended Vaccinations Medical Checklist Internet Resources Further Reading In Transit Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Jet Lag & Motion Sickness IN MYANMAR Availability of Health Care & Costs Infectious Diseases Traveller’s Diarrhoea Environmental Hazards Travelling With Children Women’s Health Traditional Medicine

369 369 370 370 371 371 371 371 371 372 372 372 374 375 377 377 377

Language

379

Glossary

386

Behind the Scenes

389

World Time Zones

392

Index

395

Map Legend

404

© Lonely Planet Publications 17

Should You Go? We think it’s too early for either tourists or investment or aid... As long as new money comes in, the Slorc is under less and less incentive to change. Aung San Suu Kyi, 1995 I have so much respect for the Lady [Suu Kyi], but I disagree with her. If I had a chance to argue with her, I know she’d listen. A 100% boycott’s not possible. pro-NLD Yangon resident, 2004 ‘Should I go?’ is a question that Lonely Planet believes that all prospective travellers to Myanmar must ask, and answer, before setting foot in the country. The travel boycott – initiated by the Nobel Laureate for Peace, Aung San Suu Kyi, and endorsed by the British prime minister, Tony Blair, and some tour groups – began in 1996. Since then, much of the travel- and business-related world has been debating the pros and cons of the boycott amid an often-heated face-off. This section is a small stepping stone to understanding the main issues raised by both sides of the argument. As part of the debate, Lonely Planet is often asked why we publish this book. We believe that travel is one of the most powerful forces for tolerance, understanding and democracy the world possesses. We feel, in the case of Myanmar, it is particularly important to maintain an updated resource that helps those who do decide to go maximise the money reaching local hands in this impoverished country, while minimising the money reaching the ruling military junta. Aung Sang Suu Kyi said in 1995 that Myanmar wasn’t ready for tourism. Yet she also noted that ‘Tourists can open up the world to the people of Burma just as the people of Burma can open up the eyes of tourists to the situation in their own country if they’re interested in looking’. We agree.

‘As long as new money comes in, the Slorc is under less and less incentive to change’

THE BOYCOTT SPLIT Myanmar is a land of mystifying contradictions, a country whose spirited people have withstood centuries of oppression, from Kublai Khan to King George VI to the present military regime. Myanmar remains under the rule of the State Peace & Development Council (SPDC), formerly known as the State Law & Order Restoration Council (Slorc), an abominable military junta that has run Myanmar since 1962. After widespread peaceful protests in 1987 and 1988 and international pressure (see p43), the military conceded and announced there would be an election in 1990. Despite the 1989 arrest of a key member of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD won a remarkable 82% of the vote. The junta never handed over power.

WHY A BOYCOTT? In the mid-1990s, the military regime readied the country for ‘Visit Myanmar Year 1996’, a massive campaign they believed could bring legitimacy to the battered government and a growing source of income. The government used forced labour to build up its tourism infrastructure – rebuilding tourist sites such as Mandalay Palace, re-paving roads, and

‘I disagree with her. If I had a chance to argue with her, I know she’d listen’

18 T H E B OYC OT T S P L I T • • T h e D e b a t e

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building airports and runways. Some say hundreds of thousands of locals were uprooted from their homes and sent to ‘new towns’ dozens of kilometres outside city centres (evident in Yangon, Mandalay and Old Bagan). The government, meanwhile, eased travel restrictions; from the 24-hour visa and the seven-day visa, to 14 days in 1990, and then 28 days in 1994. The government’s tourism campaign ushered in the tourism boycott. Eventually, the campaign had to be delayed by a few months and the government revised its goal from 500,000 tourists to 200,000, but eventually even that mark was not reached.

THE DEBATE Activist groups outside Myanmar – some made up of exiled Burmese – fight for international pressure to be applied to force the military junta to transfer power to the NLD. However, some supporters of the NLD stand on opposite sides regarding how the boycott should be applied. There are really two debates raging at present – one regarding tourism and the other concerning business dealings or aid.

Aung San Suu Kyi For many would-be travellers the most compelling reason to support a total boycott is that Aung San Suu Kyi says to, and most boycott supporters frequently quote her. Most of what she’s said on the issue dates from 1995 or 1996 – not surprising as, since before the 1990 election, she’s spent most of the time under arrest and unable to make statements. In 1995 Suu Kyi asked travellers to ‘visit us later’, insisting that visiting at that time was ‘tantamount to condoning the regime’. In 2002 she reportedly said TO GO OR NOT TO GO?

Reasons Not to Go Aung San Suu Kyi has asked tourists not to come. The government used forced labour to develop tourist-related sights and services. International tourists can be seen as a stamp of approval for the Myanmar government. It’s impossible to visit without some money going to the military junta (eg US$20 for a visa, US$10 departure fee, 7% to 10% tax on services and purchases). Activists claim that tourism dollars help fuel government repression directly. The government forbids travel to many areas, particularly in areas inhabited by minority groups, due to unrest.

Reasons to Go The vast majority of locals want you to come. Tourism remains one of the few industries accessible by ordinary locals that offers an income and communication with the outside world. Human-rights violations are less likely to occur in areas where international visitors are present. The government has stopped requiring that foreigners change US$200 into Burmese notes upon arrival. The majority (possibly over 80%) of a careful independent traveller’s expenses goes to the private sector. If tourists stop coming, the government may step up the oppression of its people.

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T H E B OYC OT T S P L I T • • T h e D e b a t e 19

the ‘situation has not changed’. That year, Suu Kyi told the BBC that ‘the people of Burma, in general, do not depend on...foreign visitors to bring them information’; instead they obtain knowledge of the international world via incoming radio broadcasts such as BBC, Radio Free Asia and Democratic Voice of Burma. One of Suu Kyi’s chief concerns of that time was that the country wasn’t ready for tourism because locals, so long isolated and crippled economically, hadn’t ‘had a chance to develop self-confidence’, as she told Alan Clements in The Voice of Hope (1997). ‘At such a time it is too easy for young people to grab at foreign ideas and values, simply because they think foreigners are better...and more successful.’ Despite her stance, Suu Kyi has noted the positive side of travel to Myanmar as well. She said during an interview in Yangon in 1995, ‘Visitors to the country can be useful, depending on what they do, or how they go about it.’ But she also expressed concern that tourists who ‘go around in air-conditioned taxis’ don’t see anything that’s going on in the country. She understood that, boycott or not, tourists will come, and even suggested that ‘an alternative guide’ be produced. We found this sentiment echoed to us at Lonely Planet in 2005 by members of the proboycott Open Society Institute’s Burma Project, and the pro-informed (ie protourism) organisation Voices for Burma. The London-based Burma Action Group (now called Burma Campaign UK) actually published Burma: The Alternative Guide in tandem with the government’s campaign, but the guide was more a detailed manifesto against any tourism, without any practical information for those who did go.

Some quotes of Myanmar residents presented in this chapter, and throughout the book, are not attributed in order to protect their identity.

Activist Groups Many proboycott activists interpret any visitor – whether they are either part of a package-tour group, a backpacker staying in US$4 guesthouses, or meditating in a monastery – as a symbolic and financial endorsement of the military junta, which built some tourist infrastructure and services off the backs of many locals through forced labour and prison labour. Some estimates put the figure of forced labourers as over one million, though in 2005 Amnesty International reported that forced labour, in general, had decreased over the last decade. Burma Campaign UK states on its website, ‘Nowhere else in the world have human rights abuses and tourism been so closely linked.’ Also the group doubts that travellers can make much of a contribution to the wellbeing of locals, saying only a small percentage of locals ever come in contact with travellers. BURMA OR MYANMAR? While questions are being raised on whether to visit, the very name of the country is another doozey. In 1989 the government changed the official name from the Union of Burma to the Union of Myanmar. The country has in fact been called ‘Myanma’ in local parlance since, at least, the time of Marco Polo in the 13th century. The term ‘Burma’ is a British-made moniker, based on the majority ethnic group, the Bamar (or Burmans or Burmese). Essentially all prodemocracy groups outside the country – as well as the NLD – still call the country Burma. The government, at least on the surface, prefers ‘Myanmar’ because it’s more inclusive of the many ethnic groups. More importantly, it distances the country from the colonial period. At the same time as the country was renamed Myanmar, many town and street names were changed as well (eg Rangoon returned to its precolonial name of Yangon). In this book we use ‘Myanmar’ for the country (in line with the locals’ usage and preference), and ‘Burmese’ for the language, food and the Bamar people.

20 T H E B OYC OT T S P L I T • • T h e D e b a t e

‘More isolation won’t fix the problems and sanctions push us backwards’

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Other groups against tourism suggest that the government’s restrictions on travel prevent access to trouble spots – places where insurgents fight the military, where forced labour lingers, and where poverty is strongest. Some locals worry that travellers who only see Yangon’s Shwedagon Paya will leave thinking the ‘whole country is covered in gold’. Proponents for travel point out that the majority of locals want independent international visitors – and travellers hear this often during hushed conversations in temples, taxis and teashops. Also, protravel advocates point out that the probability of human-rights abuse shrivels in places that foreigners frequent (one activist group suggests that tourists should expand the international influence by focusing on off-the-beaten-track areas). A popular question asked by some, is why antitourism advocates don’t include Tibet, Vietnam, Cuba, China (particularly) and even the USA in a boycott. Tibet shares some similarities with Myanmar – though travel in Tibet is actually more restricted – as the Chinese hope to gain legitimacy to their occupation of that country through positive reports from tourists. Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, however, encourages travellers to come and interact with the locals there. Canadian writer Karen Connelly took a passive role with Myanmar: ‘I just want to write about what I see here. That’s all. That will do whatever it can do.’ Thai monk Mettanando Bhikkhu believes first-hand accounts can be powerful catalysts for change, as he wrote in the Bangkok Post in 2005: ‘Tourists to Burma...are natural witnesses to events in that country, the eyes and ears through which the world is able to monitor the kinds of abuse that Tony Blair wants to sanction.’ Residents of other impoverished or boycotted nations provide an interesting perspective. A local in Cambodia pleaded with one Lonely Planet author, ‘Please don’t boycott Burma. We know what that’s like. The poor get poorer and the rich keep driving in their fancy cars.’ A Romanian filmmaker says that the boycott is a ‘no brainer’, recalling the days when he craved outside contacts during Ceaucescu’s dictatorship in the 1980s. While most Myanmar people love ‘the Lady’, many offer varied opinions on the issue. A one-time aide to Suu Kyi, who spent three years in Insein Prison in Yangon, wrote in the Far Eastern Economic Review in 1998: [Suu Kyi’s] approach has been highly moral and uncompromising, catching the imagination of the outside world. Unfortunately, it has come at a real price for the rest of us...More isolation won’t fix the problems and [business, tourism, aid] sanctions push us backward... We need to be a part of the world. Ma Thangeni Dr Zarni, the director of the Free Burma Coalition and a one-time proboycott activist, did an about-face in 2003 on this issue. On his online blog, he described the ‘absurdity and meaningless of further isolating and punishing the country’. He said, ‘We are burning down the barn

THE REGIME’S LINE For a fascinating glimpse into the world of propaganda (if not outright self-deception), check out the government’s take on Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD. On the ‘information sheet’ link on www.myanmar.com, there are frequent dicta updated – labelled as ‘The Truth’ – to see. In their 70-page Political Situation of Myanmar and the Role of the Region, available in Yangon, the government defends its motto (‘everybody’s friend, but nobody’s ally’) and makes an effort to blame the deaths following the 1988 marches (see p43) on the NLD.

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T H E B OYC OT T S P L I T • • T o u r i s m & t h e E c o n o m y 21

ACTIVIST WEBSITES Many groups have websites that outline Myanmar’s prodemocracy movement as well as provide details on human-rights abuses sustained since 1988. Amnesty International (www.amnesty.org) Regular updates on the status of 1300 political prisoners behind bars. Burma Campaign UK (www.burmacampaign.org.uk) One of the more outspoken proboycott groups, which has written numerous articles. Burma Project (www.burmaproject.org) It is proboycott, but stops short of saying travellers fuel human-rights abuses; its website has many links to other sites. Free Burma Coalition (www.freeburmacoalition.org) Reversed its proboycott stance in 2003; the online blog has many updates and links to Burma-related news and opinions. Voices for Burma (www.voicesforburma.org) Protourism, with many suggestions on how best to visit.

because we couldn’t catch all the mice.’ In 2004, Moustache Brothers’ leader Lu Zaw told us of his comedy troupe (p241), two-thirds of whom have been imprisoned for political jokes: ‘We are alive because of tourists. We want tourists to come. We want a Trojan horse.’ Exiled author Pascal Khoo Thwe, who narrowly escaped the clutches of the army via Thailand following the 1988 demonstrations, told us in 2004, ‘I follow the policies of Aung San Suu Kyi, but if travellers feel they can help, they should go...It’s been many years; we need people to really work – now – rather than keep arguing [about the boycott]’. Another opinion: From the point of view of ordinary Myanmar youth, boycott methods don’t work any more and they don’t affect the dictators much directly. If the country becomes isolated, can any exiled politician promise that we’ll be free? Member of the anonymous rap group Myanmar for Future Generations (MFG), 2005

TOURISM & THE ECONOMY Travellers’ Input

Some observers have wondered what makes a bigger impact: the estimated US$200 spent per backpacker, for example, that feeds mostly into the private sector on a two-week trip, or the US$65 of this amount that goes to the government through taxes, entry fees and the cost of a visa? It’s a difficult conclusion to make. The CIA reports Myanmar’s GDP per capita in 2003 was US$150 per month. The majority of locals are happy to get half that; in 2005 the Economist suggested that rural households in Shan State earned no more than US$400 per year. Aside from the resource leases, building permits and bribes that are all part of doing business in Myanmar, the government does get some money directly from tourists. For starters, it’s US$20 for a tourist visa, US$10 for departure tax, plus the 7% tax collected by restaurants, and 10% tax from guesthouses and hotels. Entry fees to some sights and the use of some services (see the list on p23) add more to the pot. One of the ‘least ambiguous links’ between tourism funding the government, as described by proboycott author Jeff Greenwald, was the requirement that foreigners exchange US$200 into local currency upon arrival in the country. Fortunately, the government stopped this practice in 2003. Of course, there are some bills to pay too. But sometimes the government

‘If the country becomes isolated, can any exiled politician promise that we’ll be free?’

22 T H E B OYC OT T S P L I T • • T o u r i s m & t h e E c o n o m y

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TOURISM NUMBERS

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T H E B OYC OT T S P L I T • • G o v e r n m e n t Fe e s 23

GOVERNMENT FEES

In 1994, 62,000 tourists visited Myanmar (including family visits and business travellers).

Entry Fees

In 2004, 202,000 tourists visited Myanmar.

Many places in Myanmar are free to enter and explore, but some places – including whole towns – require the payment of fees, as dictated by the Ministry of Hotels & Tourism in Yangon or local authorities. But, although fees go directly to the government, the situation is often not black and white; in some places, such as Bagan or Mrauk U, the fees are split with the apparently earnest Department of Archaeology, the only present means of preserving ancient temples and artwork. Here are the main fees: Alaungpaya Palace, Shwebo (K50) Amarapura See Mandalay Archaeological Zone Bagan Archaeological Zone (US$10) Bago sites (US$10) Chin State Must take MTT (government) tour; two-day tour US$300 per person Golden Rock, Kyaiktiyo (US$6) Hpo Win Daung Caves, near Monywa (US$2) Inle Lake Zone (US$3) Inwa See Mandalay Archaeological Zone Kachin State Cultural Museum, Myitkyina (US$2) Khamti Must take MTT tour; US$670/920 from Mandalay/Yangon Mandalay Archaeological Zone (US$10) Includes entry to Inwa and, technically, Amarapura; see p229 Mingun (US$3) Includes Sagaing Hill Mogok Must take MTT tour; US300 Mon Cultural Museum, Mawlamyine (US$2) Mrauk U (US$10) Putao Must pay government fee Rakhaing State Cultural Museum, Sittwe (US$2) Sagaing Hill (US$3) Includes Mingun Shwedagon Paya, Yangon (US$5) Taungoo elephant camp Involves some government fees Thanboddhay Paya, near Monywa (US$3) Thayekhittaya ruins, near Pyay (US$4) Yangon museums (US$2 to US$5) Youqson Kyaung, Salay (US$3)

About 61% of Myanmar’s tourists come from Asian countries (the top four being nationals of Thailand, Taiwan, Japan and China). Approximately 34% of Myanmar’s tourists travel independently, while 27% come on package tours. In 2003, US$116 million was brought into the country from ‘tourism’ (US$17 million more than in 2002). About US$25 million of 2003’s tourism revenue came from Western independent and package tourists. In general about 12% of the money collected by the private sector from tourism funds the regime, according to the Minister for Hotels & Tourism (source: Altsean, 2003) – this equates to potentially US$3 million in 2003 (ie 12% of US$25 million) coming from Western independent and package tourists.

Read www.icftu .org/displaydocument .asp?Index=991221173 &Language=EN for an overview on how the government’s ‘tentacles’ poke into most facets of the local economy.

doesn’t always get a windfall; insiders have suggested that ticket fares for Myanma Airways are unlikely to cover the government airlines’ costs. Looking at other government sources of revenue as a comparison, tourism is something of a general store among skyscrapers. It’s not known exactly what the government receives or spends in total – on foreign investment, tourism, oil and illicit trade (in gems, timber, heroin) across its borders. Myanmar earned US$655 million in 2003 in gas exports alone (according to Doing Business in Burma), and tourism drew US$116 million in 2003 (including the contributions of nearly two in five visitors who were business travellers or there to visit families). Comparatively, Myanmar is last among Southeast Asian countries in terms of the number of tourists, with roughly half of Laos’ draw and 1.4% of Thailand’s.

Foreign Businesses Following Aung San Suu Kyi’s third arrest in 2003, the USA and EU enforced full sanctions against Myanmar, prohibiting trade. But – unlike apartheid-era South Africa, which Tony Blair has likened Myanmar to – Myanmar’s neighbours didn’t follow suit, thus providing ‘leaky borders’ to the flow of cash and goods. If anyone or anything sustains the government, it’s China. Dr Mohan Malik of the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies estimates that China controls 60% of the Myanmar economy; the annual trade exchange is in excess of US$1 billion. For example, China pumped in US$200 million to improve Myanmar’s infrastructure, not for tourism but with eyes on Myanmar’s offshore oil reserves. Yet sly General Than Shwe played the flirt by making the first Myanmar head-of-state visit to India in 25 years, the week after the ousting of proChina prime minister Khin Nyunt in 2004. A few months later, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement to build a highway, ultimately to link Yangon with India (with whom Myanmar has already traded half a billion dollars). Thailand, Singapore and Japan are also dollar-sign chums. Some critics point out that while sanctions against North Korea, Cuba, Haiti and Iraq have hurt these countries’ economies – in no instance have sanctions (on their own) changed a regime. Jai Singh summed it up in an article on Slate (www.slate.com) in 2005, ‘We’re stuck with Washington and Brussels trying one approach and much of Asia trying the other’.

Services Apart from the 7% tax on restaurants and 10% on accommodation, the government benefits from each of the following services: Beer Myanmar Beer is a joint-venture operation City buses From K5 a ride Golf Many courses are government controlled Inland Water Transport (IWT) Government ferries Internet As with electricity, post and telephone, the dial-up service is government-controlled; the broadband

Bagan Cybertech was formerly run by Khin Nyunt’s son Liquor licenses Require steeper payments than alcohol-free restaurants have to pay Myanma Airways Dodgy domestic airline Myanma Railways Myanmar Travel & Tours (MTT) Government-run tourist information service Newspapers Myanmar Times (K500) and New Light of Myanmar Post & Telephone All calls and faxes run by Ministry of Post & Telecommunications; international calls of US$5

or US$6 per minute

24 I F Y O U G O • • Av o i d G o v e r n m e n t H o t e l s

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IF YOU GO Don’t come in with your camera and take only pictures. We don’t need that kind of tourist. Talk to those who want to talk. Let them know of the conditions of your life. Pro-NLD Yangon resident, 2004

‘Don’t come in with your camera and take only pictures’

Lonely Planet suggests that visitors to Myanmar should try to maximise the positive effects of a visit among the general populace, while minimising any financial support of the government. It’s pretty clear that, in general, the less you spend, the less goes to the government. If you’re used to five-star comfort, consider settling for a little less when you’re here. We encourage everyone who goes to Myanmar to be an ‘informed tourist’ – read at least a couple books about recent events and look deeper into the argument. We do not encourage travellers to use a trip as an outright vehicle for political change, though. Those who have – by handing out leaflets – have been arrested; see p337 for more. We also ask that visitors treat locals with respect and p49 lists some basic do’s and don’ts to follow in Myanmar. The following measures outline how best to travel in the country.

AVOID GOVERNMENT HOTELS As much as possible, government-run hotels and higher-priced jointventure hotels are flagged throughout this book. See p332 for more on how hotels work in Myanmar. Here are ways to further help you identify government-run hotels: Government hotels are often named after the city or sight (eg Sittway Hotel, Mrauk U Hotel, Kyaiktiyo Hotel). Private hotels are less likely to have a Myanmar flag flying in front. Staff at government hotels are pretty upfront about ownership if you ask. Cheaper guesthouses and most midrange hotels are less likely to have government ties than more plush locally run hotels or joint-venture hotels.

SPREAD YOUR MONEY Critics of independent travel argue that travellers’ spending usually congregates at select places, even if those spots are privately run. Familiarity can be reassuring – such as your trishaw driver buddy, or the plate of noodles that didn’t get you sick – but try to mix it up a bit. Don’t buy all of your needs (bed, taxi, guide, rice) from one source. Be conscious that behind-the-scenes commissions are being paid on most things you pay for when in the company of a driver or guide; it doesn’t always affect your price, but if all travellers follow the same lead, the benefits only go to a select few; see p321 for an example. Minimise expenses that go to foreign-operated businesses. Mix up locations where you catch taxis and trishaws – and try to take ones from guys not lingering outside tourist areas. Try to eat at different family restaurants; if you’re staying at a hotel, eat out often; eg in Ngapali Beach, local restaurants are just across the road from the beach and hotels. Either buy handicrafts directly from the artisans, or, if not, don’t get all your souvenirs from one private shop.

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I F Y O U G O • • D o n ’ t C o m p r o m i s e L o c a l s 25

WHERE THE MONEY GOES Travel costs (and other economic transactions) in Myanmar come in many forms. This table gives estimated average breakdowns of how much the government actually gets from each type of traveller. Government taxes such as a visa, fees and a taxes on all purchases have been factored into these figures.

Amount of money

Type of economic input

US$0

The amount the government receives from potential tourists staying at home and reading about Myanmar

US$65

The part of a shoestringer’s US$250 to US$275 budget over a two-week trip (sticking with family guesthouses and public buses, and skipping fees at Shwedagon Paya, Bagan and Inle Lake)

US$85

The part of a shoestringer’s US$275 to US$300 budget, as above, but paying government fees at Shwedagon Paya, Bagan and Inle Lake

US$150-275

The amount of a traveller’s budget of US$1100 to US$2000 for a two-week trip that includes using a hired private car and staying at midrange hotels

US$300-500

The amount for a one-week trip – total budget US$2500 and up – staying at higher-priced hotels, taking several guided day trips, eating at hotels and taking three domestic flights

US$450

The part going to the government from a MTT-guided, three-day trip to restricted Chin State from Bagan

US$500 & up

The amount from a tourist on a seven- to 12-day luxury cruise on the Ayeyarwady – at a cost of US$3000 to US$4000

US$25 million

The total amount spent that reached both the government and private sources, by Western international package-tour and independent tourists in 2003

US$655 million

The amount the government raked in from natural gas exports in 2003 (source: International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, 2005)

DON’T COMPROMISE LOCALS In a country that imprisons its people for disagreeing with the government’s line, or sends them to forced labour camps, travellers need to ensure that they don’t behave in a way that will lead to locals being compromised in the eyes of the junta. Don’t raise political questions and issues in inappropriate situations; let a local direct the conversation and don’t come out with something like ‘did you protest against the government?’ anywhere where there are other people – even if you are riding on a trishaw. One exiled person suggested, ‘If you have questions for the NLD, don’t ask in the country – [the locals] could get imprisoned; try to ask NLD outside Burma.’ Asking a taxi driver to take you by Aung San Suu Kyi’s house or a NLD office could implicate him. Exercise care in handing over anything to a local that could carry political overtones (such as the New Yorker or the Economist or Myanmar-related books).

© Lonely Planet Publications 26 I F Y O U G O • • D I Y v s Pa c k a g e T o u r s

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DIY VS PACKAGE TOURS If you want to go, go. I just try to discourage people from taking package tours. Nothing goes to the people. I encourage people to go individually. Pascal Khoo Thwe, author of Land of the Green Ghosts, 2004

‘I encourage people to go individually’

Presently no tourist gets more criticism from proboycott and protourism activists than one who goes to Myanmar on a package trip. We’re not going to bad-mouth them, but independent travellers are usually able to ensure that less money makes it into the government’s pockets. Even if you’re looking for ease and comfort – having a ride waiting for you at a bus station or airport, and some confidence in your day’s agenda – you can do it without a package tour. You’ll not only save money, but spread your budget across more people. Many travellers in Myanmar follow roughly the following steps to set up some sort of itinerary. Pad the beginning of your trip with a couple of ‘research’ days in Yangon. Stay at a family-owned guesthouse in Yangon, where you can get some good info – but don’t depend on them alone for all your needs. Visit a few Yangon-based private travel agents (p89) and ask each for a list of good budget or private midrange hotels in Yangon they can recommend, as well as transport options. Tell travel agents clearly what you want, including avoiding any services run by the government, and try not to pay all fees up front, but ask to pay directly to hotels and other services. Talk with fellow travellers who’ve used particular travel agents. Visit the government-run MTT office for information on listings and costs so you can compare suggested hotels and transport fares with other travel agents, and listings in this guide. Consider sleeping with a few less amenities and a bit less style than you would go for in, say, Thailand, because the government is more likely to have its tentacles in upmarket hotels. Instead of flying, consider hiring a private driver for all or a portion of your trip; see p365 on tips on finding the right car. If you simply have to take a package tour of Myanmar, be sure to ask any prospective tour company what it does to minimise the amount of money going into the hands of the government.

BACK AT HOME Your trip to Myanmar doesn’t end once you’re back home. Alert us and fellow travellers via the Thorn Tree discussion board (www.lonelyplanet .com) if you’ve stumbled onto a new or changed government-operated service or have a suggestion on how to minimise money going to the government. Write to your local Myanmar embassy to express your views about the human-rights situation there; see p339 for a list of embassies.

© Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’

© Lonely Planet Publications 27

Getting Started Read the discussion on p17 regarding whether you should boycott Myanmar or not.

WHEN TO GO The best time to visit Myanmar is between November and February. During these months it rains least (if at all in places) and it is not so hot. March to May brings intense heat (TS Eliot described April as ‘the cruellest month’). At this time, Yangon’s daily temperatures often reach 40ºC, while areas around Bagan and Mandalay go a few digits higher. The cool hill towns of Shan State offer relief from the heat, though. The southwest monsoon starts between mid-May and mid-June, bringing frequent rains that dunk the country through till October, peaking from July to September. The dry zone (roughly the area between Mandalay and Pyay) gets less rain than the rest of the country, though roads anywhere (and particularly in the delta region south and east of Yangon) can become impassable. Rakhaing State bears the full force of the rains – often exceeding 500cm of rain annually. Check the ‘current weather’ link on the Myanmar section of www.asia travelinfo.com/myanmar/currentweather.asp for 22 temperatures across the country.

See Climate Charts (p335) for more information.

COSTS & MONEY Even though the government keeps a ‘foreigner price’ system very much in effect, causing transport, accommodation and entrance fees for foreigners to swallow the local price several times over, Myanmar is still very cheap to visit. For those looking for relative comfort, ‘midrange’ hotels start around US$20 in most places, while upmarket hotels may charge over US$100 in Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake and Ngapali Beach. Shoestringers can often find a clean room for US$4 or US$5 – a bit more in Yangon or off-the-beaten-track places. Unless you eat meals at top-end hotels, or classier restaurants in some touristy areas, meals are much the same fare – rice or noodles, with meat or vegetables – and cost about US$1. If you don’t have to have a guide, consider arranging your own trips. A shared taxi (no guide) may cost as little as US$5 for a return trip to a site. By comparison, in Bagan for example, one hotel offers a day tour to Mt Popa for US$100 per person. DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT… The must-haves include US dollars for your whole trip, a passport that will expire more than six months after leaving the country, and a visa. Useful items include sunscreen lotion, insect repellent, a good torch (only cheapies are available here), tampons (unlikely to be found outside Yangon), disposable nappies (diapers), and a good waterproof poncho if you’re coming in the rainy season. Flip-flops or sandals are necessary for all the shoe-shedding you’ll be doing at Buddhist sites; inexpensive ones are available. The AA batteries in Myanmar may be cheap, but they only keep a CD player running for an hour. You’ll need a jumper (sweater) in the chillier hill towns and a blanket if you are going to do overnight trips (including by boat) in the area. See p49 for ideas on bringing gifts for the locals.

28 G E T T I N G S TA R T E D • • T o p Te n s

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TOP TENS

Festivals & Events „ Independence Day, 4 January (p340)

www.lonelyplanet.com

© Lonely Planet Publications G E T T I N G S TA R T E D • • T r a v e l L i t e r a t u re 29

If you’re travelling around by public transport and are OK with ricebased meals, you can get by on as little as US$15 or US$20 a day; those considering taking a couple of taxis and frequenting midrange local restaurants may spend US$35 to US$50. Staying at plush hotels and eating at classy restaurants will cost US$100 and more.

„ Kachin State Day (Myitkyina), 10 January (p218)

TRAVEL LITERATURE

„ Shwedagon Festival (Yangon), February/March (p340)

Few countries warrant more pretrip reading than Myanmar. In Andrew Marshall’s excellent The Trouser People: A Story of Burma in the Shadow of the Empire (2002), the British author retraces the steps of a gutsy Scot named Sir George Scott who traversed unmapped corners of British Burma in the late 1800s. Marshall compares the current day with Scott’s finds – much documented in Scott’s mammoth 1882 book The Burman – and finds that traditions have remained unchanged in the hills where ‘people are small and ghosts are big’. From the Land of Green Ghosts: A Burmese Odyssey (2002), by Pascal Khoo Thwe, is a self-told tale of a reluctant rebel of the government who escaped – unlike many of his friends – out of Myanmar. Thwe grew up in a hill tribe in Shan State. His book hops between following telltale traditions and his role in a changing Myanmar. There are many cultural traditions presented – including a recipe for smoked pigeons with marijuana sauce. The definitive reading on Myanmar continues to be George Orwell’s sweat-stained Burmese Days (1934), which takes place amid the last gasp of the fading British colonial period in northern Burma. Well-timed earthquakes and riots, and overly poetic birthmarks, can be forgiven as the lead characters’ appreciation for the Burmese way of life seeps into the story of a gang of British brutes – some of whom are so stereotyped it’s hard to distinguish them from one another. Amitav Ghosh’s excellent The Glass Palace (2001) faithfully recounts historical details (from King Thibaw’s fall in 1885 to the modern era) as experienced by a curious web of fictionalised families (Burmese, Indian, Chinese and American). Daniel Mason’s The Piano Tuner (2002) follows a London tuner on a strange trip to tune a piano deep in the Shan Hills. It’s similar to Heart of Darkness except that Kurtz has a piano (not necessarily a mind) out of whack. The story is good though, and descriptions of 19th-century sea voyages and Myanmar customs are spot on.

„ Buddha’s Birthday, full moon, April/May (p340) „ Water Festival (Thingyan) & Burmese New Year, mid-April (p341) „ Dawei Thingyan, April (p164) Few foreigners make it here to see local men don 4m bamboo

effigies and dance the streets to a drum beat. „ Nat Festival (Mt Popa), Nayon full moon, May/June (p278) „ Start of Buddhist Rains Retreat, full moon June/July (p341) „ Nat Festival, near Amarapura, after Wagaung full moon, August (p250) „ Tazaungmon, full moon October/November (p341) Taunggyi’s balloon festival (p195) is a

particular highlight.

Must Reads „ Burmese Days by George Orwell „ The Trouser People: A Story of Burma in the Shadow of the Empire by Andrew Marshall „ Living Silence by Christina Fink „ The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh „ From the Land of Green Ghosts: A Burmese Odyssey by Pascal Khoo Thwe „ Letters from Burma or The Voice of Hope by Aung San Suu Kyi „ Culture Shock! Burma by Saw Myat Yin „ The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason „ The Lady – Aung San Suu Kyi: Noble Laureate & Burma’s Prisoner by Barbara Victor „ The History of Burma by GE Harvey

Souvenirs „ Longyis (sarong-style lower garment) Found wherever a breeze might blow. „ Pathein’s paper parasols (p134) „ Myanmar’s best lacquerware at Myinkaba (p275) „ Traditional-style lacquerware in Kyaukka (p260) „ Delta-born glazed pots from Twante (p129), near Yangon „ Moustache Brothers T-shirt from Mandalay (p241) „ Cheap DVDs in Yangon (p122) „ Marionettes from Yangon’s Bogyoke Aung San Market (p121) or in Mandalay (p241) „ Jade from Mandalay’s local market (p242) „ Water buffalo in Kengtung (p198)

INTERNET RESOURCES Here are some of useful sites to refer to when planning your trip: Ayezay (www.ayezay.com) Bursts with links and info on Myanmar, including travel, human rights and geography.

Irrawaddy (www.irrawaddy.org) Website of a Bangkok-based publication, it focuses on political issues, but covers many cultural news topics. It has a huge archive.

Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree (www.lonelyplanet.com) Self-promotion aside, LP’s discussion board is the best resource to mix and mingle with fellow travellers. Mizzima (www.mizzima.com) A nonprofit news service organised in 1998 by Burmese journalists in exile. Myanmar Home Page (www.myanmar.com) Provides a funny government dictum, and two local English-language papers, including the useful Myanmar Times (for entertainment listings, flight schedules). Myanmar Travel Information (www.myanmartravelinformation.com) Includes train and airline schedules (though these date quickly). Online Burma/Myanmar Library (www.burmalibrary.org) Comprehensive database of books on Myanmar.

HOW MUCH? Ride on a Yangon city bus K5 Burmese all-you-can-eat buffet lunch K1000-1500 Overnight bus from Yangon to Mandalay K6000 Hired car with driver per day US$100 Visa extension in Yangon US$38

© Lonely Planet Publications 30

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Itineraries

I T I N E R A R I E S • • C l a s s i c R o u t e s 31

THE BIG-FOUR EXPANSION Four Weeks/Yangon to Mrauk U Take a few days in Yangon (p000), and see Shwedagon Paya (p000), Aung San’s old home (p000), and wander around downtown (p000). Take a bus or taxi to Bago (p000) to see a Buddha extravaganza by day, then continue on to Kyaiktiyo (p000) for the night; wake up by doing a truck/trek up to the balance-act that is the Golden Rock.From Kyaiktiyo, get to Kalaw (p000 ), for some treks in the Shan Hills, spend a day at Pindaya Caves (p000) to see their 8000 Buddha images and explore Inle Lake (p000) for a few days. In October/November, you can see the balloon festival in Taunggyi (p000 ), where you can catch a ride to Mandalay (p000), where youcan visit four ancient cities: Mingun (p000), Amarapura (p000), Inwa (p000) and Sagaing (p000). From Mandalay, take a boat to Bagan (p000), allowing three days to temple-hop and honour the nat (spirit) at Mt Popa (p000). Bus or taxi to Pyay (p000) to see the ruins of the ancient Pyu city by ox cart. Two options for the rest of your stay: add on three days from Kyaiktiyo, by bussing to Mawlamyine (p000) near the WWII ‘Death Railway’, then take Myanmar’s loveliest boat ride to Hpa-an (p000) for a mountain climb and lunch, with monkeys. Then, when in Mandalay, add on a three-day trip to refreshingly cooler Pyin U Lwin (p000), a flower-scented hill station with waterfalls, and do a DIY trek in Hsipaw (p000). Or scrap those two side trips, and take a six-day trip from Pyay firstly to Mrauk U (p000), the Rakhaing’s hillocky version of Bagan and then snorkel and eat seafood at Ngapali Beach (p000). From here, take a flight or a bus ride to Yangon. Yango

Yango/SihtswedPya

Yango/SihtsBykeAuanMm

Yango/WlkiTur–DwtnYago

AroundYag/Nthf Bo

CLASSIC ROUTES

SoutheasrnMym/StKaiko

Northeasn

NortheasnMym/TzioIleVaKwPndy

Myanmr/ThzitoIleVKwa

THE BIG-FOUR FRENZY Seven to Nine Days/Yangon to Inle Lake Starting in Yangon (p000), stretch your plane legs up the steps to the Shwedagon Paya (p000) at night, when its golden zedi (stupa) glows under the floodlights. Next day, wander around downtown (p000) ending at Bogyoke Aung San Market (p000), which has the country’s best selection of handicrafts and souvenirs. Hire a driver, fly, or take a train or an overnight bus to Mandalay (p000), where you can climb Mandalay Hill (p000), see the famed Mahamuni Paya (p000) and witness the Moustache Brothers (p000) one day, and on the next make a rushed day trip to zedi-studded Sagaing Hill (p000), then the leaning tower of Inwa (p000), and monk- and fisherfilled U Bein’s Bridge (p000) in Amarapura at sunset. The boat trip down the Ayeyarwady River to Bagan (p000) takes a day but is a relaxing way to take in life along one of Asia’s mightiest rivers. In Bagan, take a horse-cart or cycle around 42 sq km of 800-year-old temples. Next day, cool off in the Shan Hills to the east at Inle Lake (p000) – reached by bus, taxi or plane – where dug-out canoes can take you to floating markets under the flight path of egrets; after a day, consider a day trip to Pindaya Caves (p000) to see their 8000 Buddha images. Fly or take a bus back to Yangon. Yango

Yango /Si hts wed P ya

Yango/WlkiTur–DwtnYago

Yango/ShpiMrketsAuan

Mandly

Sights/MandlyH

Sights/ Ma mun P y

MoustacheBr–fmSlpiktoare

Around M a l y/ cie t C s S g n h / a i H l

AroundMaly/cietCsInw(av)Nmyi/

AroundMaly/cietCsAmrpuaSgh/UBein’d

Bag n & Ce tr l My m / a N ung U Get i Th r & Away/Bo

Nor theas n M y m /I l L k

NortheasnMym/TzioIleVaKwPndy

If time is short, you can still take in Yangon, Mandalay and a few nearby ancient cities, Bagan’s 3000 temples, and do a boat trip on Inle Lake.

BANGLADESH

NortheasnMym/IlLk

Northeasn

Myanmr/IleLkAoudaTngyi

Mandly

AroundMaly/cietCsngu

AroundMaly/cietCsInw

Bagn&CetrlMym/a

Bagn&CetrlMym/AoudBagntPp

Bagn&CetrlMym/aoP

SoutheasrnMym/Stawline

SoutheasrnMym/KiSteHpa-n

NortheasnMym/PiULwtoashyni

NortheasnMym/PiULwtoashHp

WestrnMyam/NohRkingMrauU

WestrnMyam/SouhRkingNaplBec

BANGLADESH INDIA

AroundMaly/cietCsAmrapu

AroundMaly/cietCsSgn

INDIA

CHINA

CHINA

Hsipaw Sagaing Inwa

Mingun

Pyin U Lwin

Mandalay

Sagaing

Amarapura

Inwa Amarapura

Bagan

Pindaya Caves Bagan

Inle Lake

LAOS

Mandalay Pindaya Caves

Mt Popa

Mrauk U

Taunggyi Kalaw

LAOS

Inle Lake

Pyay Ngapali Beach

Bago YANGON

Kyaiktiyo

YANGON

THAILAND

Hpa-an Mawlamyine

Andaman Islands (INDIA)

The Big-Four Fenzy

Andaman Islands (INDIA)

The Big-Four Expansion

THAILAND

Build more memories by doing the ‘Big Four’; then pick one seven-day or two threeday side trips (treks, boat rides, beaches, lesserseen towns) to fill your visa’s 28 days.

The Active Life 32 I T I N E R A R I E S • • R o a d s Le s s T r a v e l l e d

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ROADS LESS TRAVELLED

TAILORED TRIPS

AYEYARWADY HO! Three or Four Weeks/Myitkyina to Chaungtha

Fly to Myitkyina (p000), where you can wait for the next ferry by taking in Kachin culture; in January animal sacrifices are made to satisfy the nat. Get a deck ticket for the half-day trip to Bhamo (p000), a leafy town with a home-made helicopter inspired by James Bond. Hire a longboat for a sixhour ride to Katha (p000), where George Orwell based his Burmese Days. Although most prefer to stay aboard for the 24 hours south to Mandalay, for a fun four-day side trip, disembark at Kyaukmyaung, and pack into a pick-up for quiet Shwebo (p000), and then pleasant Monywa (p000), near a Buddha-shaped mountain (p000) and the carnivalesque Thanboddhay Paya (p000), brimming with over 500,000 Buddhas. Take a bus to Mandalay (p000), and spend three or four days visiting the ancient cities (p000) and cycling around pagodas and chapati stands; then get back on the Ayeyarwady to Bagan (p000), where you can cycle around 3000 temples. A couple of days south from Bagan by boat is ho-hum Magwe, near a gurgling mound of butane-gas sludge guarded by snakes at Minbu (p000); another night south is Pyay (p000), to see the ruins of the ancient city of the Pyu and the nearby spectacled Buddha, the Shwemyetman Paya (p000). Many travellers brave the bus ride from Pyay to Ngapali Beach (p000) for some relaxing beach life. Otherwise, get a bus back to Yangon (p000), and another one southeast to Chaungtha Beach (p000), a more accessible kick-back spot on the Bay of Bengal. Nor theas n My m / i k to K a h My n

Nor theas n My m / i k to K a h B

NortheasnMym/iktoKah

AroundMaly/UpeSgiDstrchwbo

AroundMaly/UpeSgiDstrcMonywa

AroundMaly/UpeSgiDstrcAoundMywa/HpWiDgCves

AroundMaly/UpeSgiDstrcAoundMywa/ThbP&Around

Mandly

Around Ma l y/ cie t C s

Bagn&CetrlMym/a

B a g n & C e t r l M y m / a o P gw e Si hts/ lud

Bag n & Ce tr l My m / a o P

Bagn&CetrlMym/aoPArundy/Shweag

WestrnMyam/SouhRkingNaplBech

Yango

AroundYag/DeltRiChunaBc

This may be Myanmar’s ultimate journey – from Myanmar’s top to bottom, mostly following the Ayeyarwady, hitting the offthe-beaten track and not missing Mandalay or Bagan, with opportunities to travel aboard ferries with locals who rarely see a foreign face.

© Lonely Planet Publications I T I N E R A R I E S • • Ta i l o re d T r i p s 33

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INDIA

THE ACTIVE LIFE Many activities take place under the hot Myanmar sun. More travellers are planning their own loops on treks in Shan State. Of the best, and certainly most popular, are the treks from Kalaw to Inle Lake (p000), while treks around Hsipaw (p000) take in Shan villages. Getting to some religious sites are hikes in themselves, famously up Mandalay Hill (p000), riverside Sagaing Hill (p000), and past monkeys up Mt Popa (p000), the spiritual centre of the 37 nat. It’s rewarding to explore the back lanes of Myanmar towns on a bike.Long-distance cyclists can take the popular trip from Mandalay Maykha River to Bagan (p000) via Myingyan – or take to the Ayeyarwady River hills along the road from Pyin U Lwin (p000), to Lashio Pyin U Lwin Hsipaw Sagaing Lashio (p000) via Hsipaw. Mandalay Bagan Kalaw You can take kickboxing classes at the YMCA Mt Popa Inle Lake in Yangon (p000), or go for a run (p000). Ngapali Beach Both Ngapali Beach (p000) and Chaungtha Beach YANGON Chaungtha (p000) offer snorkelling trips. The best diving, Beach by far, is off the islands near Kawthoung (p000 ), currently reached with diving operators from Phuket (see p000).Weeklong kayaking trips can also be arranged in Kawthoung. Kawthoung In the far north, at the foothills of the Himalaya, you can go white-water rafting serious rapids on the Maykha River (p000). TrekingAoudKalw

TopFiverkngAasINtheMynmr

Sights/MandlyH

AroundMaly/cietCsSgnh/aiHl

Bagn&CetrlMym/AoudBagntPp

Directoy/AvsClng

Directoy/AvsClng

NortheasnMym/PiULwtoash

Yango/CurseThi&MtalA

Yango/ActivesRu

WestrnMyam/SouhRkingNaplBec

AroundYag/DeltRiChunaBc

SoutheasrnMym/Ti(teasr)

Divson/Kawthug

Directoy/Avsng&Srkeli

Directoy/AvsRafng

Myitkyina

MYANMARVELS & THE OUTRIGHT ODD

BANGLADESH Bhamo

Katha

CHINA

Some aspects of Myanmar are a little ‘unusual’ – and certainly make for some memorable experiences. In Myingyan (p000) prized Buddha relics are housed in a remarkably unchanged British-colonial bank safe, while the remains of a famous monk have been in open view since 1951. Snake temples are another thing. Three pythons in Paleik (p000) are lovingly fed at 11am daily, and pose with frightened kids for photos. Another python in Bago (p000) is supposedly the reincarnation of the former head of a monastery. At Minbu (p000) you can dip your toe in a ‘volcano’ made of bubbling butane gas; and, hey, there’s a couple of snakes at the pagoda. You can pick up a water buffalo for mum at the market in Kengtung (p000); a cheapie costs US$200. Near the Chinese border, Mong Kalaymyo La (p000) is a casino town with transvestites Mong La Paleik and Chinese yuan for local currency. Near Myingyan Kengtung India, Kalaymyo (p000) is a half-Chin, halfMinbu Bamar town you can fly to, but don’t wander Shwedaung out of town. Bago Kyaiktiyo YANGON The unique spectacled Buddha of Shwemyetman Paya (p000) sits in a temple near Pyay. Any nat festival (p000) may evolve into people falling into trances and being possessed by spirits, sometimes led by men dressed as nat wives. Feast on wriggling larva at markets (p000). Bagn&CetrlMym/AoudBagniy

Kyaukmyaung Shwebo

AroundMaly/cietCsPk

Monywa

Mandalay

AroundYag/NthfBo(pegu)/OrAtacinsh o/SakeMnstry

Bagn&CetrlMym/aoPgweSihts/lud

Bagan

LAOS

Minbu

NortheasnMym/Kgu&BordeAasntg(kyio)/Shs&ActveCw

Pyay

NortheasnMym/Kgu&BordeAasMnL

Ngapali Beach

AroundMaly/UpeSgiDstrcKalymo

Chaungtha Beach

YANGON

Bagn&CetrlMym/aoPArundyShweag

THAILAND

TheCultr/RigonBdsmIMyar/The37NtFsival

Strenacks:WDYou

Ayeyarwady Ho!

Myanmarvels & the Outright Odd

© Lonely Planet Publications 34

Snapshot When you’ve been isolated from the international community for as long as Myanmar has, even a major government shake-up, as happened in October 2004, makes little more than a blip on the international media radar – if that. This particular shake-up came when Myanmar’s number FAST FACTS three in command, Prime Minister Khin Nyunt, was arrested and ‘perPopulation: 52 million mitted to retire for health reasons’. Hard-line leader General Than Shwe Population growth rate: accused Nyunt of ‘corruption’, but most commentators believe Nyunt’s removal had more to do with his overly pro-China business interests 0.47% and concerns over his military intelligence background. In the days Area: 676,577 sq km that followed, hundreds of intelligence officers, which Than Shwe also GDP: US$73.7 billion looked upon with suspicion, were arrested – and roadside checkpoints (60th in world) stood empty across the country. A couple of overly optimistic people GDP per capita: US$1733 believed Nyunt – with his declared ‘road map to democracy’ via a multiparty system – was something of a budding Gorbachev; others recall his (172nd in world) brutal response to the 1988 nonviolent demonstrations. Most locals – Number of refugees many of whom learned of Nyunt’s removal through CNN or BBC – are or displaced persons: wary of Than Shwe’s promise to continue with the roadmap. Comedian 600,000 to one million Lu Maw of the Mandalay-based Moustache Brothers called the change Internet users: ‘same wine, new bottle’. 28,000 (2003) After Nyunt’s ousting came reports of thousands of prisoners being released, including many political prisoners. Still, one notable absentee Estimated number on that list was Nobel Peace Prize–winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who reof people with AIDS: mains under house arrest (her third arrest since 1989). Locking her up 330,000 has provoked international condemnation of the regime. In July 2003, US Government’s selfPresident George W Bush enacted a full embargo of Myanmar, including proclaimed slogan: a ban on all financial transactions with the country. This sent credit-card ‘Everybody’s friend but companies and foreign-run banks in Myanmar packing. nobody’s ally’ Meanwhile, the EU introduced stronger sanctions including threatNumber of Bangkok ening not to approve Myanmar dignitaries’ visas; officials at the 2004 noodle carts named after Athens Olympics refused entry to representatives of the Ministry of Sport Aung San Suu Kyi: 100 from Myanmar; and in February 2005, Tony Blair approved a tourism boycott of the country. Even slow-to-criticise Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) officials publicly condemned Myanmar for keeping Suu Kyi under arrest, though it’s unlikely much will come of talks on the matter at the 2006 Asean summit, controversially scheduled to take place in Myanmar. Despite sanctions with the West, Myanmar’s trade with Singapore, China, Thailand and India remains unaffected, while Japan has flip-flopped back to environmental aid packages (and associated investment) with the ruling junta. In the meantime, General Than Shwe plays off China’s and India’s battling interests in the country (particularly regarding the country’s offshore oil reserves – believed to be Asia’s biggest) to the regime’s advantage. Reliable reports of the devastating December 2004 tsunami are few and far between. However, it appears that the country largely escaped the wrath of the disaster, though southeastern Myanmar saw 20 deaths when a bridge was washed out in Kawthoung.

© Lonely Planet Publications 16

The Authors ROBERT REID

Coordinating Author

Moulded by Oklahoma (USA) public schools, Robert moved to a crappy basement apartment in New York with his still-warm journalism degree. After that he lived in San Francisco, London and Ho Chi Minh City, where he worked at Vietnam News and travelled a lot around Southeast Asia. After Asia, Robert worked at Lonely Planet – as a commissioning editor then a publishing manager. He now writes full-time from a Brooklyn apartment with a view of the galaxy-famous Verrazano Bridge. Robert wrote the introductory chapters, Mandalay, Around Mandalay, Bagan & Central Myanmar, Temples of Bagan, Western Myanmar, Pyin U Lwin section, Directory, and Transport.

The Coordinating Author’s Favourite Trip I was a little worried about the bus trip between Ngapali Beach (p314) and Pyay (p283) – a bouncing, fish-filled, sure-fire vomit ride. My bus mate – a local in jeans and ballcap (little guy, maybe 37) – lets go a raspy laugh at anything uttered. ‘I paid US$15 to stay there.’ Ho ho ho! ‘Another passport check?’ Ho ho ho! A woman gets off in Taunggok snarling, ‘I don’t want my daughter to throw up all night’. Ho ho ho. At a 3am tea stop, Rasp buys me tea and cake and teases a heavy-set woman; ‘She looks like she’s 50.’ (Much laughter. Her too.) I’m asked how old she looks. ‘I would’ve swore 27.’ (More laughter.) Turns out she’s his wife. I wake him in Pyay at 5.30am and hand him an ‘I ♥ NYC’ T-shirt. Ho ho ho. Somehow we made the journey without even unfolding the vomit bag.

MICHAEL GROSBERG

Taunggok Ngapali Beach

Pyay

Yangon, Around Yangon, Southeast Myanmar & Northeast Myanmar

Michael was raised in the Washington DC area, studied philosophy in Michigan and Israel and then worked in business in the Northern Marianas. A long overland trip through Asia followed, finally ending in exhaustion, carrying his clothes in a laundry bag in Amman, Jordan, with his sanity still intact. After stints at journalism and NGO work in South Africa, Michael pursued graduate work in comparative literature in New York City and has since taught at various universities. Despite the long economy-class flights and his inherited distaste for air travel, he has continued to make repeated trips to Southeast Asia.

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© Lonely Planet Publications 35

History A preview of the past: life in Myanmar has rarely been smooth. Squabbling kingdoms plagued the area for centuries, till the British took it in three waves in the 19th century. For its own economic benefit, Britain managed the mountainous border regions (home to many ethnic groups) and the fertile plains and delta of central and lower Myanmar (where most Bamar live) separately, festering a rift between cultures that lingers in full force today. After a rocky independence from Britain from 1948, General Ne Win wrestled control in 1962 from the fracturing elected government and led the country to full isolation from the outside world. Ruined by a rapidly deteriorating economy and a major currency devaluation in the 1970s and ’80s, many thousands of locals flooded the streets – peacefully – on 8 August 1988 in prodemocracy marches that saw Aung San Suu Kyi emerge as a leader recognised worldwide. The violent reaction to this protest by the military was broadcast on international television screens and forced the administration to call a national election. The election was held in 1990, but the military has yet to hand over the government to Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League of Democracy (NLD), which won a staggering percentage of votes.

WHERE HUMANS BEGAN? Virtually nothing is known of Myanmar’s prehistoric inhabitants, though archaeological evidence suggests the area has been inhabited since at least 2500 BC. Ancient Greeks knew of Burma. Going a bit further back in history: the Myanmar government is proud of recent finds that link the earliest primates – of which, theory goes, humans evolved – to Asia, or more precisely central Myanmar. A 45 million–year-old fossil (an anklebone of a primate) was supposedly found in central Myanmar in the late 1990s.

EARLY KINGDOMS Myanmar’s landscape – a broad expanse of fertile flatland cupped by protective mountain ranges along its present international borders and carved by long, very navigable rivers – explains a lot of how this land evolved once migrating ethnic groups decided to stick around. Four major precolonial ethnic groups peppered the flatlands with kingdoms for centuries, while smaller ethnic groups lived – mostly untouched – in the remote hills beyond. The first major kingdom of sorts started with the Pyu (who arrived from the Tibeto-Burman plateau or from India). The Pyu created city-states – Beikthano, Hanlin (p262), Sri Ksetra (Thayekhittaya; p286) – in central Myanmar between the 1st century BC and the 9th century AD. In the 10th century, Yunnanese invaders from China enslaved or scared off most Pyu (though some art of the Pyu remains, showing a blend of Hinduism and Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism). The Mon (Tailing), who may have originated from eastern India or mainland Southeast Asia, arrived in the 6th century, settling fertile lowlands on

TIMELINE 543 BC

Buddha’s death

History of Burma (1925), by GE Harvey, gives a chronological rundown of Myanmar’s kingdoms (from the Pyu era until 1824). Harvey almost audibly sighs at the kings’ blunders, and faithfully recounts many fanciful legends.

The Rakhaing claim the Buddha visited their kingdom in the 6th century BC.

1st century BC Possible founding of Beikthano, a Pyu town east of current-day Magwe

36 H I S T O R Y • • T h e ‘ Fi r s t B u r m a ’

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CAPITAL HOPSCOTCH It’s difficult to give a precise summary of overlapping historical periods, dynasties and locations of capitals in Myanmar due to a lack of accurate records. Here are general periods of key capitals of the Pyu, Rakhaing, Mon and Bamar people, although the kingdoms often jumped about as often as new kings breathed and died.

Pyu Beikthano

Inwa

Hanlin Thayekhittaya

1st century BC5th century AD 3rd-9th century 3rd-10th century

Rakhaing Dhanyawady Wethali Mrauk U

?-6th century AD 4th-9th century 13th-18th century

Mon Thaton (Dvaravati) Hanthawady (Bago) Bamar Bagan Sagaing

?-10th century 6th-16th century 1740-57 10th-14th century 1315-64

Taungoo Shwebo (Mokesebo) Konbaung Mandalay (Yadanapon) British Sittwe & Mawlamyine Mandalay Yangon

1364-1555 1636-1752 1765-83 1823-37 1486-1573 1758-65 1783-1823 1837-57 1857-85

1826-52 1852-86 1886-1947

the Ayeyarwady River delta across Thailand to Cambodia. They developed the area as Suvannabhumi (Golden Land), the capital either being near present-day Thaton in Myanmar, or in Thailand’s Nakhon Pathom. The Bamar people, or Burmans, arrived from somewhere in the eastern Himalaya in the 8th or 9th century, supplanting the vanquished Pyu in central Myanmar, and establishing the cultural heartland of Myanmar as it’s still known. Bagan (Pagan) is believed to have been founded by the Bamar in 849. Centuries of conflict with the Mon erupted after their arrival, and the end product – even with Bamar coming out on top – was really a merger of the two cultures. Sometimes linked with present-day Bangladesh, the Rakhaing (Arakanese) claim their kingdom was well underway by the 6th century BC. Certainly it was in full force by the 15th century, when – as a Buddhist kingdom based in Mrauk U – Rakhaing pirates controlled much of the Bay of Bengal.

THE ‘FIRST BURMA’ Nearly 200 years after Bagan was founded, Anawrahta took the throne in 1044 and ignited the so-called ‘golden period’ by consolidating the scattered kingdoms for the first time. Initially animists, the Bamar had picked up a hybrid form of Buddhism – part Tantric, part Mahayana – during their migration to Myanmar. When the Mon king Manuha of Thaton refused Anawrahta’s request for their Tripitaka (the holy canon of Theravada Buddhism), Anawrahta marched south and conquered

AD 754 Chinese Yunnan conquers the hill tribes in the north

6th–9th century The Mon, then the Bamar people settle in Myanmar

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H I S T O R Y • • S e c o n d B u r m e s e E m p i re 37

Thaton in 1057, bringing back both the scriptures and the king! The resultant injection of Mon culture in Bagan inspired a creative energy. It quickly became a city of glorious temples and the capital of the First Burmese Empire. For more on the history of Bagan see p293. In 1077, the kingdom took a steady slip downward when a lowly buffalo killed mighty Anawrahta. None of his successors (Kyanzittha, Alaungsithu and Htilominlo) had his vision, and the kingdom’s power slowly declined. In 1273 King Narathihapate gets the credit for carelessly offending the growing power of Kublai Khan and his Tartars (assassinating diplomats will do that), who invaded in 1287 but didn’t stay long. Shan tribes from the hills to the east – closely related with the Siamese – took the opportunity and grabbed a piece of the low country, while the Mon in the south broke free of Bamar control and established their own kingdom.

What is currently considered traditional ‘Burmese culture’ is really a fusion of Mon and Bamar cultures that came about at the height of the Bagan era.

SECOND BURMESE EMPIRE The 200 years following the collapse of Bagan were chaotic, with pieces of the puzzle ruled by varying factions. During this time, Marco Polo probably dropped by in the late 13th century, and the first actual record of European contact came in 1435, when Venetian trader Nicolo di Conti travelled along the coast. In the 13th century the Mon re-established Hanthawady as a fairly stable kingdom at Bago (Pegu) near Yangon. In 1472, Dhammazedi, the greatest of Bago’s kings, came to the throne; he prompted a Buddhist revival, set up diplomatic contact with Europe and set the first stones for the great Shwedagon Paya in Yangon. Meanwhile the Shan had taken over northern Myanmar and founded the Kingdom of Inwa (mistakenly called ‘Ava’ by the British) near present-day Mandalay in 1364, and the Rakhaing people flourished in western Myanmar, building fields of temples to rival Bagan. Amid the testosterone, the tiny settlement of Bamar refugees in central Taungoo (surviving between the Mon and Shan by playing the larger forces off against each other) managed eventually to egg on the so-called ‘Second Burmese Empire’. In the 16th century, a series of Taungoo kings extended their power north, nearly to the Shan’s capital at Inwa, then south, taking the Mon kingdom and shifting their own capital to Bago. In 1550 Bayinnaung came to the throne and reunified all of Myanmar and defeated the neighbouring Siamese so convincingly that it was to be many years before the long-running friction between the two nations re-emerged. As happened with Anawrahta, the union slipped into decline following the ruler’s death in 1581. The capital was shifted north to Inwa in 1636. Its isolation from the sea – effectively cutting off communication around the kingdom – ultimately contributed to their defeat by the British.

The Traveller’s History of Burma (2000), by Gerry Abbot, highlights interactions with Myanmar from foreign eyes from the 14th century to the end of the last millennium.

BURMA’S LAST KINGS King Alaungpaya kicked off the third and final Burmese dynasty by contesting against the Mon when the Mon took over Inwa in 1752. Some say Alaungpaya’s sense of invincibility deluded the Burmese into thinking they could resist the British later on. After Alaungpaya’s short bloody reign (see p38), his son, Hsinbyushin charged into Thailand and levelled the capital of Ayuthaya, forcing the Siamese to relocate their capital to

849 Bagan founded

1057 Ancient Mon city of Thaton conquered by Anawrahta’s Bamar forces from Bagan; First Burmese Empire emerges

38 H I S T O R Y • • B u r m a ’ s L a s t K i n g s

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BURMA’S GREATEST KING Mention ‘Alaungpaya’ to a Burmese person and you’ll often get a smile. The king with no royal ties put his hometown of Shwebo (then known as Mokesebo; p260) on the map, and kick-started Burma’s final dynasty by kicking more arse than all the rest of Burmese kings combined. During his reign, he mocked English dignitaries (‘like women with soft skin and no tattoos’) and shrugged off offers of assistance (‘I can crush 100 men such as the king of Bago’). Alaungpaya talked big, but backed it all up – plus some. As the Mon (Tailing) army of Bago conquered a passive Burmese capital of Inwa (Ava) in 1752, a furious Alaungpaya rallied to keep the Burmese kingdom alive. He readied his hometown (then home to 300) by digging a moat and building walls. When the Mon asked for Alaungpaya’s allegiance, he attacked. Word spread of this defiant bumpkin, and Alaungpaya found ready recruits – Burmese and Shan – who would accept the measly offerings for serving in his army: no pay (other than selling any Mon kidnapped) and a BYOBS policy (‘bring your own bamboo spear’ to fight with). Over the next few years, however, the army collected weapons from slain French soldiers (who aided the Mon) and gradually picked apart the Mon kingdom: taking Inwa in 1753, Pyay in 1755, Dagon later in 1755 (which he renamed Yangon, meaning ‘End of Strife’), and the Mon capital of Bago in 1757. At one point, so the story goes, Alaungpaya sent 1000 cut-off Mon heads on a raft to Bago as a gesture of ill will. After five years of battling the Shwebo king, the Mon fled to Siam where they were assimilated. Alaungpaya followed them. But he started so late in the year that rains sent him and his army on retreat. On 11 May 1760, not yet back home, Alaungpaya died at the age of 46. His body was cremated in Shwebo. His reign lasted only eight years, but his home is ever revered as ‘Victory Land’ to most Burmese.

what eventually became Bangkok. His successor, Bodawpaya (another son of Alaungpaya), looked for glory too, and brought the Rakhaing (Arakanese) under Burmese control, which eventually led to tension with the British (who had economic interests in Rakhaing territory) that the dynasty would not outlive. With eyes on Indochina, Britain wrestled all of the increasingly isolaSome of the first British tionist Burma from the kings in three swipes, named the First, Second and encounters with Burmese Third Anglo-Burmese Wars – picking up Tenasserim and Rakhaing in kings were in the early 1824, Yangon and southern Burma in 1853, and Mandalay and northern 18th century, when Burma in 1885. The first war started when Burmese troops, ordered by King Bodawpaya dressed up in Bagyidaw, crossed into British-controlled Assam (in India) from Rakhaing so much gold (to impress) to pursue refugees. General Maha Bandula managed some minor victories that he needed assistants using guerrilla tactics, but eventually was killed by cannon fire in 1824; to help move him to his Burmese troops then surrendered. The Treaty of Yandabo, helped by the throne. translator of missionary Adoniram Judson (whose name is on many Baptist churches in Myanmar still), gave Rakhaing and Tenasserim to the British. Two Burmese kings later, Bagan Min started his reign – as many did – with mass executions to rid the capital of his potential rivals. An 1852 incident involving the possible kidnapping of two British sea captains – some argue it never happened – gave the British a welcome excuse for igniting another conflict, and an opportunity for more land. The British

1270s Marco Polo pops by

1273 Burmese slay Tartar ambassadors; a peeved-off Kublai Khan invades 14 years later

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H I S T O R Y • • E n t e r B r i t a i n 39

quickly seized all of southern Burma, conquering Yangon, Pathein (Bassein) and they marched north to Pyay (Prome), facing little opposition. The unpopular Bagan Min was ousted in favour of Mindon Min, who moved the capital to Mandalay in 1857. Mindon Min built Mandalay, but unhappily didn’t adequately provide for his successor. After he died in 1878, the new (rather reluctant) king, Thibaw Min, was propelled to power by his ruthless wife and scheming mother-in-law. The following massive ‘massacre of kinsmen’ (79 of his rivals) made many British papers – previous kings hadn’t had to face the consequences of world media attention – which did little to support any move to question British power.

A couple of interesting titles (usually available in Yangon) include A History of Burma by Maung Htin Aung, and Deposed King Thibaw of Burma in India, 1885–1926, by WS Desai.

ENTER BRITAIN King Thibaw was totally ineffective and ruthless. Gangs of thugs replaced relative order in northern Burma. In 1885 it took Britain two weeks to take Mandalay, the final piece in the Burmese acquisition puzzle. Some locals today shake their heads stating that Ayeyarwady forts weren’t used adequately to repel the British ships; others call the conflict ‘the war over wood’, as Britain’s victory allowed it to secure rights to the growing teak industry. Focused on controlling the rice, gem, petroleum and (particularly) teak exports, England found Burma easier to control by applying direct rule only where the Bamar were the majority (ie in the central plains). ‘Hill states’ of the Chin, Kachin, Shan, Kayin and Kayah were allowed to remain largely autonomous. This division would contribute to a rocky start when Myanmar became independent in 1948, due to ill-feeling between the groups. Division among the indigenous population was brought about in other ways too. As part of ‘British India’ after 1885, a flood of Indians (whom the Burmese traditionally looked down on) came into the country and became the ‘second colonisers,’ by building businesses and taking rare low-level government jobs. The less commercially experienced Burmese were unable to compete. By 1930, most of Yangon’s population was Indian. Chinese were also encouraged to immigrate and set up businesses to stimulate the economy. Cheap British imports poured in, fuelled by rice profits. At this time many old names got new British ones: Rangoon for Yangon, Prome for Pyay, Burma for Myanmar. Contrary to the romantic tone of modern English-language accounts of ‘Burma under the Raj’, much of Myanmar was considered a hardship posting by British colonial officials, who found the Burmese difficult to govern (and, to be fair, many of the British officials were insensitive and incompetent). The country had the highest crime rate in the British Empire. Along with railroads and schools, the British built prisons, including the infamous Insein prison, the Empire’s largest and still in use by the current government.

For an immensely readable fictionalised, but accurate, retelling of Burma’s days from the fall of King Thibaw to the modern era, read Amitav Ghosh’s The Glass Palace (p29).

RISE OF NATIONALISM Or course, many Burmese were not happy with the British presence, and nationalism burgeoned in the early days of the 20th century – often led by Buddhist monks. In 1919, at Mandalay’s Eindawya Paya (p236), monks evicted Europeans who refused to take off their shoes; one monk, U Kettaya, was given a life sentence. U Ottama, a Burmese monk who had

1364 Shan leaders found Inwa (Ava)

1435 Portuguese Nicolo di Conti visits; the first recorded European contact

40 H I S T O R Y • • R i s e o f N a t i o n a l i s m

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studied in India and returned to Myanmar in 1921, promoted religious liberation as way to bring the independence movement to the attention of the average Burmese Buddhist. After numerous arrests, U Ottama died in prison in 1939. Another monk, U Wizaya, died in prison after a 163-day hunger strike that began as a protest against a rule that forbade monks from wearing robes while imprisoned. University students in Yangon went on strike on National Day in 1920, protesting elitist entrance requirements at British-built universities; the students referred to each other as thakin (master), as they claimed to be the rightful masters of Burma. (Present leader General Than Shwe among them.) One thakin – a young man called Aung San – was expelled from university in 1936 for refusing to reveal who wrote a politically charged article. The British were eventually forced to make a number of concessions towards self-government. In 1937 Myanmar was separated administratively from India, but internally the country was torn by a struggle between opposing Burmese parties and sporadic outbursts of anti-Indian and anti-Chinese violence.

Aung San & WWII Irrawaddy Flotilla, by Alister McRae, highlights the British-bred fleet of steamers that continue to ply Myanmar’s many waterways, while The Longest War 1941–45, by Louis Allen, gives an excellent account of the WWII campaign in Burma.

More famous in the West as Aung San Suu Kyi’s father, Bogyoke Aung San is still revered as national hero No 1 by most Myanmar people – from prodemocracy activists to the military regime. His likeness is seen throughout Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi, who was only two when he died, called him ‘a simple man with a simple aim: to fight for independence’. Born in 1915, Aung San was an active student at Rangoon University. He edited the newspaper and led the All Burma Students’ Union. At 26 years old, he and the group called the ‘Thirty Comrades’ looked abroad for support of their independence movement. After initially planning to seek it in China, they negotiated for military training in Japan, and returned as the first troops of the Burmese National Army (BNA) with the invading Japanese troops in 1941. By mid-1942, the Japanese had driven retreating British-Indian forces, along with the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT), out of most of Myanmar. But the harsh and arrogant conduct of the Japanese soon alienated the Myanmar people. Aung San complained at Japan’s 15th Army headquarters in Maymyo (now Pyin U Lwin): ‘I went to Japan to save my people who were struggling like bullocks under the British. But now we are treated like dogs.’

MAJOR WWII SITES IN MYANMAR Lashio (p215) Where the infamous Burma Road began Taukkyan War Cemetery (p140) Final resting place of over 33,000 allied soldiers ‘Death Railway’ terminus (p159) Western end of Japanese-designed Burma–Siam Railway (of Bridge over the River Kwai fame), built by Allied POWs and Asian coolies and which claimed over 100,000 lives British Colonial Diplomat House, Meiktila (p288) Former Japanese interrogation centre, now a hotel

1472 The great Mon King Dhammazedi takes the throne and sets up diplomatic contact with Europe

1550 Bayinnaung ascends to the throne and reunifies all of Myanmar; the Second Burmese Empire

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H I S T O R Y • • U N U & E a r l y W o e s 41

Aung San and the BNA switched allegiance to the Allied side. The British, helped by the imaginative ‘Chindit’ anti-Japanese operation, ultimately prevailed. The Allies suffered about 27,000 casualties, while nearly 200,000 Japanese perished during the campaign.

Footsteps to Independence In January 1947, Aung San visited London as the colony’s deputy chairman of the Governor’s Executive Council, and signed a pact (the Aung San– Attlee agreement) allowing self-rule within a year. Plans included an April election of a constituent assembly, made up of nationals of Burma only; also Burma would receive an interest-free loan of ₤8 million from Britain. A month later, Aung San met with Shan, Chin and Kachin leaders in Panglong, in Shan State. They signed the famous Panglong Agreement in February 1947, guaranteeing ethnic minorities the freedom to choose their political destiny if dissatisfied with the situation after 10 years. The agreement also broadly covered absent representatives of the Kayin, Kayah, Mon and Rakhaing. In the elections for the assembly, Aung San’s Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League (AFPFL) won an overwhelming 172 seats out of 225. The Burmese Communist Party took seven, while the Bamar opposition (led by U Saw) took three. The remaining 69 seats were split between ethnic minorities (including four seats for the Anglo-Burman community). Britain hoped to maintain influence and wanted a gradual transition. Aung San wanted immediate independence with a democratic, civilian government. He wouldn’t live to see it. On 19 July 1947, the 32-year-old Aung San and six aides were gunned down in a plot ascribed to U Saw. (Some speculate that the military was involved, due to Aung San’s plans to demilitarise the government.) Apparently U Saw thought he’d walk into the prime minister’s role with Aung San gone; instead he took the noose, when the British had him hanged in 1948.

‘Democracy is the only ideology which is consistent with freedom… It is therefore the only ideology we should aim for’ AUNG SAN

U NU & EARLY WOES While Myanmar mourned the death of a hero, Prime Minister Attlee and Aung San’s protégé, U Nu, signed an agreement for the transfer of power in October 1947. On 4 January 1948, at an auspicious middle-of-thenight hour, Burma became independent and left the British Commonwealth. As Aung San had promised, the national presidency was given to a representative from an ethnic minority group, and Sao Shwe Thaike, a Shan leader, became the first president of the Union of Burma. Almost immediately, the new government had to contend with the complete disintegration of the country – involving rebels, communists, gangs and US-supported anticommunist Chinese KMT forces. The hill-tribe people, who had supported the British and fought against the Japanese throughout the war, were distrustful of the Bamar majority and went into armed opposition. The communists withdrew from the government and attacked it. Muslims from the Rakhaing area also opposed the new government. The Mon, long thought to be totally integrated with the Burmese, revolted. Assorted factions, private armies, WWII resistance groups and plain mutineers further confused the picture.

1627 Dutch and English East India Company opens branches

1753–5 Burmese king Alaungpaya conquers Inwa, then Dagon, which he renames as ‘Yangon’

42 H I S T O R Y • • N e W i n & t h e R o a d t o S o c i a l i s m

Burma: Prospects for Political and Economic Reconstruction (1997), by David I Steinberg, written for the World Peace Foundation, gives a quick summing-up of the present woes and concludes that ‘The Burmese will determine their own fate’.

After being forced into exile, one-time leader U Nu vainly attempted to oppose the Ne Win government from abroad. In 1980 he returned to Yangon, where he translated Buddhist scripture most of the time. He died in 1995.

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In early 1949 almost the entire country was in the hands of a number of rebel groups, and there was even fighting in Yangon’s suburbs. At one stage the government was on the point of surrendering to the communist forces, but gradually fought back, and through 1950 and 1951 regained control of much of the country. Also, with the collapse of Chiang Kai-Shek’s KMT forces before Mao Zedong’s, the tattered remnants of the KMT withdrew into northern Burma and mounted raids from there into Yunnan, China. Being no match for the Chinese communists, the KMT decided to carve their own little fiefdom out of Burmese territory.

NE WIN & THE ROAD TO SOCIALISM By the mid-1950s, the government had strengthened its hold on the country, but the economy slipped from bad to worse. A number of grandiose development projects succeeded only in making foreign ‘advisors’ rather wealthy, and in 1953 the Burmese bravely announced that aid or assistance from the USA was no longer welcome, as long as US-supplied Chinese KMT forces were at large within the country. U Nu managed to remain in power until 1958, when he voluntarily handed the reins over to a military government under General Ne Win. Considering the pride most of the country had for the Burmese army – which helped bring independence and was founded by Aung San – this was seen as a welcome change. Freed from the ‘democratic’ responsibilities inherent in a civilian government, Ne Win was able to make some excellent progress during the 15 months his military government operated. A degree of law and order was restored, rebel activity was reduced and Yangon was given a massive and much-needed cleanup. In early 1960, elections were held and U Nu regained power with a much-improved majority, but once again political turmoil developed. His party threatened to break up into opposing groups and in early 1962 Ne Win assumed power again and abolished the parliament. He established his own 17-member Revolutionary Council, announcing that the country would ‘march towards socialism in our own Burmese way’. This time U Nu did not hand over power voluntarily, and along with his main ministers was thrown into prison, where he remained until forced into exile in 1966. ‘The Burmese Road to Socialism’ was a steadily downhill path. A rice-growing wonder fell into economic free fall. Nationalisation policies were extended right down to the retail shop level in 1966 when it was announced that a long list of items would only be available from ‘Peoples Shops’. The net result was frightening; many everyday commodities immediately became available only on the black market, and vast numbers of people were thrown out of work by the closure of retail outlets. A disingenuous ‘sock the rich’ measure demonetised the largest banknotes (K50 and K100). Anybody so unfortunate as to have these notes found them to be worthless. Many of the retail traders who became unemployed following the nationalisation of retail trade were Indians and Chinese – vestiges of the colonial era in Bamar eyes – and they were hustled out of the country with Draconian thoroughness. No compensation was paid for their expropriated businesses, and each adult

1826 England annexes Rakhaing and Tenasserim, following First Anglo-Burmese War

1852 Second Anglo-Burmese War gives Britain Bago

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was allowed to depart with only K75 plus K250 in gold. As many as a 250,000 people of Indian and Chinese descent left Burma during the 1960s. Anti-Chinese riots in Yangon in 1967 – spurred by fears that the Chinese were about to ‘import’ China’s Cultural Revolution – resulted in hundreds of Chinese deaths. In late 1974 there were serious student disturbances over the burial of former United Nations (UN) secretary-general and long-time Ne Win political foe, U Thant, yet overall the government appeared firmly in control and determined to continue its strange progress towards a Burmese Utopia. In late 1981 Ne Win retired as president of the republic (retaining his position as chair of the Burmese Socialist Programme Party, the country’s only legal political party at the time), but his successor, San Yu, and the government remained guided very much by Ne Win’s political will.

‘8-8-88’ With the standard of living in Burma on a continual downward spiral, something happened that no-one foresaw. In 1987 and 1988, the long-suffering Burmese people decided they had had enough of their incompetent and arrogant government and packed the streets in huge demonstrations, insisting that Ne Win go. Ne Win voluntarily retired from the chairmanship of the party in July 1988, but it was too late to halt the agitation of the people. The massive prodemocracy demonstrations, spurred by the further demonetisation of large notes and a prophecy that Burma would become a ‘free country’ on the auspicious date of 8 August 1988 (8-8-88), were brutally crushed by the government, with at least 3000 deaths recorded over a six-week period. Ne Win’s National Unity Party (NUP; formerly the Burmese Socialist Programme Party) was far from ready to give up control, and the public protests continued as two Ne Win stooges succeeded him. The third Ne Win successor came to power after a military coup in September 1988, which, it is generally believed, was organised by Ne Win. A newly formed State Law & Order Restoration Council (Slorc) established martial law under the leadership of General Saw Maung, commander in chief of the armed forces, and promised to hold democratic National Assembly elections in May 1989. The opposition quickly formed a coalition party called the National League for Democracy (NLD) and campaigned for all it was worth. The long-suppressed Burmese population rallied around charismatic NLD spokesperson Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of hero Aung San. Suu Kyi, conversant in Burmese, Japanese, French and English and married to an Oxford University professor, brought a hitherto-unseen sophistication to Burmese politics. Nervous, Slorc tried to appease the masses with new roads and adding a coat of paint to many buildings in Yangon, and then it attempted to interfere in the electoral process by shifting villages from one part of the country to another and by postponing the election. Perhaps the biggest surprise came with the announcement that the government was abandoning socialism in favour of a capitalist economy in all but a few industries. In July 1989 Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest.

1885 Third Anglo-Burmese War ends era of Burmese kings

In 1989, Slorc changed the country’s official name from the Union of Burma to the Union of Myanmar, claiming that ‘Burma’ was a vestige of European colonialism. Other name changes included Rangoon (back to Yangon).

1947–8 General Aung San assassinated; independence achieved

44 H I S T O R Y • • 1 9 9 0 E l e c t i o n & t h e N L D

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1990 ELECTION & THE NLD

Had the NLD been installed in government, Suu Kyi wouldn’t have been the leader. She may have been given a high position, though the constitution forbids those married to foreigners from holding high public office.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest three times (from July 1989 to July 1995; from September 2000 to May 2002; and from May 2003 to the present).

Feeling it had effectively dealt with the opposition, the government allowed an election in May 1990 (the first in 30 years). In spite of all its preventive measures, the NUP lost the election to the NLD, which took 392 of the 485 contested seats. Slorc barred the elected members of parliament from assuming power, however, decreeing that a stateapproved constitution had to be passed by national referendum first. In October 1990 the military raided NLD offices and arrested key leaders. Since that time over 100 elected parliamentarians have been disqualified, imprisoned, exiled or killed. Some observers wonder if the election was a ruse to get opposition out in the open, where they could be more easily crushed. Before her arrest in 1989, Suu Kyi had been appointed secretary general of the NLD. The main NLD candidates in line for any potential premiership that might have occurred if the 1990 election results had been recognised by the current regime were U Aung Shwe, U Tin Oo and U Kyi Maung, all ex-officers. It was widely acknowledged, even back in 1990, that Slorc would never allow a person of Aung San Suu Kyi’s background (an ex-resident of the country, and married to a Briton) to run for office; it was equally acknowledged that the candidates who stood the best chance of acceptance by the military dictatorship were those with a military background. It turned out that even this was not enough to make the ruling junta relinquish control. After the events of 1988–89, the world press at first gave amazingly little coverage to politics in the country that had been renamed Myanmar. In January 1991, Suu Kyi was awarded the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought by the European Parliament, and in October of the same year she was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize. Another international honour came her way in June 1992 when Unesco awarded Suu Kyi the Simón Bolivar Prize. In May 1995, Suu Kyi was honoured with a fourth international award when India presented the leader, in absentia, with the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding. As the world media began to follow events in Myanmar, prodemocracy elements, both within the country and abroad, proved themselves to be much more media savvy than the military junta. The democratisation of ‘Burma’, as most prodemocracy groups still call the country, soon became a cause célèbre for sundry activists and Hollywood celebrities. Much to the joy of the Burmese people and her supporters abroad, the government released Suu Kyi from house arrest in July 1995 after nearly six years. Suu Kyi’s detention was the most potent symbol of government repression and the biggest magnet for international attention, but many other high-level dissidents, including the NLD’s Tin U and Kyi Maung, were also released at this time – not from house arrest, but from prison. For several months Suu Kyi was allowed to address crowds of supporters from her residence. In May and September 1996, Suu Kyi held a congress of NLD members in a bold political gambit to demonstrate that the NLD was still an active political force. The junta responded by detaining hundreds who attended the congress and the street leading to Suu Kyi’s residence was blockaded, prohibiting her from making speeches at her residence.

1962 Ne Win establishes power after military coup

1975 Massive earthquake rocks Bagan

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THE WRITINGS OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI It takes very little reading to understand why so many people in Myanmar have a deep respect for ‘the Lady’, Aung San Suu Kyi. Her interviews with journalist Alan Clements, described in Voices of Hope (1997), often intermingle politics and Buddhism. Freedom from Fear (1991) is a collection of her writings on topics ranging from her father to winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Letters from Burma (1997) features a collection of letters Suu Kyi wrote on Burmese culture for a Japanese publication.

In 1998 18 foreign activists were arrested in Yangon in 1998 for distributing antigovernment leaflets. In the same year Suu Kyi attempted to leave Yangon to meet with supporters outside the city but was blocked by the military and forcibly returned to Yangon. In 1999 Suu Kyi’s British husband, Oxford professor Michael Aris, died of cancer shortly after Yangon denied him a visa to see Suu Kyi one last time in Myanmar. Although they hadn’t seen each other since January 1996, Suu Kyi felt she had no choice but to stay in Myanmar, fearing that if she left the country to visit her husband’s deathbed in England, she would be refused re-entry and forced into exile. Suu Kyi made a second attempt to leave Yangon to meet with supporters in September 2000, but was stopped at a military roadblock. After spending six days in her car by the roadside, Suu Kyi was once again placed under house arrest. In October 2000, secret talks began between Suu Kyi and the junta – the most significant step towards reconciliation since the elections. Brokered by Rizali Ismail, a former Malaysian diplomat and special envoy to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the talks resulted in the release of hundreds of political prisoners. A very noticeable result of the talks was the cessation of crude attacks against Suu Kyi in the Myanmar media. The NLD in return stopped its direct criticism of the Myanmar government. In May 2002 Suu Kyi was released from house arrest and immediately announced that her demands for political reform had not changed as a result of the talks with the junta. Her unconditional release promised the opposition leader freedom of movement for the first time in over 12 years. In the weeks following her release she visited NLD offices in townships in the Rangoon area, and in late June made a triumphant visit to Mandalay. It was Suu Kyi’s first trip to Myanmar’s second-largest city since 1989 (her September 2000 attempt to visit Mandalay was thwarted by the military). In May 2003, while touring Sagaing District outside Budalin (north of Monywa), Suu Kyi and a party of 250 NLD members were attacked. It’s believed as many as 100 people were killed. Many others were held in detention. Suu Kyi spent several months in jail – and underwent a hunger strike. She was eventually transferred to her house. She is still there.

Aung San Suu Kyi returned to Burma from Britain in 1998 to tend to her dying mother. At the time disquiet with the government was at a peak

THE WORLD & MYANMAR To improve its image, Slorc hired a Washington, DC public-relations firm for help, which suggested changing its name to the State Peace & Development Council (SPDC), which it did in November 1997.

1988 On 8/8 (8 August), huge prodemocracy nonviolent marches; army kills over 3000

1990 NLD earns 82% of votes in election but the military refuses to hand over power

46 H I S T O R Y • • T h e W o r l d & M y a n m a r

Although Ne Win had retired from all official positions in 1988, he was widely believed to call the shots for many years thereafter – possibly up till his death in December 2002.

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Initially after 1988, the West established embargoes on arms sales and most foreign aid to Myanmar. But some companies – such as the UK’s Premier Oil, France’s Total and USA’s Unocal – helped develop offshore gas fields. Stronger international sanctions were taken in 1997 by the USA, the regime’s harshest critic, when it banned new investment by American companies in Myanmar. Strong lobbying by activists and threats of consumer boycotts forced some major companies (including PepsiCo, Heineken, Carlsberg and Levi Strauss) to either pull out or decide against investing in the country. In November 1999, the UN International Labour Organization took the unprecedented step of recommending sanctions against Myanmar for its use of civilians for forced labour and treacherous tasks of porterage for the military (including serving as ‘human landmine detectors’). Its 174 member nations were advised to review their links with Myanmar and ensure they did not support forced labour there. In June 2001, UN agencies in Myanmar warned in a joint letter to their headquarters that Myanmar was facing a humanitarian crisis and that it was a ‘moral and ethical necessity’ for the international community to extend more aid. The letter stated that one-quarter of Burmese babies were born underweight and, as of the end of 1999, an estimated 530,000 people were HIV-positive. The letter also stated that Myanmar only receives annual foreign aid equivalent to about US$1 per capita, compared with US$35 for Cambodia and US$68 for Laos. In a controversial move in 2001, Japan broke ranks in the embargo on nonhumanitarian aid to Myanmar when it offered US$28 million in technical assistance to repair the Baluchaung hydroelectric power plant in Kayah State as an incentive for the regime to press ahead with reconciliation talks with Suu Kyi. The sanctions got stronger following Aung San Suu Kyi’s third arrest in 2003. US President George W Bush authorised full economic sanctions, which resulted in foreign banks in Myanmar packing up and leaving. The wording of EU’s sanctions, however, allowed France’s Total gas company to continue operating there. Much criticism has focussed on whether forced labour was used from 1995 to 1998 to build Total’s Yadana pipeline, which reportedly generates anywhere from US$150 million to US$400 million annually. Critics of the use of sanctions argue that these measures hurt the local workforce. After US sanctions, many garment factories, virtually all of which are privately owned, closed down, reportedly leading to the loss of 40,000 to 60,000 jobs. For more on the sanctions debate, see p17. Despite the Myanmar’s government’s human-rights record, a number of foreign investors – most of them Asian (particularly Chinese, but also Singaporean, Japanese, Indian and Thai) – continue to invest huge amounts of foreign currency into private development projects, especially in the Yangon to Mandalay corridor. See p22 for more on foreign investment. The land border between Myanmar and China stands wide open for legal and illegal trade, and acts as the main supply line for millions of dollars worth of Chinese weaponry destined for Myanmar’s military, along with another estimated US$1 billion in consumer goods annually. A

1996 The Government’s ‘Visit Myanmar Year’ prompts ongoing tourism boycott

1997 Myanmar joins Asean

© Lonely Planet Publications H I S T O R Y • • T h e W o r l d & M y a n m a r 47

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1994 visit to Yangon by Chinese Premier Li Peng – the man who ordered the Tiananmen Square massacre one year after Myanmar’s bloody 1988 putdown – reaffirmed China’s firm approval of Myanmar’s government. Meanwhile the repression of free speech and other human rights continues under the SPDC leadership. A report commissioned by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in Geneva describes systematic human-rights violations, including arbitrary arrests of anyone opposed to the junta, the torture of detainees, severe media restrictions, forced relocation of 500,000 urban dwellers, and forced conscription of civilians to serve as anything from porters to human minesweepers for the military. (See p56 for examples of media restrictions, and p65 for how censorship even affects rock music albums.) The government also frequently requests ‘volunteer beautification’ labour (in effect, forced labour) from city, town and village residents, requiring them to paint their houses, dig drainage ditches, build walls and weed the roadside. (Apparently forced labour has decreased since the early 1990s, according to Amnesty International, but is still very much in use. See www.amnesty.org or www .irrawaddy.org, among other sites, for updates on this issue.) Myanmar gained some international muscle with its controversial membership of Asean, which it joined in 1997. Despite some murmurs of discontent regarding the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi, no Asean officials have directly confronted the generals on the issue. Some commentators wonder whether the 2006 Asean summit, scheduled for Yangon, will go forward if Suu Kyi isn’t free by the time. In 2004 Prime Minister Khin Nyunt, a disciple of Ne Win, who sought to re-create himself after Ne Win’s death in 2002 with the seven-step ‘Roadway to Democracy’ programme, was ousted by hard-line Than Shwe, who claims he will continue the roadway. See p34 for more on recent events in Myanmar.

2003 Aung San Suu Kyi placed under house arrest (for third time); USA and EU impose tougher sanctions

Considering the US renewal of ‘Most Favoured Nation’ trade status for China, and China remains a foreigntrade hub for Asia, Myanmar’s government believes it need not fear trade sanctions with the West.

2004 Myanmar opens world’s largest tiger reserve, ousts prime minister

© Lonely Planet Publications 48

The Culture NATIONAL PSYCHE

Living Silence: Burma under Military Rule (2001), by Christina Fink, sums up Myanmar’s military years and how the military affects various aspects of life – all peppered with fascinating quotes from a wide cross-section of Myanmar people.

Although isolated, subjugated and poor, the Myanmar people can be as proud of their country and culture as any nationality you’ll meet. Locals gush over past kings, pwe (festivals), mohinga (noodles with chicken or fish) breakfasts, great temples and, for many, Theravada Buddhism itself. Of course Buddhism here comes with a heavy dosage of bamahsan chinn (Burmeseness) – a Buddhism-influenced complex word describing the gentle personality of many, which includes undying respect for elders, modesty in dress, and a preference for subtlety rather than loudness or directness. Another trait is ah har de, a sense of not wanting to ‘make waves’ or pass on unpleasant news. Perhaps telling is Pico Iyer’s great piece on hanging out with Myanmar students in Video Nights in Kathmandu (1988); though released on the eve of the explosive prodemocracy marches of that year, students talk of moonwalking, and do not even show a glimpse of the bubbling discontent. Even small-scale open dialogue is not an everyday aspect of life. One exiled Myanmar man explained: ‘The most important thing I got out of being in England was watching political TV shows, where people were arguing, explaining different viewpoints. That never happens at home.’ It tends to surprise locals if an American tourist vocalises disapproval of George W Bush’s policies, for example. Locals here tend to cheer for Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

LIFESTYLE Exiled writer Pascal Khoo Thwe writes that, growing up in Myanmar’s hills, traditional family life meant that ‘Earth is round at school and flat at home’, meaning some aspects of modern life are left, along with your shoes, outside the door at home. Families in Myanmar are big, and the birth – of a boy or girl – is a big occasion. While boys are coddled more, girls are equally welcomed, as they’re expected to look after parents later in life. You might find three or four generations of a family living in a two- or three-room house. Some thatched huts in the countryside have generators pumping life into the TV a couple hours a night. Running water outside the cities and bigger

TOP FIVE FIRST QUESTIONS ASKED

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T H E C U LT U R E • • L i fe s t y l e 49

towns is rare. Many families put coconut symbols of the house guardian nat (spirit) inside (see p000). The bulk of village life revolves around the farm. Here Yangon’s politics or dreams of wealth can pale in importance to the season, the crop, the level of the river (where they bathe, clean and get their drinking water) and Buddha. One local outside Shwebo told us, ‘All I want is K2000 a day for rice to feed my family.’ TheCultr/RigonBdsmIMyar/The37Nt

DO’S & DON’TS

Etiquette Many locals are too kind to mention to a traveller when they’re being insensitive. So, let it be your role to (politely) tell fellow travellers when they’re acting inappropriately. Here are the basics: When visiting a Buddhist sight, don’t wear shoes, shorts, short skirts, or have exposed shoulders. Don’t thrust a camera into a monk’s (or anyone’s) face for a photo. Don’t pose with, sit on, or strike Buddha images. Take your shoes off (not necessarily socks) when entering private homes. Don’t touch somebody on the head (including patting a child’s head). Don’t point your feet at anybody or anything – apologise if you accidentally brush someone with your foot. When shaking hands or handing over something, do so with your right hand, while touching your right elbow with your left hand. Don’t step over somebody who is sitting or lying on the floor (such as on a boat deck).

What to Give Many travellers are prone to give gifts to locals in this impoverished country. Gifts can be big thrills – and are often asked for by children around the country – but foreigners should exercise care when deciding what and where and to whom they give things to. One way to discourage kids from begging, and to show respect, is giving toys or kid-related gifts either directly to their parents or to schools or monasteries. Here are a few gift suggestions: Donate school supplies – such as cheap pens and pencils bought locally – all of which are highly sought. Bring self-made or bought English-language tapes to give out to villagers who can’t afford English classes. Bring some popular English-language magazines and books; locals love to read, and material is hard to find in cash-poor Myanmar; exercise care in handing over any that could carry political overtones (such as the New Yorker or the Economist or Myanmar-related books); hand discreetly over to new friends in their homes.

Burma or Myanmar? Britain renamed ‘Myanma’ as Burma (after the majority Bamar, or Burmese, people); the junta restored the original name of Myanmar in 1989; ‘Burmese’ in this book refers to the food, the Bamar and the language.

Other popular gifts include Western T-shirts, lipstick, toys, baseball-style caps, stickers and chocolates (though heat ruins them in a hurry).

Men in skirts? Most Myanmar men wear longyi (saronglike wraparound ‘skirts’); it’s easy to understand why when the heat hits you.

Instantly appearing images on digital cameras’ viewfinder screens draw much applause from locals.

Mud on face? Women, kids and some men sprinkle, stripe or blotch their faces with tan thanakha (powdered bark) as make-up.

If asked, make simple suggestions of what tourists might be interested in, to prompt grassroots entrepreneurship (eg ‘night market walking tours’ etc).

Is that blood? No. The red droplets in corners and sidewalks are relinquished bits of betel, made from the chopped nut and a paste of slaked lime; you’ll see betel sold from streetside stands, wrapped into small leaves.

Donate to villages seeking aid for health clinics (about 0.4% of the national budget goes to health care); at research time, we bumped into a Swiss tourist who contacted the Bagan Department of Archaeology seeking to fund placing a glass shield over unprotected 800year-old murals.

How to say ‘thanks’? ‘Cè-zù-bèh’.

Bring photographs of your city, home, family – or postcards you can leave.

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In the cities, large apartment blocks are connected to more-or-less around-the-clock electricity. Residents are better educated, sometimes working as lawyers, doctors, clerks and officials – that is, they work in buildings. They’re a bit more internationally aware, and likely to speak more English. Where electricity exists, it invariably clicks off frequently – when it does listen up for the ‘ahhhs’ and laughter that good-naturedly follows. For Buddhists, especially, the acquisition ofspiritualmerit – by giving to monks, adding gold-leaf layers to Buddha images – helps worshippers achieve enlightenment. This is why locals in towns that lack a health clinic may bang alms bowls on the side of the road for donations to help build a new pagoda, for example. Death is a big deal, though mourned for less time than in much of the West. To miss a funeral is an unimaginable faux pas. If a heated argument goes too far, the ultimate capper is to yell, ‘Oh yeah? Don’t come to my funeral when I die’. Cemeteries are not well tended, and rarely visited, as many consider it bad luck to go near the dead (often the widowed aren’t invited to wedding parties, and we’ve seen fishers do their thing while ignoring a floating body no-one dares to touch).

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200 km 120 miles

CHINA (TIBET)

BHUTAN

KACHIN STATE

INDIA

Myitkyina

CHINA

BANGLADESH

SAGAING DIVISION

Hakha

POPULATION About 11% of Myanmar’s 52 million people live in the capital, Yangon. In Myanmar’s tain It’s estimated, though, that seven in 10 people are involved in agriculture. (divisions) the Bamar Unlike many developing-world countries, there isn’t a massive flocking (Burman) people are in to the big cities: jobs are scarce in the capital with inflation soaring at 50% the majority (Yangon, Ay- and international banks (and their potential credit) fleeing in 2003 due to eyarwady, Bago, Magwe, economic sanctions imposed by the international community. Mandalay, Sagaing, Historically, the diverse ethnic make-up of the country has been sepaTanintharyi) but in the pyi rated by its topography. The broad central plain, with the Ayeyarwady (states) the non-Bamar River and Myanmar’s most fertile soil, has been run by whichever group are in the majority (Shan, was strongest (usually the Bamar, or Burmese, in the past few hundred Kachin, Chin, Rakhaing, years). Most ethnic groups continue to live in some sort of isolation in Kayah, Kayin, Mon). the mountains lining much of Myanmar’s international borders, notably the Shan, Kayah and Kayin (Karen) in the east; the Kachin to the north; and the Chin and Rakhaing to the west. There are roughly 71 people per sq km (compared to 939 per sq km in neighbouring Bangladesh), and outside Yangon or Mandalay, there’s Laos-like elbow room.

0 0

STATES & DIVISIONS OF MYANMAR

Sagaing

Mandalay SHAN STATE

CHIN STATE

MANDALAY DIVISION

Taunggyi

Magwe

Sittwe

MAGWE DIVISION

LAOS Loikaw KAYAH STATE

RAKHAING STATE BAGO DIVISION

KAYIN STATE

Bago Pathein AYEYARWADY DIVISION

YANGON YANGON DIVISION

Hpa-an Mawlamyine

MON STATE

THAILAND

ETHNICITY Ethnologists have suggested that there are actually some 135 distinct ethnic groups living in Myanmar.

One of the more exciting aspects of travel in Myanmar is getting the opportunity to experience a corner of Asia that in many ways has changed little since British colonial times. Due to its isolation – self-imposed and otherwise – Myanmar has yet to be completely overwhelmed by outside clothing influences. Nowhere else in Southeast Asia will you see so many sarongs, turbans and other exotic apparel. Of course, differences in dress are just a hint of the distinctions between Myanmar’s diverse ethnic populations. Officially Myanmar’s 50-plus million residents (not including Chinese, Indian, Nepalese and other groups) are divided into eight nationalities – the Bamar, Shan, Mon, Kayin, Kayah, Chin, Kachin and Rakhaing – but the Myanmar government further subdivides these eight groups into 67 subgroups. We’ve made a list of the 10 groups visitors to Myanmar are most likely to encounter or read about. As in many other ethnically (and religiously) diverse countries, feelings

Dawei TANINTHARYI DIVISION

Andaman Islands (INDIA)

ANDAMAN SEA

Gulf of Thailand

52 T H E C U LT U R E • • E t h n i c i t y

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MYANMAR: ETHNO-GEOGRAPHY

           INDIA

CHINA

Myitkyina

Lashio

Hakha

Sagaing

Mandalay

LAOS

Taunggyi Loikaw

Sittwe

THAILAND

Bay of Bengal

        Bago

Hpa-an

YANGON Pathein

Chin

Mawlamyine

Kachin

Dawei

Shan

Bamar (Burman)

Rakhaing

Kayin (Karen)

Mon

Kayah

ANDAMAN SEA

of pride and prejudice cause friction between Myanmar’s ethnic groups. Ask a Bamar (or a Shan or a Kayin) their opinion about their countrymen of different ethnic or religious backgrounds to get an idea of what kinds of challenges governments in Myanmar have faced in their efforts to keep the peace and preserve the borders. In recent years, there’s been a massive influx of Chinese people into northern Burma, evident in Mandalay and certainly in border towns such as Mong La, where the yuan is the local currency.

Bamar The Bamar – also known as Burman or Burmese – make up the majority (68%) of the population and, not surprisingly, rule the country. Thought to have originally migrated from the Himalaya, the Bamar ruled much of what is now Myanmar from Bagan by the 11th century. When the British conquered Myanmar in the 19th century, it was the Bamar who had to relinquish the most. Many ancient court customs and arts were lost as the Bamar monarchy was abolished. Devout Theravada Buddhists, the Bamar – from the top military generals to trishaw drivers – believe that being Buddhist is a key aspect of being Bamar, and the Myanmar media reports daily on the merit-making of top officials at the country’s principal Buddhist places of worship. Government nationbuilding efforts have included establishing the Bamar language (Burmese) as the language of instruction in schools throughout Myanmar. So most non-Bamar speak Burmese as a second language.

Chin

The Chin inhabits the mountainous region (mostly corresponding with Chin State) that borders on India and Bangladesh to the west. In the past, the Chin, as with most highland dwellers, led labour-intensive lives and their relatively simple traditional dress reflected this. Men wore loincloths in the warmer months and draped blankets over themselves when the weather turned cool. The women wore poncholike garments woven with intricate geometric patterns. These garments and Chin blankets are highly sought-after by textile collectors today. The most extraordinary Chin fashion of old was the custom of tattooing the women’s faces. Chin facial tattoos cover the whole face – starting at just above the bridge of the nose and radiating out in a pattern of dark lines that resemble a spider’s web. Even the eyelids were tattooed. The tattooing was traditionally done to girls once they reached the age of 12 or 13. Legend has it that this practice was initiated to keep young Chin maidens from being coveted by Rakhaing princes whose kingdom bor-

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SUBJUGATION With the complete takeover of Myanmar by the British in 1886, new borders were drawn. As with so many of the boundaries superimposed on maps during the European colonisation of the world, these borders had little to do with ethnic groupings, and there were many old rivals and enemies within the borders of British Burma. The colonisers managed to keep animosity between ethnic groups under controlby utilising the carrot of semi-autonomy or the stick of arrest and imprisonment. Over a century later, despite a different bunch of rulers, little has changed. Acts of insurgency between Bamar-majority government troops and minority ethnic groups that smouldered for four decades after independence have been largely quelled. Groups that signed ceasefire agreements with the government (the Kachin, Kayah etc) have been granted limited economic autonomy. Those groups that continue to fight the government (some Shan and Kayin) are dealt with severely. In rebel-controlled areas, government troops have been accused of using rape as a weapon and adopting a scorched-earth policy that regularly sends groups of refugees fleeing across the borders into Thailand and Bangladesh. Some observers of politics in Myanmar predict that, given a choice, many of Myanmar’s ethnic groups would opt for independence and break away from Bamar-controlled Myanmar.

dered the southern Chin Hills. The practice died out after WWII, but in many Chin villages (particularly in the more traditional southern areas) you can see a few tattooed grannies going about their daily chores. Many Chin, particularly in the north, are Christian, following the efforts of American missionaries during the British colonial period. Chin State is restricted to travellers, but can be visited with government permission (p000). Kalaymyo (p000) is a half-Chin town that can be reached, by air, without permit. WestrnMyam/ChiS

AroundMaly/UpeSgiDstrcKalymo

Kachin The Kachin (who call themselves Jingpaw) were heavily targeted by Christian missionaries during British colonial times. The Baptists seemed to have been the most successful, with the Catholics following close behind. As much of the Kachin State lies above the tropic of Cancer, the climate is more extreme – stifling hot in the summer months and downright cold in the winter – and the Kachin seem to have abandoned their traditional dress for Western clothes that can be easily changed to suit the seasons. About the only vestige of Kachin dress that foreign visitors are likely to encounter are men’s longyi (saronglike lower garment) of indigo, green and deep-purple plaid. During festive occasions Kachin dress is quite impressive. Women sport finely woven wool skirts decorated with zigzag or diamond patterns and dark blouses festooned with hammered silver medallions and tassels. These exotic blouses are admired by the Bamar and until fairly recently it was not uncommon for photo studios in Bamar-majority towns as far south as Pyay to keep a few Kachin blouses on hand so that Bamar women could wear them while posing for photographs.

Travellers can visit the Kachin in Myitkyina (p000), home to the Kachin State Cultural Museum, Bhamo (p000 ) and – with a permit – Putao (p000). NortheasnMym/iktoKahMyn

Myanmr/itkoKhBam

Kayah Also known as the Karenni or Red Karen, the Kayah are settled in the mountainous isolation of Kayah State – an area completely closed off to travellers. As with many of Myanmar’s ethnic groups that traditionally practised animism, the Kayah were targeted for conversion to Christianity by Baptist and Catholic missionaries during the colonial period. The name

NortheasnMym/TFNorthPua

Northeasn

54 T H E C U LT U R E • • E t h n i c i t y

Presently the only place in Kayin State that travellers can visit is Hpa-an (p000). SoutheasrnMym/KiSteHpa-n

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‘Red Karen’ refers to the favoured colour of the Kayah traditional dress, and the fact that their apparel resembles that of some Kayin (Karen) tribes – a resemblance that caused the Kayah to be classified by colonisers and missionaries as ‘Karen’. Today the Kayah make up a very small percentage of the population of Myanmar – perhaps less than 1% – and the vast majority lead agrarian lives within Kayah State, much as their ancestors have done for centuries. A significant number of Kayah also live in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son Province.

of this experiment was a feeling of unity among the many Naga tribes, which led to an organised Naga independence movement. The Naga sport one of the world’s most exotic traditional costumes. Naga men at festival time wear striking ceremonial headdresses made up of feathers, tufts of hair and cowry shells, and carry wicked spears, giving them a look that somehow seems vaguely African, Polynesian and Amazonian – like some fantasy ensemble cooked up by Hollywood.

Kayin

The Rakhaing (formerly called Arakanese), who make up about 4% of the population of Myanmar, are principally adherents of Buddhism. Their ancient capital was centred at Mrauk U in what is now the northern Rakhaing State, which borders Bangladesh. Their language is akin to Bamar but, due to their geographical location, they have absorbed a fair amount of culture from the Indian subcontinent. In the eyes of most Bamar, the Rakhaing are a Creole race – a mixture of Bamar and Indian – a perception that Buddhist Rakhaing strongly resent. Rakhaing State also has a minority population of Muslim Rakhaing, who refer to themselves as Rohingya. The Rakhaing are skilled weavers and are known in Myanmar for their eye-catching and intricately patterned longyi.

The Kayin (also known as Karen) are a large and diverse group, divided into numerous subgroups. They were originally animists, but some Kayin villages were heavily targeted by Christian missionaries in the 19th and early 20th centuries, while other villages converted to Buddhism. The Kayin are an independent-minded people but the sheer diversity of the many Kayin subgroups has made it impossible for them to achieve any real cohesion for achieving greater political power. To this day Buddhist Kayin often side with the Buddhist Bamar against their Christian Kayin kin. The recruitment of child soldiers for rebel groups is not uncommon in this neck of the woods. This came to the world’s attention most recently when a Christian Kayin group calling itself ‘God’s Army’ made headlines with its brief armed struggle against the Myanmar government. The group was led by young twin brothers who reputedly had magical powers and took up arms when they were only nine years old. The typical dress of both the Kayin men and women is a longyi with horizontal stripes (a pattern that is reserved exclusively for women in other ethnic groups). The Kayin are thought to make up about 7% of the total population of Myanmar.

Mon The Mon (also called the Tailing by Western historians) were one of the earliest inhabitants of Myanmar and their rule stretched into what is now Thailand. As happened with the Cham in Vietnam and the Phuan in Laos, the Mon were gradually conquered by neighbouring kingdoms and their influence waned until they were practically unknown outside present-day Myanmar. As in Thailand, which also has a Mon minority, the Mon have almost completely assimilated with the Bamar and in most ways seem indistinguishable from them. In the precolonial era past, Mon Buddhist sites – including Yangon’s Shwedagon Paya – were appropriated by the Bamar (though the Golden Rock is still in Mon State), and Mon tastes in art and architecture were borrowed as well. Today the Mon make up just over 2% of the population of Myanmar, but Mon art and culture have influenced that of the Bamar quite thoroughly, as a trip to the Mon Cultural Museum (p000) in Mawlamyine will attest.

Rakhaing

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Naga The Naga are mainly settled in a mountainous region of eastern India known as Nagaland, but significant numbers live in the western Sagaing Division between the Indian border and the Chindwin River. When the British arrived in the mid-19th century, the Naga were a fragmented but fearsome collection of tribes. Headhunting was a tradition among them and for many decades they resisted British rule, though a lack of cooperation between the tribes hindered their efforts to remain independent. A turnaround came about during WWI when the British recruited nearly 17,000 Naga to fight in Europe. The unexpected result

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Shan The Shan call themselves Tai (‘Shan’ is actually a Bamar word derived from the word ‘Siam’). The name they call themselves is significant, as the Shan are related ethnically, culturally and linguistically to Tai peoples in neighbouring Thailand, Laos and China’s Yunnan Province. In fact, if you’ve spent some time in northern Thailand or Laos and learned some of the respective languages, you’ll find you can have a basic conversation with the Shan. The Shan are also Theravada Buddhists and at one time they fought the Bamar for control of Myanmar. Today they make up about 9% of the population. Traditionally, the Shan wore baggy trousers and floppy, wide-brimmed sun hats, and the men were known for their faith in talismanic tattoos. Nowadays Shan town-dwellers commonly dress in the Bamar longyi and are mostly indistinguishable from the Bamar, except on festival occasions when they proudly sport their ethnic costumes. In former times the Shan were ruled by local lords or chieftains called sao pha (sky lords), a word that was corrupted by the Bamar to sawbwa. The Shan are said to be very fond of gambling and festivals, and Shan women are admired throughout Myanmar for their beauty and light complexions.

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It is only possible to visit the Naga during their New Year celebrations in January, held near Khamti, by taking a costly government-sponsored tour (p000).

Besides the ruins at Mrauk U (p000), the most visible vestige of the Rakhaing’s illustrious past is the Mahamuni Buddha image (p000), now in Mandalay. Sittwe is home to a Rakhaing State Culture Museum (p000).

Wa During British-colonial times the Wa (who come from the still-remote northeastern hills of Shan State) were hated and feared. The British distinguished two groups of Wa according to how receptive they were to the coloniser’s attempts to control them. The ‘Wild Wa’ were headhunters, and decorated their villages with the severed heads of vanquished enemies to propitiate the spirits that guarded over their opium fields. (Apparently they only stopped the practice in the 1970s!) The so-called ‘Tame Wa’ allowed the colonisers to pass through their territory unimpeded, yet the area inhabited by the Wa – east of the upper Thanlwin (Salween) River in northern Shan State – was never completely pacified

Many parts of Shan State (Myanmar’s largest) are restricted to travellers, but it’s possible to get to many areas, including around Inle Lake (p000 ), Kengtung (p000) and Hsipaw (p000). NortheasnMym/Il

Lake

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With a guide, you can visit Wa villages outside Kengtung (p000). NortheasnMym/Kgu&BordeAasnKgtu

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by the British. Nowadays rumours abound of the 20,000-strong United Wa State Army, led by Bao Youxiang (aka ‘Chairman Bao’); an army supposedly highly militarised producers of opium and methamphetamine. They often make headlines in neighbouring Thailand due to frequent border skirmishes with Thai military and police forces.

the U Nu period, Buddhism functioned as a state religion of sorts – as embodied in such catch phrases as ‘the Socialist Way to Nibbana’. Nowadays there is complete freedom of religion, though within the government Buddhists tend to attain higher rank more easily than non-Buddhists.

MEDIA

EARLY HISTORY

Though media sources have proliferatedin recent years – 15 new domestic journals and papers in the first few years of this century – very little objective ‘hard news’ gets splashed on their pages. Much of Myanmar, for example, learned about the ousting of their prime minister Khin Nyunt in 2004 via international TV channels or the BBC website. You can get the flavour of media’s (enforced) censorship from the pages of the government’s voice piece in English, the New Light of Myanmar, whose repertoire includes anti-West poems. There’s also an agenda in place where even the slightest of strayers get arrested. Apparently novelists can’t use the name ‘Suu’ in books because ofits association with Aung San Suu Kyi. When Nelson Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, the story was censored because the prize could be associated with Aung San Suu Kyi. In 1999 documentary filmmakers Aung Pwint and Thaung Tun were arrested for videotaping grim details of everyday life, including footage of forced labour. They remain in prison. In 2003 troubles arose from a football article on a team fined for not appearing in a tournament! Loose links between the fine and the government, plus questions surrounding the government’s handling of US$4 million from an international grant to foster football programs, was enough to land the four writers in jail, one of whom briefly faced a death sentence. The 9.15pm national news broadcast nightly is read by a no-smiles woman (often sporting a 1968 beehive do) in front of a mural of a power plant. She mostly gives national news on the government’s achievements. Some locals get their news from fascinating grainy newsreels that precede all cinema showings, which show General Than Shwe overseeing new construction projects.

RELIGION About 87% of the people of Myanmar are Buddhist. Locals are proud of their religion and keen to discuss it. Knowing a little about it is a prerequisite for outsiders wishing to better understand the Burmese mind. During HOW MANY DID YOU SAY? The Myanmar people may seem, to outsiders, to have an imaginative understanding of maths. We had a resident of Mrauk U tell us, in all earnestness, the local area had six million temples; a Sittwe resident insisted the largest minority group in the city of 150,000 were the ‘800,000 Muslims’, and a trishaw driver in Mandalay suggested that to start a guesthouse you’d need – after spending several minutes tabbing it up by pen and paper – about US$400 million. Minimum. Locals count 4000 islands in the Mergui Archipelago, while detailed British surveyors found only 804. Historical accounts include hundreds of thousands of soldiers marching to battle; numbers often contradictory to later British accounts. The age of the ‘antique’ you’re holding is often wildly, um, optimistic too. Nothing to fuss over, though. Locals are more accustomed to counting with the lakh (equal to 100,000) than a million, so it’s possible a zero or two gets added there. Also, Myanmar’s largest bill is just K1000 (worth about US$1.05 at research time), and many people are happy to earn K3000 a day. For nearly everyone, US$40,000 is about as likely to fall into their laps as US$400 million.

Buddhism in Myanmar The Mon were the first people in Myanmar to practise Theravada Buddhism. King Asoka, the great Indian emperor, is known to have sent missions here (known then as the ‘Golden Land’) during the 3rd century BC. A second wave is thought to have arrived via Sinhalese missionaries from present-day Sri Lanka, sometime between the 6th and 10th centuries. By the 9th century the Pyu of northern Myanmar were combining Theravada with elements of Mahayana and Tantric Buddhism brought from their homelands in the Tibetan Plateau. During the early Bagan era (11th century), Bamar king Anawrahta decided that the Buddhism practised in his realm should be ‘purified’ from all non-Theravada elements, a task he set for Mon monks captured by his armies in Thaton, in southern Myanmar. However, Buddhism here has never completely shed Tantric, Hindu and animist elements, but remains predominately Theravada (only 1% of the Buddhists, most of whom are of Chinese descent, practise Mahayana Buddhism today). THERAVADA & MAHAYANA

Theravada Buddhism (also followed in Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka and Thailand) differs from Hinduism, Judaism, Islam or Christianity in that it is not centred around a god or gods, but rather a psycho-philosophical system. Today it covers a wide range of interpretations of the basic beliefs, which all start from the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama, a princeturned-ascetic, and referred to as the Buddha, in northern India around 2500 years ago. Neither the Buddha (which means ‘The Enlightened’) nor his immediate pupils ever wrote the dhamma (Buddhist teachings) down, so after Gautama’s death a schism developed and today there are two major schools of Buddhism. The Theravada (Doctrine of the Elders) school holds that to achieve nibbana (nirvana), the eventual aim of every Buddhist, you must ‘work out your own salvation with diligence’. In other words, it is up to each individual to work out their own fate. The Mahayana (Large Vehicle) school holds that individuals should forego the experience of nibbana until all humankind is ready for salvation. The goal is to become a Bodhisattva (Buddha-to-be), rather than a fully enlightened Buddha. The Mahayana school does not reject the other school, but claims it has extended it. The Theravadins, on the other hand, see Mahayana as a misinterpretation of the Buddha’s original teachings. Of the two, the Theravada is more austere and ascetic, and, some might say, harder to practise. TENETS

Buddha taught that the world is primarily characterised by dukkha (unsatisfactoriness), anicca (impermanence) and anatta (insubstantiality), and that even our happiest moments in life are only temporary, empty and unsatisfactory. The ultrapragmatic Buddhist perception of cause and effect – kamma in Pali, karma in Sanskrit, kan in Burmese – holds that birth inevitably

Many visitors come to Myanmar to meditate; see p000 for a list of monasteries. Directoy/CusMdan

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leads to sickness, old age and death, hence every life is insecure and subject to dukkha. Through rebirth, the cycle of thanthaya (samsara in Pali) repeats itself endlessly as long as ignorance and craving remain. Only by reaching a state of complete wisdom and nondesire can one attain true happiness. To achieve wisdom and eliminate craving one must turn inward and master one’s own mind through meditation, most commonly known to the Burmese as bhavana or kammahtan. The Buddha taught four noble truths: 1 Life is dukkha. 2 Dukkha comes from tanha (selfish desire). 3 When one forsakes selfish desire, suffering will be extinguished. 4 The ‘eightfold path’ is the way to eliminate selfish desire. The eightfold path is divided into three stages: sila (morality), samadhi (concentration), and pañña (wisdom and insight). It consists of: 1 Right thought 2 Right understanding 3 Right speech 4 Right action 5 Right livelihood 6 Right exertion 7 Right attentiveness 8 Right concentration

At many stupas, worshippers pour one glassful of water for every year of their age (plus one) over the Buddha image to ensure long life.

Devout Buddhists in Myanmar adhere to five lay precepts, or moral rules (thila in Burmese, sila in Pali), which require abstinence from killing, stealing, unchastity (usually interpreted among laypeople as adultery), lying and intoxicating substances. In spite of Buddhism’s obviously profound truths, the most common Myanmar approach is to try for a better future life by feeding monks, giving donations to temples and performing regular worship at the local paya (Buddhist monument). For the average person, everything revolves around the kutho (merit), from the Pali kusala (wholesome), one is able to accumulate through such deeds. MONKS & NUNS

There are as many as 500,000 monks in Myanmar. Socially, every Myanmar male is expected to take up temporary monastic residence twice in his life: once as a samanera (novice monk) between the ages of 10 and 20 and again as a hpongyi (fully ordained monk) sometime after the age of 20. Almost all men or boys aged under 20 participate in the shinpyu (novitiation ceremony) – quite a common event since a family earns great merit when one of its sons ‘takes robe and bowl’. All things possessed by a monk must be offered by the lay community. Upon ordination a new monk is typically offered a set of three robes (lower, inner and outer). Bright red robes are usually reserved for novices under 15, darker colours for older, fully ordained monks. Other possessions a monk is permitted include a razor, a cup, a filter (for keeping insects out of drinking water), an umbrella and an alms bowl. In Myanmar, women who live the monastic life as dasasila (‘10-precept’ nuns) are often called thilashin (possessor of morality) in Burmese. Myanmar nuns shave their heads, wear pink robes, and take vows in an ordination procedure similar to that undergone by monks. Generally speaking, nunhood isn’t considered as ‘prestigious’ as monkhood. This is mainly because nuns generally don’t perform ceremonies on behalf of

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NUMBER NINE, NUMBER NINE Myanmar astrology, based on the Indian system of naming the zodiacal planets for Hindu deities, continues to be an important factor deciding proper dates for weddings, funerals, ordinations and other events. Burma became independent at 4.20am on 4 January 1948, per U Nu’s counsel with an astrologer. Numerology plays a similar role in Myanmar. Nearly everyone in Myanmar reveres the number nine, which is thought to have an inherent mystic significance. The Burmese word ko (nine) also means ‘to seek protection from the gods’. General Ne Win, too, was fascinated with numerology, especially that relating to the cabalistic ritual Paya-kozu (Nine Gods). He replaced common currency with 45-kyat and 90-kyat notes, because their digits’ sum equalled nine. It is considered no accident that the prodemocracy marches were staged on 8 August 1988 (8-8-88); for many, eight is considered an ‘unlucky’ number.

laypeople, and keep only 10 precepts – the same number observed by male novices. MONASTERIES

Monastic communities are called kyaungtaik, hpongyi-kyaung, or simply kyaung for short. There are over 50,000 in Myanmar. The most important structure on the monastery grounds is the thein (a consecrated hall where monastic ordinations are held). Kyaung may also be associated with one or more zedi or pahto (temple). An open-sided resthouse or zayat may be available for gatherings of laypeople during festivals or pilgrimages. RECOMMENDED READING

Some of the following books are available in Yangon: Essential Themes of Buddhist Lectures Given by Ashin Thittila, Department of Religious Affairs (DRA), Yangon The Initiation of Novicehood and the Ordination of Monkhood in the Burmese Buddhist Culture by Sao Htun Hmat Win, DRA, Yangon Religion and Legitimation of Power in Thailand, Laos, Burma, edited by Bardwell L Smith Things as They Are, by Maha Boowa Nyanasampanno A few online sources: Access to Insight (www.accesstoinsight.org/index.html) Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (www.dharma.org/bcbs.htm) Buddha Net (www.buddhanet.org) DharmaNet International (www.dharmanet.org) THE 37 NAT

One of the great things about Myanmar is the ongoing worship of the nat (spirit) – a link to the pre-Buddhism era when animism (associated with hills, trees, lakes) held undisputed dominion over the land. Though some Buddhist leaders downgrade the nat, the nat are very much alive in the lives of the people of Myanmar. History

The powerful nat of Myanmar has evolved into a spirit that may hold dominion over a place (natural or human-made), person, or field of experience. Orthographically, the written Burmese word nat is likely derived from the Pali-Sanskrit natha (lord or guardian).

‘I worship Buddha, but I make friends with the nat’ – PAKOKKU LOCAL

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Many locals split their devotion between Buddha and the nat: Buddha is for their future lives, and the nat for problems in this life.

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Separate, larger shrines were built for a higher class of nat, descended from actual historic personages (including previous Thai and Bamar kings) who had died violent, unjust deaths. These suprahuman nat, when correctly propitiated, could aid worshippers in accomplishing important tasks, vanquishing enemies and so on. In Bagan, King Anawrahta stopped animal sacrifices (part of nat worship at Mt Popa) and destroyed nat temples. Undeterred, many of his subjects simply rebuilt nat shrines in their homes. Realising he may lose the case for making Theravada Buddhism the national faith, Anawrahta wisely conceded the nat’s coexistence with Buddha. He himself led the way by placing images of the 36 nat from Mt Popa at the base of the sacred zedi of Shwezigon. To these universally recognised 36, Anawrahta sagely added a 37th, Thagyamin, a Hindu deity based on Indra, who he crowned ‘king of the nat’. Since, in traditional Buddhist mythology, Indra paid homage to Buddha on behalf of the Hindu pantheon, this theistic insertion effectively made all nat subordinate to Buddhism. Anawrahta’s scheme worked, and today the commonly believed cosmology places Buddha and his teachings at the top, with the Hindu and Bamar nat in second and third place. Worship & Beliefs

In many homes, you may see the most popular nat in the form of an unhusked coconut dressed in a red gaung baung (turban), which represents the dual-nat Eindwin-Min Mahagiri (Lord of the Great Mountain who is in the House). Another widespread form of nat worship is exhibited through thered-and-white cloths tied to a rear-view mirror or hood ornament; these colours are the traditional nat colours of protection. Some of the more animistic guardian nat remain outside home and paya. A tree-spirit shrine, for example, may be erected beneath a particularly venerated old tree, thought to wield power over the immediate vicinity. These are especially common beneath larger banyan trees (Ficus religiosa), as this tree is revered as a symbol of Buddha’s enlightenment. A village may well have a nat shrine in a wooded corner for the propitiation of the village guardian spirit. Such tree and village shrines are simple, dollhouselike structures of wood or bamboo; their proper placement is divined by a local saya (teacher or shaman), trained in spirit lore. Such knowledge of the complex nat world is fading fast among the younger generations. Those with a general fear of nat will avoid eating pork, which is thought to be offensive to the spirit world. The main fear is not simply that spirits will wreak havoc on your daily affairs, but rather that one may enter your mind and body, and then force you to perform unconscionable acts in public – acts that would cause others to shun you. Spirit possession – whether psychologically induced or metaphysical – is a phenomenon that is real in the eyes of the people of Myanmar.

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The nat like loud and colourful music, so musicians at a nat pwe bang away at full volume on their gongs, drums and xylophones, producing what sounds like some ancient form of rock and roll. Every nat pwe is accompanied by a risk that the invited spirit may choose to enter, not the body of the medium, but one of the spectators. One of the most commonly summoned spirits at nat pwe is Ko Gyi Kyaw (Big Brother Kyaw), a drunkard nat who responds to offerings of liquor imbibed by the nat-gadaw. When he enters someone’s body, he’s given to lascivious dancing, so a chance possession by Ko Gyi Kyaw is especially embarrassing. Once possessed by a nat, the only way one can be sure the spirit won’t return again and again is to employ the services of an older Buddhist monk skilled at exorcism – a process that can take days, if not weeks. Without undergoing such a procedure, anyone who has been spiritpossessed may carry the nat stigma the rest of their lives. Girls who have been so entered are considered unmarriageable unless satisfactorily exorcised. Though nat pwe are commonly held with festivals throughout Bamar Myanmar, the grandest of all occur during the annual nat festival in Taungbyone, about 20km north of Mandalay. Held each August (more specifically for six days up to and including the full moon of Wagaung, the fifth lunar month) since Anawrahta’s reign, the Taungbyone festival honours the so-called Muslim Brothers, Byat-wi and Byat-ta, two of the most famous nat from the Bagan era. Another nat festival, rather smaller than the one at Taungbyone, follows immediately afterwards at Yadana-gu, a paya south of Amarapura. This one revolves around the ritual bathing of nat images on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River; many festival-goers arrive here by sampan from Amarapura.

Other Religions Among the non-Buddhist people of Myanmar, 1% are animist, 4% Christian, 4% Muslim and 1.5% Hindu. Most Muslims and Hindus, as well as many Christians, are of Indian descent and live in the larger towns and cities. Most other Christians in Myanmar are found among the tribal minorities, though the majority of the tribal people remain animist. Baptist, Catholic and Anglican missionaries have been active in Myanmar for over 150 years. Ethnic groups that traditionally practised animism were more receptive to conversion, especially the Kayin, Kachin and Chin. Myanmar had 2500 Jews before the wake of nationalism encouraged most to leave; today Myanmar has only about 50 Jews; the best Jewish site to visit is Yangon’s 19th-century Moseah Yeshua Synagogue (p000). With such religious diversity, it’s not surprising that there is sometimes friction between religious groups. In October 2001, riots between Buddhists and Muslims caused the government to impose temporary curfews in Taungoo and Pyay. Many Muslims endure restrictions on their ability to travel, and often can stay only at family homes, not hotels. Yango/SihtsOerPy,Tmpl&Sins/Moeah

Nat Festivals

WOMEN IN MYANMAR

On certain occasions, the nat cult goes behind simple propitiation of the spirits (via offerings) and steps into the realm of spirit invocation. Most commonly, this is accomplished through nat pwe (spirit festivals), special musical performances designed to attract nat to the performance venue. Nearly all indigenous Burmese music is designed for this purpose.

In most respects Myanmar women enjoy legal rights equal to those of Myanmar men; for example, they own property and aren’t barred from any profession. Unlike in the West, females do not traditionally change any portion of their names upon marriage; in the event of divorce, they are legally entitled to half of all property accumulated during the marriage. Inheritance rights are also equally shared. Aung San Suu Kyi wrote

To lure a nat to a loud pwe takes the work of a spirit medium, or nat-gadaw (nat wife), who is either a woman or a male transvestite who sings and dances to invite specific nat to possess them.

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MYANMAR BEAUTY SECRETS Women rarely touch alcohol or cigarettes; the cheroots puffed by country women are mild. High humidity helps, as sweating keeps the pores active and flushed. Most locals wash with cold water (often straight from the river) two or three times daily with unscented soap. Thanakha paste is a combination of moisturiser, sunscreen and perfume that’s smeared on the face (some women apply it to their whole bodies at night); it’s made from the ground bark of the thanakha tree. Plumpness is a sign of health; to say ‘wa-laiq-ta!’ (‘how fat you’re looking!’) is quite a compliment!

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Jataka (life story of the Buddha) while the yamazat picks a tale from the Indian epic Ramayana. Classical dance-drama is occasionally performed at the National Theatre in Yangon (p000), where around a dozen amateur theatre groups regularly practise and perform yamazat. In Mandalay, yamazat performers even have their own shrine. Since Myanmar classical dancing emphasises pose rather than movement, and solo rather than ensemble performances, it can soon become a little boring for TV-hyped Western tastes. By contrast the less common, but livelier, yein pwe features singing and dancing performed by a chorus or ensemble. Most popular of all is the a-nyeint pwe, a traditional-variety pwe somewhat akin to early American vaudeville (see p000 for a description). Yango/EterimNalTh

Enteraim/ MoustacheBr

The literacy rate for men is 88%; for women it is 78%.

that a baby girl is equally celebrated as a baby boy, as they’re believed to be ‘more dutiful and loving than sons’. Girls are educated alongside boys and, by university age, women outnumber men in university and college enrolment. Most white-collar professions grant women a paid maternity leave of six weeks before birth and one or two months afterwards. Religion is one arena in which women perpetually take a back seat, though. Any man is seen as possessing the potential, regardless of desire, of becoming a Buddha; women cannot. A small number of Buddhist shrines, for example Mandalay’s Mahamuni Paya, have small areas around the main holy image that are off-limits to women. Many people in Myanmar – women as well as men – believe the birth of a female indicates less religious merit than the birth of a male, and that it is easier for males to attain nibbana. A small but devoted minority of men and women refute this view, pointing out that the actual suttas, or sayings of the Buddha, do not support this assumption. Just as boys between the ages of five and 15 usually undergo a prepuberty initiation as temporary novice monks, girls around the same age participate in an initiatory ear-piercing ceremony (often called ‘earboring’ in Burmese English). Some also become temporary nuns at this age. Saw Myat Yin, the insightful author of Culture Shock! Burma, expresses a viewpoint common among the majority of Myanmar women, who see their role as equal but ‘supportive and complementary…rather than in competition’ and that ‘if they accept a role a step behind their menfolk they do so freely and willingly’.

ARTS

Dance & Theatre Myanmar’s truly indigenous dance forms are those that pay homage to the nat. In special nat pwe, one or more nat is invited to possess the body and mind of a medium; sometimes members of the audience are possessed instead, an event greatly feared by most locals. As with music, most of Myanmar’s classical dance styles arrived from Thailand. Today the dances most obviously taken from Thailand are known as yodaya zat (Ayuthaya theatre), as taught to the Burmese by Thai theatrical artists taken captive in the 18th century. The most Myanmar of dances feature solo performances by female dancers who wear strikingly colourful dresses with long white trains, which they kick into the air with their heels – quite a feat, given the restrictive length of the train. A zat pwe involves a re-creation of an ancient legend or Buddhist

Marionette Theatre Youq-the pwe (Myanmar marionette theatre) presents colourful puppets up to a metre high in a spectacle that many aesthetes consider the most expressive of all the Myanmar arts. Developed during the Konbaung period, it was so influential that it became the forerunner to zat pwe as later performed by actors rather than marionettes. As with dance-drama, the genre’s ‘golden age’ began with the Mandalay kingdoms of the late 18th century and ran through to the advent of cinema in the 1930s. The people of Myanmar have great respect for an expert puppeteer. Some marionettes may be manipulated by a dozen or more strings; certain nat may sport up to 60 strings, including one for each eyebrow. The marionette master’s standard repertoire requires a troupe of 28 puppets including Thagyamin (king of the gods); a Myanmar king, queen, prince and princess; a regent; two court pages; an old man and an old woman; a villain; a hermit; four ministers; two clowns; one good and one evil nat; a Brahmin astrologer; two ogres; a zawgyi (alchemist); a horse; a monkey; a makara (mythical sea serpent); and an elephant. These days it’s rare to see marionette theatre outside tourist venues in Yangon, Mandalay or Bagan.

Music Much of classical Myanmar music, played loud like the nat like it, features strongly in any pwe, and its repetitive, even harsh, harmonies can be hard on Western ears at first. This harshness likely comes from the fact that Myanmar scales are not ‘tempered’ as Western scales have been since Bach. Traditional Myanmar music is primarily two dimensional in the sense that rhythm and melody provide much of the musical structure, while repetition is a key element in developing this structure. Subtle shifts in rhythm and tonality provide the modulation usually supplied by the harmonic dimension in Western music. CLASSICAL MUSIC

The original inspiration for much of Myanmar’s current musical tradition came from Thailand (then Siam) during the reign of King Hsinbyushin, particularly after the second conquest of Thailand in 1767 when musicians and dancers were brought to Myanmar to effect ‘cultural augmentation’. Interestingly, the Thais had acquired these styles themselves from Cambodian musicians after conquering Angkor centuries earlier. Myanmar classical music as played today was codified by Po Sein, a colonial-era musician, composer and drummer who also designed the hsaing waing (the circle of tuned drums, also known as paq waing) and formalised classical dancing styles. Such music is meant to be played as

Myanmar dance scholars have catalogued around 2000 dance movements, including 13 head movements, 28 eye movements, nine neck movements, 24 ways of moving only one hand and 23 using both hands, 38 leg movements, eight body postures and 10 walking movements.

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T H E C U LT U R E • • A r t s 65

TRADITIONAL BURMESE MUSIC CDS

ROCK & RAP CDS

These music CDs can generally be found outside Myanmar:

These are five highlights, generally only found (for K1200 or K1500) in Myanmar. (Sincere regrets go to the one-time Rakhaing band Evil Elf, who sadly never recorded.)

Mahagita, Harp & Vocal Music from Burma (2003; Smithsonian Folkways) Green Tea Leaf Salad, Flavors of Burmese Music (2001; Pan Records)

Lay Phyu & Iron Cross, Butterfly (2003) Myanmar’s most popular rock singer

White Elephants & Golden Ducks, Musical Treasures from Burma (1997; Shanachie)

Ah Nge & Iron Cross, Khu Hnit Tway Ah Ka (2003) Iron Cross’ number two (a little more talented than Mr Lay, actually)

Pat Waing, The Magic Drum Circle of Burma (1998; Shanachie)

Myanmar Future Generations Free-download album (www.mm-fg.net) of 11 politically charged rap tracks (and counting)

U Ko Ko, Performs on the Burmese Piano (1995; Ummus)

The Ants, Colourful Chocolate (1998) Alternative-rock trio from Shan State

At the National Museum in Yangon (p101) you can view an exhibit of Burmese traditional music

an accompaniment to classical dance-dramas that enact scenes from the Jataka or from the Ramayana. Musical instruments are predominantly percussive, but even the hsaing waing may carry the melody. These drums are tuned by placing a wad of paq-sa (drum food) – made from a kneaded paste of rice and wood-ash – onto the centre of the drum head, then adding or subtracting a pinch at a time till the desired drum tone is attained. In addition to the hsaing waing, the traditional hsaing (Myanmar ensemble) of seven to 10 musicians will usually play: the kye-waing (a circle of tuned brass gongs); the saung gauq (a boat-shaped harp with 13 strings); the pattala (a sort of xylophone); the hneh (an oboe-type instrument related to the Indian shanai); the pa-lwe (a bamboo flute); the mi-gyaung (crocodile lute); the paq-ma (a bass drum); and the yagwin (small cymbals) and wa-leq-hkouq (bamboo clappers), which are purely rhythmic and are often played by Myanmar vocalists. FOLK

Older than Myanmar classical music is an enchanting vocal folk-music tradition still heard in rural areas where locals may sing without instrumental accompaniment while working. Such folk songs set the work cadence and provide a distraction from the physical strain and monotony of pounding rice, clearing fields, weaving and so on. You’ll hear this type of music most readily in the Ayeyarwady Delta between Twante and Pathein. ROCK & RAP

Modern music has taken off in Myanmar in recent years, with a host of rap and rock bands influenced with the introduction of MTV Asia. Western music’s influence first came in the 1970s, actually, when singers such as Min Min Latt and Takatho Tun Naung sang shocking things such as Beatles cover versions or ‘Tie a Yellow Ribbon around the Old Oak Tree’. This led to long-haired, distorted-guitar rock bands such as Empire and Iron Cross in the 1980s. Iron Cross still makes a huge impact, as does the band Lazy Club, which you may see on videotapes in teashops or aboard all-night buses. Bands such as these (all of whom sing in Burmese, even if they have English names) have a stable of half a dozen singers who share the stage with the same backing band. Iron Cross, for example, features one of Myanmar’s ‘wilder’ singers, Lay Phyu, whose recent Butterfly album has him done up like the insect. Then Iron Cross also tones it down as a backing band for the poppier stuff of other singers. One local aficionado explained: ‘There’s no competition between a band’s many singers. They

Big Bag, Don’t Talk About Punk (2004) Includes cover of Green Day’s Longview, in Burmese Myo Kyawt Myaing, The Troubles of Being Human (2004) Rap pioneer, features My Name is Myo Kyawt Myaing

help each other. Our rock singers don’t throw TVs out the windows. On stage they jump around and all, but offstage they’re very good natured.’ Sone Thin Par and actress Htu Eindra Bo are female singers who win fans for their melodies – and looks. Rap is the latest trend, with Min Min Latt’s son, Anega, now busting beats with other big-name rappers Barbu, Myo Kyawt Myaung and (hear the girls sigh…) Sai Sai. Songs often deal with gossip, or troubles between parents and kids. One rap band, 9mm, was briefly detained in 2004 for performing political songs written by an anonymous prodemocracy group of exiled and local rappers called Myanmar Future Generations (MFG). A famed exiled singer, Mun Awng (a Kachin singer) has recorded political songs, including his Battle for Peace album, which is available through the underground only. Look out for posters advertising shows. Yangon’s Strand Hotel and Mya Yeik Nyo Hotel are popular venues. You might bump into one of Myanmar’s more popular musicians at Yangon’s Mr Guitar Cafe (p000 ).

Yango/DrikBsM

Guitar

Architecture It is in architecture that one sees the strongest evidence of Myanmar artistic skill and accomplishment. Myanmar is a country of zedis, often called ‘pagodas’ in English. Wherever you are – boating down the river, driving through the hills, even flying above the plains – there always seems to be a hilltop zedi in view. It is in Bagan (p000) that you see the most dramatic results of this national enthusiasm for religious monuments. TemplsofBagn

PAYA, ZEDI OR PAHTO?

The paya (pa-yah), the most common Myanmar equivalent to the oftenmisleading English term pagoda, literally means ‘holy one’ and can refer to people, deities and places associated with religion. Often it’s a generic term covering a stupa, temple or shrine. There are basically two kinds of paya: the solid, bell-shaped zedi and the hollow square or rectangular pahto. A zedi or stupa is usually thought to contain ‘relics’ – either objects taken from the Buddha himself (especially pieces of bone, teeth or hair) or certain holy materials. Both zedi and pahto are often associated with kyaung (Buddhist monasteries). The term pahto is sometimes translated as temple, though shrine

All lyrics must pass the government’s censor board. In 1998 blues singer Nyi Pu had to rename his debut Everything’s Going to Be Good to Everything’s Good; a few years later, Iron Cross’ Myo Gyi changed his Very Wild Wind album to a tamer Breeze.

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High above you in a zedi you can hear the wind bells tinkling from the hti, the decorative metal ‘umbrella’ that tops the structure.

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would perhaps be more accurate as priests or monks are not necessarily in attendance. The so-called Mon-style pahto is a large cube with small windows and ground-level passageways; this type is also known as a gu or ku (from the Pali-Sanskrit guha; cave). The overall Bamar concept is similar to that of the Mayan and Aztec pyramids of Mesoamerica: worshippers climb a symbolic mountain lined with religious reliefs and frescoes. If all this seems too confusing, just remember that the generic Myanmar term for all these structures is paya. The famous Mon zedi in Yangon is called Shwedagon Paya (p000), and Bagan’s greatest pahto is often called Ananda Paya (p000).

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of styles and materials, from the rustic wood-and-plaster Tudor villas of Pyin U Lwin to the thick-walled, brick-and-plaster, colonnaded mansions and shop houses of Yangon, Mawlamyine and Myeik. An interesting example of a fusion of Burmese and European styles is the City Hall building in Yangon. Until recently scant attention was paid to preserving colonial architecture – for political as well as economic reasons. Nowadays some are being restored, but many have been demolished and replaced by new structures in recent years.

Yango /Si hts wed P ya

TemplsofBagn/NrthPiAdo

ZEDI STYLES

Early zedi were usually hemispherical (the Kaunghmudaw at Sagaing near Mandalay) or bulbous (the Bupaya in Bagan), while the more modern style is much more graceful – a curvaceous lower bell merging into a soaring spire, such as the Shwedagon Paya in Yangon. Style is not always a good indicator of a zedi’s original age as Myanmar is earthquake-prone and many (including the Shwedagon) have been rebuilt over and again. Around the base of a zedi people are meditating, strolling around and chatting. This makes zedi tranquil places to visit. OTHER BUILDINGS

Traditionally, only the zedi, gu and pahto have been made of permanent materials; until quite recently all secular buildings – and most monasteries – were constructed of wood, so there are few old ones to be seen. Even the great palaces were made of wood, and with the destruction of Mandalay Palace during WWII there is no remaining wooden Myanmar palace. A few surviving examples are in Mandalay (p000), Inwa (p000), Salay (p000) and near Pakokku (p000). Although so little remains of the old wooden architectural skills, there are still many excellent wooden buildings to be seen. The people of Myanmar continue to use teak with great skill, and a fine country home can be a very pleasing structure indeed. Buildings erected during the British colonial period feature a variety Sights/ wenadKyug

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AroundMaly/cietCsInw(av)Sgh

Sculpture & Painting Early Myanmar art was always a part of the religious architecture – paints were for the walls of temples, sculpture to be placed inside them. Remarkably little research has been carried out on Myanmar religious sculpture other than that from the Bagan and Mandalay eras. Many pieces, formerly in paya or kyaung have been sold or stolen. Mandalay’s Mahamuni Buddha image, a Rakhaing sculpture, is the country’s most famous image of any age. Unfortunately, you’ll easily find more Myanmar religious sculpture for sale or on display in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, San Francisco and London than in Myanmar. In the immediate aftermath of the 1988 demonstrations, the government forbade ‘selfish’ or ‘mad art’ that didn’t have clear progovernment themes. One artist, Sitt Nyein Aye, spent two months in custody for sketching the ruins of the former student union, which New Win had blown up in 1962. Things seem to have relaxed a little, evident in national galleries – though most works are rather predictable tourist-oriented works. The government’s social posters – anti-AIDS, antidrugs, or just progovernment! – are interesting pieces of propaganda posted on many main streets.

Bagn&CetrlMym/AoudBagnPk

BUDDHA’S HAND SIGNS Of the hundreds and hundreds of Buddha images you’ll see in Myanmar, the Buddha will be in one of four postures: standing, sitting, walking and reclining. The first three are associated with the daily activities of the Buddha, while the later represents Buddha’s dying moments when he attained parinibbana (ultimate nirvana). Look out for the following hand signs, which have difference meanings: Abhaya Both hands are extended forward, palms out, to symbolise Buddha’s offer of protection or freedom from fear. Bhumispara The right hand touches the ground, which symbolises the point in the Buddha’s life when he sat in meditation beneath the banyan tree and vowed not to budge from the spot until he gained enlightenment. Dana One or both hands extended forward with palms up, which symbolises the offering of dhamma (Buddhist teachings) to the world. Dhyana Both hands rest palm-up on the Buddha’s lap, signifying meditation. Vitarka or Dhammachakka Thumb and forefinger of one hand forms a circle with other fingers curving outward (somewhat like an ‘OK’ gesture), symbolising the first public discourse on Buddhist doctrine.

Literature Religious texts inscribed onto Myanmar’s famous kammawa (lacquered scriptures) and parabaik (folding manuscripts) were the first pieces of literature as such, and began appearing in the 12th century. Until the 1800s, the only other works of ‘literature’ available were royal genealogies, classical poetry and law texts. A Burmese version of the Indian epic Ramayana was first written in 1775 by poet U Aung Pyo. The first printed books in the country were produced by missionaries; the American Baptist Mission was responsible for virtually all publishing until the late 19th century, when the first press owned by a Burmese began printing a Burmese-language newspaper. Today the people of Myanmar are great readers, as you’ll realise from the piles of books in the street at every night market.

SPORT

Martial Arts Myanmar has a tradition of kickboxing that’s said to date back to the Bagan era, although the oldest written references are found in chronicles of warfare between Burma and Thailand during the 15th and 16th centuries. Myanma let-hwei (Myanmar kickboxing) is very similar in style to muay thai (Thai kickboxing), although not nearly as well developed as a national sport. The most common and traditional kickboxing venues are temporary rings set up at paya pwe rather than sports arenas. However, in recent years occasional championships are held at Aung San Stadium in Yangon. Yangon’s YMCA is a good place to ask about upcoming events.

When royal palaces ceased to be built, woodcarving skills rapidly declined. There has been a small renaissance in recent years, mostly seen in hotels.

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As with Thai boxing, almost anything goes in the ring. All fighters are bare-fisted. All surfaces of the body are considered fair targets and any part of the body except the head may be used to strike an opponent. Common blows include high kicks to the neck, elbow thrusts to the face and head, knee hooks to the ribs and low crescent kicks to the calf. Punching is considered the weakest of all blows and kicking merely a way to ‘soften up’ one’s opponent; knee and elbow strikes are decisive in most matches. Competition isn’t nearly as formalised in Myanmar as in Thailand; in fact you probably won’t find two people anywhere in the country who agree on the rules! In the simplest rural matches, fought in a dirt circle, there’s no time limit and a fighter loses once he has wiped blood from his face or body three times (or gets knocked out cold!). In more organised amateur matches, boxers fight in square rings (5.8m by 5.5m), for three to five rounds of three minutes each, usually with two minutes’ rest between. Professional matches in larger towns and cities begin with five rounds but may increase round by round to 12 rounds when the scoring is tight – even longer if no clear winner emerges earlier in the match. Before the match begins, each boxer performs a dancelike ritual in the ring to pay homage to Buddha and to Khun Cho and Khun Tha, the nat whose domain includes Myanmar kickboxing. The winner repeats the ritual at the end of the match.

Chinlon Often called ‘cane ball’ in Burmese English, chinlon refers to games in which a woven rattan ball about 12cm in diameter is kicked around. It also refers to the ball itself, which resembles the takraw of Thailand and Malaysia. Informally any number of players can form a circle and keep the chinlon airborne by kicking it soccer-style from player to player; a lack of scoring makes it a favourite pastime with locals of all ages. In formal play six players stand in a circle of 22ft (6.6m) circumference. Each player must keep the ball aloft using a succession of 30 techniques and six surfaces on the foot and leg, allotting five minutes for each part. Each successful kick scores a point, while points are subtracted for using the wrong body part or dropping the ball. A popular variation – and the one used in intramural or international competitions – is played with a volleyball net, using all the same rules as in volleyball except that only the feet and head are permitted to touch the ball.

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Environment THE LAND A bit bigger than France and slightly smaller than Texas, Myanmar covers 678,500 sq km, though it sometimes jockeys with neighbouring Thailand for a hectare or two more along its eastern extremes. Its land borders with (clockwise from west) Bangladesh, India, Tibet, China, Laos and Thailand, covers 5876km, and 1930km of coastline faces the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. Geographically, Myanmar’s south is similar to Malaysia, the north to northern India or China, and the centre is an overlap of the two – each producing unique ‘zones’ manifested in the scenery and creatures that hop by it. The area southwest of Yangon is a vast delta region. There is a central broad flat heartland, where much of the country’s history was played out and lots of rice is currently grown. This is surrounded by protective mountain and hill ranges. Most notable are: the rugged Kachin Hills, which serve as the first steps into the Himalaya to the north; Khakabo Razi, on the Tibetan border, is Southeast Asia’s highest mountain at 5889m; and Mt Victoria, west of Bagan in Chin State, which rises 3053m. Three major rivers – fed by monsoon downpours and melted Himalayan snows from Nepal and India – cut north to south through the country. The 2000km-long Ayeyarwady River, one of Asia’s most navigable big rivers, feeds much of the country’s rice fields. It connects lower Myanmar (based around Yangon) with upper Myanmar (around Mandalay). North of Mandalay, the Chindwin River connects the hills to the north; while the Thanlwin River leads from China to the Gulf of Mottama through Myanmar’s east. Also, the Mekong River passes by on the short border with Laos. Politically, the land is divided into seven tain (divisions) and seven pyi (states) as shown on the map on p51.

WILDLIFE Myanmar’s rich wildlife benefits from its diverse habitats – brackish waters and mangrove along the coast, bizarre mixes of tropical forests and cooler mountain habitats up north. The central plains (the dry zone) are home to more rice fields than wildlife.

Animals When Marco Polo wrote about Myanmar in the 13th century, he described ‘...vast jungles teeming with elephants, unicorns and other wild beasts.’ Though Myanmar’s natural biodiversity has no doubt altered considerably since that time, it’s difficult to say by just how much. It’s estimated that Myanmar is presently home to 251 mammals, 687 birds, 203 reptiles and 70 amphibians – 32 of which are endangered, including the tiger, two species of rhinoceros and the red panda (see p70). The most comprehensive wildlife survey available was undertaken by the Bombay Natural History Society between 1912 and 1921 and published as the Mammal Survey of India, Burma and Ceylon. In Myanmar The Wild Animals of Burma, published in 1967, is the most ‘recent’ work available and even this volume simply contains extracts from various surveys carried out by the British between 1912 and 1941, with a few observations dating to 1961.

From the local perspective, the 3000kmlong Himalaya mountain chain begins in Myanmar. This is true enough, as one end of the chain, formed when the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collided 140 million years ago, extends to Myanmar’s northern Kachin State.

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Possession of a sacred ‘white (albino) elephant’ supposedly ensured Burmese kings a prosperous reign. In 1885 Burma’s last royal white elephant died during the reign of King Thibaw. Shortly thereafter British colonial forces took over the country.

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As with Myanmar’s flora, the variation in Myanmar’s wildlife is closely associated with the country’s geographic and climatic differences. Hence the indigenous fauna of the country’s northern half is mostly of IndoChinese origin while that of the south is generally Sundaic (ie typical of Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and Java). In the Himalayan region north of the Tropic of Cancer (just north of Lashio), the fauna is similar to that found in northeastern India. The area extending from around Myitkyina in the north to the Bago Mountains in the central region is one where there is overlap between geographical and vegetative zones – which means that much of Myanmar is a potential habitat for plants and animals from all three zones. Distinctive mammals – found in dwindling numbers within the more heavily forested areas of Myanmar – include leopards, fishing cats, civets, Indian mongooses, crab-eating mongooses, Himalayan bears, Asiatic black bears, Malayan sun bears, gaur (Indian bison), banteng (wild cattle), serow (an Asiatic mountain goat), wild boars, sambar, barking deer, mouse deer, tapirs, pangolin, gibbons and macaques. Sea mammals include dolphins and dugongs. Some 10,000 Asiatic elephants – roughly a third of all those on the planet – are distributed throughout Myanmar. Among these are 6000 working elephants, most of which are used in logging and agriculture. It’s encouraging that this number exceeds by a thousand that tallied by English scholar FT Morehead in his 1944 treatise The Forests of Burma. Reptiles and amphibians include four sea turtle species along with numerous snake varieties, of which an astounding 52 are venomous. These include the common cobra, king cobra (hamadryad), banded krait, Malayan pit viper, green viper and Russell’s viper. Myanmar is rich in birdlife, with an estimated 687 resident and migrating species. Coastal and inland waterways of the delta and southern peninsula are especially important habitats for Southeast Asian waterfowl. One of the best birding spots is at Mt Victoria, which requires taking an expensive government guide (p329). ENDANGERED SPECIES

Currently, 32 species are endangered in Myanmar, including the flying squirrel, tiger, three-striped box turtle and blue whale. The main threats to the country’s wildlife are deforestation and poaching (see p72 for more details). As recently as the mid-1990s, an estimated 2000 tigers (about 40% of Southeast Asia’s total, some suggest) were thought to inhabit the primary forests, but some sources claim that numbers have dropped dramatically due to poaching and the illicit trade in tiger parts. Both the one-horned (Javan) rhinoceros and the Asiatic two-horned (Sumatran) rhinoceros are believed to survive in very small numbers near the Thai border in Kayin State. The rare red panda (or cat bear) was last

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INTRODUCING…THE LEAF DEER In the 1990s, the ‘leaf deer’ – a 0.6m-tall tall deer – amazed scientists in northern Myanmar just by existing. Locals called it ‘leaf deer’ because it’s so small they could wrap it in a leaf. Genetically ancient, and considered the most primitive deer species, it offers insight into evolution. The New York–based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) was the first to bring the leaf deer to the attention of the world. The WCS also broke ground by becoming, in 1993, the first international NGO to work with the junta to set up wildlife reserves in Myanmar in three decades.

sighted in northern Myanmar in the early 1960s but is still thought to live in Kachin State forests above 2000m.

Plants As in the rest of tropical Asia, most indigenous vegetation in Myanmar is associated with two basic types of tropical forest: monsoon forest (with a distinctive dry season of three months or more) and rainforest (where rain falls more than nine months per year). It’s said there are over 1000 plant species endemic to the country. Monsoon forests are marked by deciduous tree varieties, which shed their leaves during the dry season; rainforests are typically evergreen. The area stretching from Yangon to Myitkyina contains mainly monsoon forests, while peninsular Myanmar to the south of Mawlamyine is predominantly a rainforest zone. There is much overlapping of the two – some forest zones support a mix of monsoon forest and rainforest vegetation. In the mountainous Himalayan region above the Tropic of Cancer, Myanmar’s flora is characterised by subtropical broadleaf evergreen forest up to 2000m; temperate semi-deciduous broadleaf rainforest from 2000m to 3000m; and, above 3000m, evergreen coniferous, subalpine snow forest and alpine scrub. Along the Rakhaing and Tanintharyi coasts, tidal forests occur in river estuaries, lagoons, tidal creeks and along low islands. Such woodlands are characterised by mangrove and other coastal trees that grow in mud and are resistant to seawater. Beach and dune forests, which grow along these same coasts above the high-tide line, consist of palms, hibiscus, casuarinas and other tree varieties that can withstand high winds and occasional storm-sent waves. The country’s most famous flora includes an incredible array of fruit trees, over 25,000 flowering species, a variety of tropical hardwoods, and bamboo. Cane and rattan are also plentiful.

Myanmar may possibly contain more species of bamboo than any country outside China. One pure stand of bamboo forest in Rakhaing State extends over 7770 sq km.

RESPONSIBLE ECOLOGICAL TRAVEL TIPS Here are some simple tips for helping Myanmar’s environment. „ Avoid using nonbiodegradable goods. „ If you do use nonbiodegradable items deposit them in rubbish bins in the nearest town.

CARING FOR YOUR ELEPHANT One of my favourite Burmese books is Burmese Timber Elephant by U Toke Gale. It could be subtitled ‘selection, care and use of your pet elephant’, for it tells you everything you need to know and many things you don’t about timber elephants – even what to do when your elephant is in musth. There’s a chart of 90 nerve centres to use to control an elephant or get it to do things. But don’t press 13, 25, 60, 61 or 63 or ‘the animal will be infuriated’! Tony Wheeler

Make an effort to carry out rubbish left by others. „ Never bury your rubbish: digging disturbs soil and ground cover, and encourages erosion.

Buried rubbish will likely be dug up by animals, which may be injured or poisoned by it. „ Avoid restaurants serving ‘exotic’ wildlife species, if you should find them (eg barking deer, bear). „ Ask boat drivers not to lower anchors onto coral formations, if on a trip in the vicinity of coral

reefs.

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Myanmar holds 75% of the world’s reserves of Tectona grandis, better known as teak (kyun in Burmese). This dense, long-wearing, highly prized hardwood is one of Myanmar’s most important exports, for which the biggest consumers are China, Singapore and India.

NATIONAL PARKS Alan Rabinowitz’s Beyond the Last Village: A Journey of Discovery in Asia’s Forbidden Wilderness (2001) describes the rolled-up-sleeve efforts by himself and the Wildlife Conservation Society to set up reserves and parks in Myanmar’s northern areas.

Most of Myanmar’s protected areas are off-limits for travellers. See a list of wildlife sanctuaries at www .myanmars.net/travel /ecotourism.htm.

By an optimistic account, about 7.2% of Myanmar’s land area (48,981 sq km) is made up of national parks and national forests, wildlife sanctuaries and parks and other protected areas. Other accounts estimate the percentage of protected areas as more like 2.1% (and this tally takes in zoos and the like). Regardless, the government has pledged to expand the area, much to the credit of the efforts of the New York–based Wildlife Conservation Society. In 2004 the government expanded the Hukuang Valley Tiger Reserve (p225) in Kachin State to 8400 sq km (and it may grow to 12,000 sq km), making it the largest tiger reserve in the world. When set up in 2001, a mere 150 tigers roamed the area; hunting (for the Chinese market) has been a major cause of the decline. Most of the ‘ecotourist’ sights touted by the government (ranging from the zoo in the capital to the world’s largest tiger reserve in Kachin State) are in remote areas and require special permission to visit. The most visited national park is Mt Popa (p277), which receives 150,000 visitors annually. By one account, Myanmar sports more forest in general than any South or Southeast Asian country apart from India, and has 75% of the same area of forest as India, despite its much smaller size. That said, only 1.2% of Myanmar’s forests are protected – by one estimate; others have it at about 3% – so Myanmar’s forests remain the most unprotected in the region. The government apparently plans to expand, in increments, to protect 5%, then 10%, of the country at some point. We’ll see.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

A conservative estimate is that 500,000 cu metres of timber heads to China annually. Myanmar’s forest cover is currently about 50%, but apparently the percentage drops by 1.4% annually – one of the 10 worst deforestation rates in the world.

Essentially no environmental legislation was passed from the time of independence until after 1988, and unsurprisingly most of the government’s acts – such as recent efforts to ‘green the Dry Zone,’ protect wildlife etc – have been ineffective. At the moment, deforestation by the timber industry poses the greatest threat to wildlife habitats. In areas where habitat loss isn’t a problem, hunting threatens to wipe out the rarer animal species. Wildlife laws are seldom enforced, which hardly helps matters. Poaching remains a huge problem in Myanmar, where tiger, elephant, python, turtle and eagle is frequently sold in Mandalay (en route to China usually). Of the protected areas, 13 of 16 wildlife sanctuaries are smaller than 350 sq km – not big enough to make much of a difference. Marine life is threatened by a lack of long-range conservation goals. Myanmar’s move to industrialise means that the release of pollutants into rivers and the sea is steadily increasing, and overfishing, especially in the delta regions, is also a growing problem. The country must also deal with illegal encroachment on national fisheries by Bangladeshi, Thai and Malaysian fishing boats. Though most locals recycle nonbiodegradable material as a matter of course (disposability is still only a luxury for the rich here), and despite government’s plans to expand ‘protected’ areas, there is no ‘environmental movement’ in the country as such. About 70% of the population are farmers, and much of Myanmar’s forests have fallen to the axe – for fuel sources, or legal/illicit timber

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exports. One of the most troubled areas is the so-called ‘Dry Zone’, made up of heavily populated Mandalay, lower Sagaing and Magwe divisions. Little of the original vegetation remains in this pocket (which is about 10% of Myanmar’s land, but home to one-third of the population) due to growth in the area’s population and deforestation. The problem isn’t new. Much of Britain’s 19th-century industrialisation, as well as the train tracks made here in Myanmar, were built from cut Burmese timber. Following the 1988 putting down of the prodemocracy protests, the government relaxed timber and fishing laws for short-term gains, causing more long-term problems.

Myanmar is the world’s second-leading producer of heroin, with many poppy farms in the Golden Triangle area of Shan State. The UN’s Office of Drugs & Crime reported, however, that poppy cultivation fell by 29% in 2004.

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Food & Drink STAPLES & SPECIALTIES

When you’re served a bowl of hìn (curry), you’re not expected to consume all the oil; just spoon out the ingredients from underneath the layer.

One of the seminal works on Myanmar cuisine is Cook and Entertain the Burmese Way, by Mi Mi Khaing.

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(rice noodles with chicken or fish), which is eaten with a spoon and tu (chopsticks). Another popular noodle dish, especially at festivals, is oun-no hkauq-sweh, rice noodles with pieces of chicken in a spicy sauce made with coconut milk.

Burmese Cuisine

REGIONAL CUISINE

Mainstream Burmese cuisine represents an intriguing blend of Bamar, Mon, Indian and Chinese influences. T’ǎmìn, also written as htamin (rice) is the core of any Burmese meal, to be eaten with a choice of hìn (curry dishes), most commonly fish, chicken, prawns or mutton. Very little beef or pork is eaten by the Burmese – beef because it’s considered offensive to most Hindus and Burmese Buddhists, and pork because the nat (spirits) disapprove (see p60). Many Burmese Buddhists in fact abstain from eating the flesh of any four-legged animal, and, during the Buddhist rain retreat around the Waso full moon may take up a ‘fire-free’ diet that includes only uncooked vegetables and fruit. Nearly all butchers in Myanmar are either Muslim or Chinese. Unlike many Chinese dishes, Burmese food takes a long time to prepare, and is often best eaten either at lunch in restaurants when it’s fresh, or in homes. Bamar curries are the mildest in Asia in terms of chilli power – in fact most cooks don’t use chillies at all in their recipes, just a simple masala of turmeric, ginger, garlic, salt and onions, plus plenty of peanut oil and shrimp paste. Heat can be added in the form of balachaung, a table condiment made from chillies, tamarind and dried shrimp pounded together, or from the very pungent, very hot ngapi jaw (shrimp paste fried in peanut oil with chilli, garlic and onions). Curries are generally cooked until the oil separates from all other ingredients and floats on top. Some restaurants will add oil to maintain the correct top layer, as the oil preserves the underlying food from contamination by insects and airborne bacteria while the curries sit in open, unheated pots for hours at a time. Lots of dishes are flavoured with ngapi, which is a salty paste concocted from dried and fermented shrimp or fish, and can be very much an acquired taste. A thin sauce of pressed fish or shrimp called ngan-pya-ye may also be used to salt Bamar dishes. One of the culinary highlights of Burmese food (or Bamar food) is undoubtedly dhouq or thouq (also lethouq) – light, spicy salads made with raw vegetables or fruit tossed with lime juice, onions, peanuts, chillies and other spices. Among the most exquisite are maji-yweq dhouq, made with tender young tamarind leaves, and shauk-thi dhouq, mixed with pomelo, a large citrus fruit similar in appearance to grapefruit, but sweeter. T’ãmìn let-dhouq are savoury salads made with cooked rice. A popular finish to Bamar meals is la-hpeq dhouq (a saladlike concoction of pressed, moistened green tea leaves mixed with a combination of sesame seeds, fried peas, dried shrimp, fried garlic, peanuts, toasted coconut and ginger, and other crunchy flavourings). The ‘slimy-looking’ mass of leaves puts some foreigners off, but it’s actually quite tasty once you get beyond the dish’s exotic appearance. A common side dish is Indian-influenced peh-hìn-ye (lentil soup, or dahl); the classier restaurants may serve dahl fortified with chunks of boiled turnips, potatoes and okra. A hìn-jo (mild soup) of green squash may also be available. Once you’ve ordered one or more curries at an authentic t’ãmìn zain (rice shop), rice, dahl, soup, side dishes and Chinese tea come automatically for no charge. Noodle dishes are most often eaten for breakfast or as light meals between the main meals of the day. By far the most popular is mohinga

In Mandalay and around Inle (Kalaw, Pindaya, Nyaungshwe and Taunggyi) it is also fairly easy to find Shan cuisine, which is very similar to northern Thai cuisine. Popular dishes are k’auk sen (Shan-style wide rice noodles with curry) and various fish and meat salads. Large maung jeut (rice crackers) are common throughout Shan State. Shàn k’auk swèh (Shan-style noodle soup) – thin wheat noodles in a light broth with chunks of chilli-marinated chicken – is a favourite all over Myanmar but is most common in Mandalay and Shan State. A variation popular in Mandalay is made with rice noodles and called myi shay. Another Shan dish worth seeking out is t’ãmìn chin (‘sour rice’, a turmeric-coloured rice salad). Mon cuisine, most readily available in towns stretching from Bago to Mawlamyine, is very similar to Bamar food with a greater emphasis on curry selections. While a Bamar restaurant might offer a choice of four or five curries, a Mon restaurant will have as many as a dozen, all lined up in curry pots to examine. Mon curries are also more likely to contain chillies than in other cuisines. Rakhaing food most resembles dishes found in Bangladesh and India’s Bengal state, featuring lots of bean and pulse dishes, very spicy curries and flatbreads. Because of Rakhaing State’s long coastline, seafood is common in the larger towns. Seafood is also available and popular in Tanintharyi Division, which has a similarly lengthy sea coast.

Food is so enjoyed in Myanmar that standard greetings to friends and foreigners include: sar pyi bi lar? (‘have you eaten your lunch yet?’) and bar hìn ne sar le? (‘what curry did you have for lunch?’)

Chinese & Indian Cuisines In towns large and small throughout Myanmar you’ll find plenty of Chinese restaurants, many of which offer regional specialities that are a world (well, half of China anyway) away from the Chinese food found in Western countries. For example, there are Muslim-Chinese restaurants that serve Yunnanese specialities. Indian restaurants are also common, although much more so in Yangon than elsewhere. Most are run by Muslim Indians, a few by Hindus. Excellent chicken dan bauk (biryani) as well as all-you-can-eat vegetarian thali served on a banana-leaf is easy to find in the capital. The Myanmar people call Indian restaurants that serve all-you-can-eat thalis ‘Chitty’ or ‘Chetty’ restaurants. Many Indian places outside of Yangon can be very basic.

Fruit Myanmar has a wide variety of tropical fruits (watermelon, grapefruit lychee, pomelo, banana, tangerine etc) and in season you can get delicious strawberries in Pyin U Lwin, Mandalay and even Yangon. Don’t miss the huge avocados if you’re in the Inle Lake area. Bago is known for its tasty pineapples, and Hsipaw has the most delicious papayas we’ve ever sampled. Mangoes are available from March through July, jackfruit from June to October.

DRINKS

Nonalcoholic Drinks Only drink water in Myanmar when you know it has been purified – which in most restaurants it should be. You should be suspicious of ice

Half of Ba Than’s fun little book Myanmar’s Attractions & Delights (2003) features snippets of background on various dishes and food-related customs. The book is available in some Yangon bookshops.

76 F O O D & D R I N K • • D r i n k s

For more tips on drinking water, see p375.

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although we’ve had lots of ice drinks in Myanmar without suffering any ill-effects. Many brands of drinking water are sold in bottles and are quite safe. A 1L bottle, usually kept cool by ice or refrigerator, costs about K150 or K200. Burmese tea, brewed in the Indian style with lots of milk and sugar, is cheap. If this is not to your liking, ask for Chinese tea, which is weak and comes without milk. Many restaurants, the Chinese ones in particular, will provide as much weak Chinese tea as you can handle – for free if you order some food. It’s a good, safe thirst quencher and some people prefer it to regular Burmese tea. You can always buy some little snack if you’d like some tea but not a meal. Teashops (p79) are a good place to drink safely boiled tea and munch on inexpensive snacks such as nambya, palata (kinds of flat breads) or Chinese pastries. Soft drinks are more costly but reasonable by Asian standards. Since the privatisation of industry there has been a boom in new made-inMyanmar soft-drink brands, including Fantasy, Max, Star, Fruito and Crusher. They taste pretty much the same as a Coke and are not frequently found outside Yangon or touristy areas. Local soft drinks costs about K150 per bottle, while a Coke can be K700 or more because it can only be brought into the country via the black market. Coffee drinkers will find themselves growing disturbingly attached to the ‘three-in-one’ packets of instant coffee (the ‘three’ being coffee, milk and sugar), which you can have in teashops for about K200. Shops sell them for K100 each in stores.

Alcoholic Drinks In the past the Burmese were not big drinkers. This was partially due to the general lack of disposable income but also because alcohol-drinking is looked down upon by the many Burmese Buddhists who interpret the fifth lay precept against intoxication very strictly. However, with the advent of ‘beer stations’ – places that serve cheap draught beer – the number of urban Burmese who can afford a few glasses of beer after work is on the rise. In fact, beer stations seem to be giving the traditional Burmese teashops some stiff competition. Any place selling beer or alcohol must pay (sometimes relatively expensive) ‘alcohol licence fees’ to the government. See p79 for information on drinking venues. BEER

Apart from international brands such as Tiger, ABC Stout, Singha, San Miguel, Beck and other beers brewed in Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia (typically costing K800 to K1200 for a 375mL can or bottle), there are a couple of Myanmar brews. These include long-established Myanmar Beer, which is very similar to Indian or Sri Lankan beer – and equal to Tiger, to the palate of at least a couple of researchers. A more watery beer is Mandalay Beer. If you order it, some waiting staff may double-check to see if you meant ‘Myanmar’ beer. Some bottles contain a layer of sediment on the bottom resulting from inadequate filtration. Founded in 1886, Mandalay Brewery, in Yangon, also produces the New Mandalay Export label, which is the best-tasting local beer. Some fine, newer, brands brewed in Myanmar include Dagon and Skol. All these cost about the same as Mandalay Beer but taste a lot better. Also worth a try is the new Mandalay Strong Ale, which packs a punch with a 7.5% alcohol content. Among the locals, Myanmar draught is the favourite; a glass of it will only set you back K250.

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F O O D & D R I N K • • C e l e b r a t i o n s 77

TODDY

Throughout central Myanmar and the delta, t’àn ye (or htan ye; palm juice) or toddy is the farmer’s choice of alcoholic beverage. T’àn ye is tapped from the top of a toddy palm, the same tree – and the same sap – that produces jaggery, or palm sugar. The juice is sweet and nonalcoholic in the morning, but by midafternoon ferments naturally to a weak, beerlike strength. By the next day it will have turned. The milky, viscous liquid has a nutty aroma and a slightly sour flavour that fades quickly. Villages in some areas have their own thatched-roof toddy bars where the locals meet and drink pots of fermented toddy. The toddy is sold in the same roughly engraved terracotta pots the juice is collected in and drunk from coconut half-shells set on small bamboo pedestals. Favourite toddy accompaniments include prawn crackers and fried peas. Some toddy bars also sell t’àn-ayeq (toddy liquor, also called jaggery liquor), a much stronger, distilled form of toddy sap. OTHER LIQUORS & WINES

Very popular in Shan State is an orange brandy called shwe leinmaw, with prices decreasing depending on how close to the source you buy it. Much of it is distilled in the mountains between Kalaw and Taunggyi. It’s a pleasant-tasting liqueur – sort of a poor man’s Grand Marnier – and packs quite a punch. In Pyin U Lwin, there are several sweet strawberry-based wines you can pick up. There is also a variety of stronger liquors, including ayeq hpyu (white liquor), which varies in strength from brandylike to almost pure ethyl; and taw ayeq (jungle liquor), a cruder form of ayeq hpyu.

CELEBRATIONS Burmese meals are made not with servings, but giant shareable portions, and feasts often spill into grand family-and-friends affairs. For some birthdays, when a child ‘takes the robe’ and joins a monastery, and certainly funerals (or anniversaries of deaths), monks are invited to eat with Buddhist families, who offer blessings to the family. Those who can afford it arrange large parties to eat at Chinese restaurants or hotel restaurants for weddings or birthdays.

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK Myanmar has essentially three dining/drinking scenarios: what’s in Yangon; what’s in other oft-visited places (Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake, Ngapali Beach); and then everywhere else. Food can be quite cheap (from K1000 for a full stomach) if you stick to the roadside restaurants with their curry-filled pots or pick-and-point rice dishes. On the other hand, the restaurants of big hotels or Yangon's expat-oriented scene are predictably expensive; some only accept US dollars. Other oft-visited towns have restaurants that cater to travellers, though they are not as upmarket as some restaurants in Yangon. Because almost all accommodation options include a free breakfast of eggs – or, on occasion, mohinga – many travellers don’t venture out in the morning.

Quick Eats By far the bulk of eateries throughout Myanmar are basic with concrete floors, wide-open front for ventilation and often a menu in English. Burmese eateries are busiest (and many say freshest) at lunch. No menus

Many festivals in Myanmar involve celebrations. For more information, see p340.

78 F O O D & D R I N K • • W h e re t o E a t & D r i n k

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STREET SNACKS: WE DARE YOU Myanmar thăye-za (literally ‘mouth-watering snack’) come in an eye-popping array of cheap bitesized snacks that line ‘night markets’ all around the country. Most of the stuff isn’t threatening – multicoloured sticky-rice sweets, poppy-seed cakes, dried salt fish split open and de-boned, and banana or potato puddings. A bag of the sweet offerings can be taken to a restaurant for a cheap BYO dessert. Other options, though, are a little more of a challenge to Western stomachs. Some locals boast that ‘anything that walks on the ground can be eaten’, the following list is testimony to that saying: items at a wek thaa douk htoe (barbecue stand) – these stands are a few tiny plastic stools around a boiling pot and a circular grill filled with various sliced-up pig organs (liver, intestine, lung, pancreas, heart, head, lip, ears, nose, tongue); grab and grill and dip in the spicy sauce for about K20 per piece. pa-yit kyaw (fried cricket) – like the ol’ adage goes, there’s nothing like a 10-pack of fried crickets for K400 to kick off an evening; sometimes they are sold on a skewer – one local explained how to eat them: ‘take off the head, peel off the wings and gulp it’. bi-laar (beetle) – prepared like crickets, except diners ‘suck the stomach out, then chew the head part’. thin baun poe (larva) – these thick, cocoonlike insect larvae, freshly taken from bamboo poles, are lightly grilled and served still wriggling; a vendor explained, ‘It’s best to eat raw because it’s good for your stomach’, apparently there’s a big demand in China for these, so eat them while you can.

are necessary at most; just go to the line of curries and point to what you want. A meal comes with a tableful of condiments, all of which are automatically refilled once you finish them. An all-you-can-eat meal is about K1000 or K1500. Some basic eateries operate as long as restaurants (roughly 7am to 8pm or 9pm). Another abundant option is the (usually) hole-in-the-wall Indian curry shop, which generally serves veggie dishes only and no beer. You can recognise Muslim (halal) restaurants by the numeral 786 over the door, sometimes flanked by the star-and-crescent symbol. This number represents the Arabic phrase ‘In the name of Allah the most beneficent and merciful’. Like most Southeast Asians, the people of Myanmar are great graband-go snackers; stands at night markets, selling a host of sweets and barbecued meals and noodles, get going around 5pm to 8pm or later, and are generally the liveliest and cheapest eating in Myanmar. Generally you can get some fried noodles, a few pieces of pork, or sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf for K100 to K250. Street and market stalls tend to provide the regional dishes, but you’ll need to be a little wary of cleanliness.

Restaurants Most restaurants keep long hours daily, usually from 7am to 9pm or until the last diner wants to stumble out – belly full of curry or beer. Chinese restaurants are found in most towns, and can be quite appealing after a week or so of Burmese food. Most have similar sprawling menus, with as many as 50 rice or noodle chicken, pork, lamb, fish, beef or vegetable dishes. Veggie dishes start at around K500 or K600; meat dishes about K1000. SWISHY EATS

More upmarket restaurants – sometimes serving a mix of Asian foods, others specialising (Italian, Thai etc) – can be found in Bagan, Mandalay,

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F O O D & D R I N K • • W h e re t o E a t & D r i n k 79

Inle Lake and (especially) Yangon. Also, most top-end hotels, too, offer plusher eating places, sometimes set around the pool. Such comfort is rarer to come by off the beaten track. In Yangon, a dish at a Japanese, Korean or Italian restaurant, for example, can cost up to US$10. A hot pizza at Nyaung U, in Bagan, is about K1200 or K1500. Upscale hotel restaurants usually have a few Bamar dishes on their menus but these will be toned-down versions of the real thing, with less chilli and seasonings, and they’ll usually come with fewer accompanying dishes.

Drinking Venues Outside Yangon, drinking gets done at restaurants or open-air barbecue restaurants sometimes called in Burmese-English, cutely, ‘beer stations’. Opening hours are therefore the same as for restaurants. All but Indian restaurants keep cold bottles of Tiger and Myanmar beer handy (charging from K1000 to K1200 in basic restaurants, upwards to K3000 in swankier ones). It’s perfectly fine to linger for hours and down a few beers. Men and women don’t often intermingle at restaurants, so in many places you may see red-faced men lingering over a slowly amassing number of empty bottles, with full ones always kept nearby by waiting staff. More upmarket restaurants will serve foreign wines and mix cocktails. For information on Yangon’s lively drinking scene, including expat hang-outs and places where many famous Myanmar musicians go to get blitzed, see p118.

Teashops At all times of day you’ll see locals sitting in teashops, where the tea flows freely and the assorted pastries are very inexpensive. Teashops are an important social institution in Myanmar, serving as meeting places for friends, family and business associates, as well as a source of cheap nutrition and caffeine. The shops come in all shapes and sizes, indoor and outdoor, morningoriented and evening-oriented. The morning teashops are typically open from 5am to 5pm, and generally serve the best-quality tea; many will also serve Burmese-style coffee. Evening teashops open from 4pm or 5pm and stay open till 11pm or later – even all night in some places, particularly near train or bus stations that have late-night activity. MYANMAR’S TOP FIVE RESTAURANTS Sandy’s Myanmar Cuisine, Yangon (p112) If you’re tired of streetside stalls serving mohinga (noodles and chicken/fish), this stylish colonial building serves excellent Burmese fare on its outdoor patio overlooking Kandawgyi Lake. Grilled squid at a private open-air restaurant, Ngapali Beach (p316) Fresh squid dunked in chilli/garlic sauce is probably Myanmar’s best meal. Seik Tie Kye Restaurant (p199) You and three pals can share a giant steaming hotpot of chicken and beancurd then order fresh ice-cream chasers – for about K2000 each. Aroma 2, Nyaung U (p271) Fresh Indian curries – fish, mutton, veggie – come on banana-leaf plates; the best stuff needs to be ordered a day ahead. Burmese Cuisine, Hsipaw (p212) Sure the name’s obvious, but this hole-in-the-wall fills a host of pots with tasty curries; best is the pumpkin – for K300 a plate.

80 F O O D & D R I N K • • Ve g e t a r i a n s & Ve g a n s

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The quality of tea can vary dramatically from one teashop to the next. The best use only fresh, top-quality Indian-style tea for every brewing cycle, while the worst recycle tea leaves until the flavour and colour are gone. A cup of tea, served with condensed milk, is K100 to K200. You can get hot Chinese-style tea at many restaurants for free with food; most restaurants do not serve ‘Indian tea’ (aka ‘Burmese tea’) with milk.

EAT YOUR WORDS

F O O D & D R I N K • • E a t Y o u r W o r d s 81

For some general Burmese phrases and pronunciation guidelines see the Language chapter on p379.

Useful Phrases FINDING FOOD

Is there a ... near here? Myanmar’s teashops are often excellent places to go for breakfast.

ORDERING DELICIOUS TEA

Getting tea with milk at a teashop can be one of the country’s great challenges. Some servers know the English word ‘tea’, but you may end up with Chinese-style tea (and no milk) unless you’re willing to point-andnod at fellow sippers’ tables, or learn a couple of phrases. lǎp’eq·ye – tea water, will come with a dollop of condensed milk cho bouk – less sweet version of lǎp’eq·ye kyauk padaung – very sweet, the phrase comes from a famous sugarpalm–growing region near Bagan

VEGETARIANS & VEGANS Vegetarians will be able to find fare at most restaurants in Myanmar. Even meaty barbecues have a few skewered vegetables that can be grilled up. The easiest way to convey your needs is saying ‘I can’t eat meat’ (ãthà mãsà-nain-bù). In some cases, saying ‘no chicken, no pork, no fish’ in English gets the point across. Some Indian or Nepali restaurants are vegan. Throughout the regional chapters, we highlight some particularly good vegetarian options or restaurants.

EATING WITH KIDS You won’t find children’s menus in Myanmar restaurants, but staff will be happy to serve kids and can offer smaller portions on request. Some more traveller-oriented restaurants have bonus features such as puppet shows or live music that may add to the fun.

HABITS & CUSTOMS At home, most families take their meals sitting on reed mats around a low, round table about 30cm in height. In restaurants, chairs and tables are more common. The entire meal is served at once, rather than in courses. In basic Bamar restaurants, each individual diner in a group typically orders a small plate of curry for himself or herself, while side dishes are shared among the whole party. This contrasts with China and Thailand, for example, where every dish is usually shared. Traditionally, Bamar food is eaten with the fingers, much like in India, usually with the right hand (but using the left doesn’t seem to be a taboo as it is in India). Nowadays, it’s also common for urban Myanmar people to eat with a k’ăyìn or hkayin (fork) and zùn (tablespoon). These are always available at Bamar restaurants and almost always given to foreign diners. DO’S & DON’TS A fork is held in the left hand and used as a probe to push food onto the spoon; you eat from the spoon. If you’re invited to a home, it’s common for the hostess and children to not eat at the table. Locals tend to focus on the flavours, not table talk, during meals. If you’re asked to join someone at a restaurant, they will expect to pay for the meal.

... di·nà·hma shí·dhǎlà?

Chinese restaurant food stall restaurant Shan noodle stall

... dIn;"mH;rHiol;"> tǎyouq·s’ain sà·thauq·s’ain sà·daw·s’eq shàn·k’auk·swèh·zain

trut'zui=' c;"eo;k'zui=' c;"et;'zk' rHm'"ex:k'zâEzui='

ORDERING

I can’t eat meat. ǎthà mǎsà·nain·bù.

ao;" mc;"Nui='.U">

Do you have any drinking water? thauq·ye shí·dhǎlà?

eo;k'errHiol;">

What’s the best dish to eat today? di·né ba·hìn ǎkaùn·zoùn·lèh?

dIen¾.;h='"aek;='"zu®"lE>

Please bring (a) ... ... yu·pè·ba ... yUep"p:> chopsticks tu fork k’ǎyìn spoon zùn knife dà glass p’an·gweq plate bǎgan·byà bowl bǎgan·loùn cup k’weq I didn’t order this. da mǎhma·bù

tU xk'r='" jân'" /:" fn'xâk' pn'"kn'¨p;" pn'"kn'lu®" xâk'

d: mmH;.U">

Food Glossary MEALS

breakfast lunch dinner snack/small meal

mǎneq·sa né·leh·za nyá·za móun/thǎye·za

mnk'c; en¾l–''c; –c; mun'¾àoerc;

TYPICAL BURMESE DISHES

ǎmèh·hnaq ceq·thà·ǎc’o·jeq ceq·thà·gin ceq·thà·jaw hìn ãmèh-dhà-hìn ceq-thà-hìn hìn·dhì·hìn·yweq·hìn/ thì·zoun·hìn hìn·jo s’an·hlaw·hìn·jo s’eh·hnǎmyò·hìn·jo móun·di móun·hìn·gà

amENHp' äkk'o;"axYiŸxYk' äkk'o;"k=' äkk'o;"eäk;' h='" amEo;"h='" äkk'o;"h='" h='"oI"h='"râkh ' ='"à oI"cu®h='" h='"xYiŸ zn'elH;'h='"xYiŸ zy'¾NHc'mYiŸ"h='"xYiŸ mun'¾tI mun'¾h='"x:"

beef in gravy sweet chicken grilled chicken (satay) fried chicken curry beef curry chicken curry vegetable curry soup (clear or mild) sizzling rice soup ‘12-taste’ soup Mandalay mount-ti (noodles & chicken/fish) mohinga (noodles and chicken/fish)

82 F O O D & D R I N K • • E a t Y o u r W o r d s

móun·s’i·jaw móun·zàn ngà·dhouq ngà·baùn·(douq) t’ǎmìn kauk·hnyìn·baùn oùn·t’ǎmìn t’ ǎmìn-gyaw t’àn·thì·móun weq·thà·ni

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mun'¾zIeäk;'' mun'¾zn'" =:"ou=' =:"ep:='"(qup') qm='" ek;k'–H='"ep:='" aun'"qm='" qm='"eäk;' qn'"oI"mun'¾ vk'o;"nI

sweet fried-rice pancakes sticky rice cake with jaggery (palm sugar) fish salad steamed fish (in banana leaves) rice steamed sticky rice coconut rice fried rice toddy-palm sugar cake red pork

amEo;" äkk'o;" xru =:" =:"xU =:"rH„'¾ p='ly'c;àerotËv: ¨p–'äkI"=:" oel;k'ep:='" vk'o;"

beef chicken shellfish fish catfish eel seafood squid carp pork

.U"oI" äkk'oân'nI egòfIqup' h='"oI"h='"râk' mîi‘ =Hk'epY;fU" kul;"pE xrm'"oI" xrm'"xYw'oI" mun'l;wv: pn'"egòfI fru®oI" pEoI" e¨p;='"fU"

zucchini/gourd onion cabbage vegetables mushrooms banana flower chick peas eggplant/aubergine tomato carrot cauliflower pumpkin beans corn (cob)

äoj;oI" äkk'em;k'oI" kâJEek;oI" dU"r='"oI" lui='xYI"oI" liemμ;'oI" mk'mn'"oI" mn'kY–'"oI" n;nt'oI" =Hk'epY;oI" aun'"oI" pn'"oI" ep:='mun'¾oI" erH;k'oI" eq;pt'oI"

custard apple (‘influence fruit’) rambutan (‘cocksomb fruit’) pomelo durian lychee orange plum (damson) tamarind pineapple banana coconut apple (‘flower fruit’) breadfruit lemon avocado (‘butter fruit’)

MEAT & SEAFOOD

ǎmèh·dhà ceq·thà k’ǎyú ngà ngǎk’u ngǎshín pin·leh·za/ye·thaq·tǎwa pyi·jì·ngà thǎlauq·paùn weq·thà VEGETABLES

bù·dhì ceq·thun·ni gaw·bi·douq hìn·dhì·hìn·yweq hmo hngǎpyàw·bù kǎlǎbèh k’ǎyàn·dhì k’ǎyàn·jin·dhì moun·la·ú·wa pàn-gaw·p’i p’ǎyoun·dhì pèh·dhì pyaùn·bù FRUIT

àw·za·thì ceq·mauq·thì cwèh·gàw·dhì dù·yìn·dhì lain·c’ì·dhì lein·maw·dhì meq·màn·dhì mǎjì·dhì na·naq·thì ngǎpyàw·dhì oùn·dhì pàn·dhì paun·móun·dhì shauq·thì t’àw·baq·thì

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than·bǎya·dhì thiq·thì/a·thì thǎyeq·dhì thìn·bàw·dhì

F O O D & D R I N K • • E a t Y o u r W o r d s 83

o®pr;oI" oc'oI"àaoI" ork'oI" oe.¿;oI"

lime fruit mango papaya (‘boat-shaped fruit’)

SPICES & CONDIMENTS

ceq·thun·byu gyìn hnàn hnìn·ye kalà t’àw·baq kùn·ya meiq·thǎlin mye·bèh·(jaw) nan·nan·bin ngan·pya·ye ngǎyouq·thì ngǎyouq·ye oùn·nó p’a·la·zé pèh·ngan·pya·ye t’àw·baq tha·gu t’oùn s’à s’ǎnwìn sha·lǎka·ye thǎjà tó·hù/tó·p’ù

äkk'oân'¨f† gY='" NHm'" NH='"r–' kul;"eq;pt' kâm'"y; mit'ol=' e¨mpE(eäk;') n®n®p=' =®¨p;r–' =rut'oI" =rut'r–' aun'"Niu¾ f:l;ec¾ pE=®¨p;r–' eq;pt' o;gU qu®" z;" zNâ='" rH;lk;r–' oäk;" t¾uihU"àt¾uif"

garlic ginger sesame rose syrup ghee betel quid galangal (white gingerlike root) peanuts (fried) coriander fish sauce chilli chilli sauce coconut cream cardamon soy sauce butter sago/tapioca lime (for betel) salt turmeric vinegar sugar tofu (beancurd)

ark' .ilp'r–'àefY;'r–' .Iy; äk®r–' liemμ;'r–' Nâ;"Nui¾ aun'"r–' zuid: qn'"r–' o®pr;r–' er on'¾er erea" erxYk'ea" ereNâ"

alcohol soft drink beer sugarcane juice orange juice milk coconut juice soda water toddy lime juice water bottled water (‘clean water’) cold water boiled cold water hot water

ek;'fI oäk;"nE¾ Nui¾zInE¾ Nâ;"Nui¾nE¾ lk'fk'r–'äkm'"à ereNâ"äkm'" lk'fk'r–'

coffee with sugar with condensed milk with milk green tea (plain)

COLD DRINKS

ǎyeq bí·laq·ye/p’yaw·ye bi·ya/tăbălìn can·ye lein·maw·ye nwà·nó oùn·ye s’o·da t’àn·ye than·bǎya·ye ye thán·ye ye·è ye·jeq·è ye·nwè HOT DRINKS

kaw·fi dhǎjà·néh nó·s’ì·néh nwà·nó·néh lǎp’eq·ye·jàn/ ye·nwè·jàn leq·p’eq·ye

tea (Indian)

© Lonely Planet Publications 84

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Yangon

HISTORY

r n ' .un ' Yangon (formerly Rangoon) gives the impression of picturesque dishevelment, a half-finished work in progress, and is the most multiethnic, cosmopolitan, and interesting city in Myanmar. Located in the fertile delta region of central Myanmar on the wide Yangon River, this city more than anywhere else in the country exudes an entrepreneurial energy, at least as much as the government allows; commuters shuttle between work, home and school on recycled Chinese ferries, and Western-style shopping centres teem with a new generation of mall rats. Crumbling decrepit buildings such as the impressive colonnaded ministries that line Strand Rd, the tall glass Chinese-style office towers and the glittering gold-topped stupas make up an untidy, irregular jumble teeming with life. From above, rooftop orchards of satellite dishes look like they are being swallowed by a sea of telephone wires, creeping through the patchwork quilt of disparate architecture. Packs of kids in spotless green school uniforms, teenagers in jeans and T-shirts, saffron-robed monks and longyi-clad men and women navigate the thronging, crumbling sidewalks of the city centre, dodging the miniature furniture of the ubiquitous teahouses and street vendors peddling everything imaginable, from knock-off sunglasses and second-hand clothes, to glossy posters of Burmese models and movie stars. Parts of the city look like they’re recovering from a strong quake, parts are rich in greenery, and parts are like mushrooming industrial appendages seen the world over. In Yangon, despite the contradictions of modern urban life, flip-flops are the footwear of choice, and the vibe is more easygoing than frenetic. It’s one of the most exotic and striking cities in Southeast Asia. HIGHLIGHTS The one stupa not to be missed, golden Shwedagon Paya (p90) lives up to the hype

Shwedagon Paya

Kandawgyi Lake

Bogyoke Aung San Market (p121) is a bargain-shoppers paradise Everything and everyone is waiting for you at Yangon’s downtown street life (p121) Wander around the architectural hodge podge of downtown (p105) where glittering, ancient payas (Buddhist monuments) share the streets with colonial old Rangoon From corner teashops to night-time grill shops to international haute cuisine, dining out (p112) in Yangon is a treat; and cuisines come together in filling harmony TELEPHONE CODE: 01

Bogyoke Aung San Market

Downtown Yangon

Yang

POPULATION: 5 MILLION

on Riv

er

ELEVATION: 14M

As Myanmar’s capital city, Yangon is comparatively young – it only became the capital in 1885 when the British completed the conquest of northern Myanmar and Mandalay’s brief period as the centre of the last Burmese kingdom ended. Despite its short history as the seat of national government, Yangon has been in existence for a long time – although very much as a small town, in comparison to places such as Bago (Pegu), Pyay or Thaton. In 1755 King Alaungpaya conquered central Myanmar and built a new city on the site of Yangon, which at that time was known as Dagon. Yangon means ‘end of strife’: the king rather vainly hoped that with the conquest of central Myanmar, his struggles would be over. In 1756, with the destruction of Thanlyin (Syriam) across the river, Yangon also became an important seaport. In 1841 the city was virtually destroyed by fire; the rebuilt town again suffered extensive damage during the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852. The British, the new masters, rebuilt the capital to its present plan and corrupted the city’s name to Rangoon. Yangon’s early history as Dagon is tied very closely to its grand Buddhist stupa, the Shwedagon Paya. It doesn’t stand in the city centre, rather about 3km to the north – yet it totally dominates the Yangon skyline. In 1988 around 15% of Yangon’s city centre population – all squatters – were moved to seven myo thit (new towns) northeast of the city centre. Many of the old colonial buildings once occupied by the squatters have now been refurbished for use as offices, businesses and apartments. The government rationalised the imposed relocations as being an effort to distribute the city population more evenly, to impose order on development and to insure space for industrial parks planned for the city’s edge. The city has changed dramatically following the 1989 banishment of socialism. Starting in the early 1990s, the government began sprucing up the city’s appearance by cleaning the streets and painting many public buildings. Since 1992, when the relatively moderate, procapitalist General Than Shwe took power, new cars and trucks have taken to city roads, mobile phones are com-

YA N G O N • • H i s t o r y 85

monly seen in the city centre and satellite dishes dot the horizon. To try and keep blood-red spittle off the streets, the selling of betel nut was banned in 1995. As with many such decrees, the results have been negligible.

ORIENTATION The city is bounded to the south and west by the Yangon River (also known as the Hlaing River) and to the east by Pazundaung Chaung (Pazundaung Canal), which flows into the Yangon River. The city is divided into townships, and street addresses are often suffixed with these names (eg 126 52nd St, Botataung Township – or Botataung t/s). North of the centre, the city opens up like the top of a funnel and spreads along a network of long, curving avenues. At the northern end, most businesses and hotels are found along Pyay Rd, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd or Insein Rd – long thoroughfares running south from the airport area to the city centre. Addresses in this northern area often quote the number of miles from Sule Paya – the landmark paya (stupa or pagoda) in the city’s centre. For example, ‘Pyay Rd, Mile 8’ means the place is 8 miles (13km) north of Sule Paya on Pyay Rd. Two of the most important townships outside the central area are Dagon – where you’ll find Shwedagon Paya, People’s Park and several embassies – and Bahan, site of YANGON STREET NAMES The English terms of street and road are often used interchangeably in Yangon for the single Burmese word làn. Hence, some local maps may read Shwe Gone Daing St, while others will say Shwe Gone Daing Rd; in Burmese, it’s simply Shwe Gone Daing Làn. This chapter uses the most common English version that travellers encounter. Just to make matters a little more confusing, different maps present the actual names of streets differently, for example Shwe Gone Daing Rd is Shwegondaing Rd on some local maps. Similarly, U Wi Za Ra Rd may appear as as U Wizara Rd, Dhamma Zedi Rd as Dhammazedi Rd, and Sule Paya Rd as Sule Pagoda Rd, and there are many other differences.

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ὈὈ ὈὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ ὈὈ Ὀ B

To Bago (78km); Pyay (286km); Mandalay (644km)

C

43

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North Okkalapa

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University

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Ha

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Kokkine Rd

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K

Rd

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rR

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Thuwunna Bridge

Ayer Won Main Rd

Sanchaung

Rd

Ahlone

Sule Pagoda Rd

6

Yangon

Stra

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Thaketa Bridge Pazundaung Mahabandoola Bridge Botataung

Min Yan nan Pya da e St Rd Ma n Py My ae S in t Taw Taw St My in T aw Shuk Tha St hinthar r St

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INFORMATION DHL Express Mail...............................(see 34) Diethelm Travel..................................(see 34) IInsein General Hospital..........................1 A2 International SOS Medical Centre......(see 34) Israeli Embassy.......................................2 B4 Philippines Embassy................................3 B3 Sangha Hospital.....................................4 B3 Women and Children Hospital............... 5 D3 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Ah Lain Nga Sint Paya...........................6 American Club.......................................7 Chanmyay Yeiktha Meditation Centre...8 City Golf Resort Club..............................9 Insein Market........................................10 Insein Prison..........................................11 Insein Park............................................12 Kaba Aye Paya.....................................13 Kyaikkasan Paya...................................14 Kyaikwaing Paya..................................15

A2 B3 C3 A1 A2 A2 A2 C3 D4 B3

Maha Pasan Guha................................16 C3 Me La Mu Paya...................................17 C2 Myaing Haywun Park...........................18 B3 Myanma Gems Museum & Market......19 C3 Myanmar Golf Club..............................20 B2 Na-Gar Glass Factory............................21 B3 Naga Cave Paya...................................22 C2 Nagayon Paya......................................23 B2 Nandawun Market...............................24 C3 Pinlon Market......................................25 D3 Sailing Club........................................(see 31) Shan Kyaung Paya................................26 B2 South Okkala Paya.............................. 27 D3 State Pariyatti Sasana University.........................................28 C3 Swe Taw Myat Paya (Buddha Tooth Relic Pagoda).......... 29 C2 Thuwunna National Indoor Stadium.... 30 D5 Yangon Boat Club................................31 B4 Yangon Institute of Technology...........32 A2 Yone Yang Antique Shop..................... 33 C4

many of the city’s midrange and top-end hotels and inns. Kandawgyi lake interrupts the flow of traffic from north to south, roads extend from it like spokes in a wheel, and it is a convenient landmark from which to orient yourself. Central Yangon is a relatively simple area to find your way around, and pleasant enough to explore on foot. The main central streets are laid out in a grid pattern, with the minor north-south streets numbered in the North American fashion. Many of the major roads were renamed after independence.

n n Ga

30

Tamwe

Bahan

YA N G O N • • I n f o r m a t i o n 87

INFORMATION

ng Rd

Creek

Yangon River

ar

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38

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33

ar aN Ya D 14

in

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To Yau Kyaw Paya (2km)

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42

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ain

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Rd

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South Okkala

24

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23

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To Hliang Thar Yar Bus Station (10km); Nyaung Tone (61km)

3

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Yangon International North Airport Okkalapa

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SLEEPING Dusit Inya Lake Resort........................(see 34) Renaissance Inya Lake Hotel................34 C4 Royal White Elephant Hotel..................35 B4 Shwe Hinthar Inn ................................36 B3 EATING L’Moliere Restaurant ...........................37 B3 L’Opera Restaurant..............................38 C4 Silom Village Restaurant ......................39 B4 ENTERTAINMENT Asia Point Bowling Centre................... 40 D6 Nawaday Cinema.................................41 C3 SHOPPING Royal Rose...........................................42 C4 TRANSPORT Aung Mingalar Highway Bus Station....43 C1 Saw Bwar Gyi Gone Bus Station...........44 A2

the western arch. There is no public library system in the country. Alliance Francaise (Map p98; %282 122; Pyidaungsu Yeiktha Rd; hTue & Fri) Attached to the French embassy; try here for French-language material. American Center (Map p98; %223 140; 14 Taw Win St; h9am-4pm Mon-Fri) Behind the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also has a collection of books and magazines, which can be perused. British Council Library (Map p102; %295 300; Strand Rd; h8.30am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-4.30pm Sat) A very modern and plush facility connected to the British embassy. It has a small library of English-language magazines, books and videos and one of the most complete collections of English-language history books on Myanmar.

Bookshops

Emergency

It’s worth checking out the many bookstalls around Bogyoke Aung San Market (see p121; formerly known as Scott Market) or along 37th St. Several stalls have small selections of novels and nonfiction books in English, French and German. Bagan Bookshop (Map p102; %377 227; 100 37th St;

Your home embassy (see p339) may be able to assist with advice during emergencies or serious problems. It’s a good idea to register with your embassy upon arrival or, if possible, online before you arrive, so that the embassy staff will know where to reach you in case of an emergency at home. There isn’t always an English-speaking operator on the following numbers; you may have to enlist the aid of a Burmese speaker to make these calls. Ambulance (%192) Fire department (%191) Police (%199) Red Cross (%295 133)

h9am-5.30pm, closed Mon) It has the most complete selection of English-language books on Myanmar and Southeast Asia. The front gate pulled across the entrance doesn’t necessarily mean the place is closed unless the door inside the gate is closed too. The Bagan even has a photocopier so you can copy rare, out-of-print books on Myanmar. Inwa Bookshop (Map p102; Sule Paya Rd) This bookshop next to the Nay Pyi Daw Cinema sells old issues of foreign magazines such as Newsweek and Der Spiegel as well English-language airport paperbacks and romance novels.

Cultural Centres & Libraries At Shwedagon Paya, you can visit the Library & Archives of Buddhism, located in

Internet Resources Most top-end hotels and many midrange ones offer Internet access, as do a steadily growing number of small businesses and cafés. Several of the larger shopping centres in the city have Internet cafés as well.

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GREATER YANGON

R ha rat aw An

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86 YA N G O N • • G re a t e r Ya n g o n

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Money

YANGON IN…

Two Days Start the morning with a traditional Myanmar breakfast of fish soup and tea. No matter how early you begin the city will already be up and buzzing. Before the sun gets too high in the sky and the heat becomes oppressive take a walk around Chinatown (p117), the bustling markets (p121) in the surrounding blocks and Sule Paya (p97), the geographic heart of the city. Lunch in one of the Indian eateries nearby before doing some cruising around some temples north of the city centre, including the Chaukhtatgyi Paya (p99) and nearby Ngahtatgyi Paya (p100). Then take a stroll around Kandawgyi (p102), and maybe stop in for a drink at one of the lakeside restaurants or hotels. Now, move on to the main event: the Shwedagon Pagoda (p90), the highlight of any tour in Yangon, deserves time, attention and the perfect light of a Yangon sunset. Dine at one of the excellent restaurants – Bamar, Thai, Korean, Japanese, French or Italian – in the immediate vicinity. The second day can begin much like the first at a street side teashop. Morning is the best time for a ferry back and forth to Dalah (p125) on the other side of the Yangon river to provide a little taste of delta life. Back on dry ground, the Botataung Paya (p97) near the jetty is the next logical stop. Take a walk along Strand Rd for the British colonial-era architecture or head directly to lunch at one of the restaurants around Bogyoke Aung San Market (p121). Then there’s the market itself, a bargain-shoppers Shangri-la, a maze of deals just waiting to be had. If your bags are too heavy, you might want to return to your hotel, otherwise the street stalls (p117) in Chinatown are a good way to meet locals while dinning in the city centre. If you still have some get-up-and go, head to a teashop or one of the roof-top clubs nearby to squeeze as much as you can out of the Myanmar capital.

Rates are by the hour – usually pro rata if under an hour – and you can send and receive however many messages you want and access whatever websites you like, assuming they haven’t been banned by the government. A few hotels still charge per page to send or receive messages to their private email account. Server speeds tend to be frustratingly slow. Bee Internet Café (Map p98; 23A Na Wa Day St; per hr K750; h8am-11pm)

Cyber World I (Map p98; 4th fl, La Pyat Wun Plaza, 37 Ah Lan Paya Pagoda Rd; per hr K800; h9am-9pm) Faster than most. Cyber World II (Map p102; ground fl, Nay Pyi Daw Cinema, 246-248 Sule Paya Rd; per hr K1000; h9am9pm) Busy and frequented by foreigners because of its central location. Internet Café (Map p102; 3rd fl, Myanmar Shopping Mall, 143-149 Sule Paya Rd; per hr K1000; h10am-9pm) Modern and plush with café attached. Planet Internet Café (Map p98; 5th fl, 220-222 Bo Ta Taung Pagoda Rd; per hr K1000; h8.30am-9pm) Close to several midrange hotels.

Laundry Almost all of Yangon’s budget and midrange guesthouses and hotels offer inexpensive laundry services including ironing

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(load about K1000). Rates at the top-end hotels are not cheap. Another option is Ava Laundry (Map p98; %245 575; 305 Mahabandoola Rd, btwn 41st & 42nd Sts; h8am-8pm) though it’s no quicker than the guesthouses and is expensive.

Medical Services There are several private and public hospitals in Yangon, but the fees, service and quality may vary. There are also some useful pharmacies in town. AA Pharmacy (Map p102; %253 231; 142-146 Sule Paya Rd; h24hr) Just north of Sule Paya. City Mart Supermarket (Map p98; cnr Anawrahta Rd & 47th St) Well-stocked place (tampons available) that includes a pharmacy. Global Network Co (Map p102; 155-161 Sule Paya Rd; h24hr) Pharmacy just north of Sule Paya and opposite AA Pharmacy. International SOS Clinic (Map p86; 24hr alarm centre %667 879; 37 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd; h24hr) On the ground floor of the Renaissance Inya Lake Hotel, this is your best bet in Yangon if you want medical attention. May Pharmacy (Map p102; 542 Mahabandoola Rd; h24hr) Near the SOS, on the northwest corner of Pansodan St. Pacific Medical Centre & Dental Surgery (Map p90; %548 022; 81 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd) Recommended.

Because you can pay for your taxi from the airport to the city in US dollars there’s no reason to change money in the terminal. Most hotels and guesthouse sell kyat for rates slightly lower than the usual street rate. One hotel in particular known to offer competitive rates is the Central Hotel (Map p102; 335-357 Bogyoke Aung San Rd) near Bogyoke Aung San Market. The market itself has a fair number of moneychangers who generally offer the highest rates; odds are you’ll be approached by one of them if you wander down the centre aisle. Ask around before you go to establish the going rate. You should not pay any commission or tip for their services. A few of the top-end hotels including the Sedona Hotel (Map p90; 1 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd) and Grand Plaza Park Royal Hotel (Map p98; 33 Ah Lan Paya Pagoda Rd) accept credit cards; Visa and MasterCard more likely than others. And a few will give guests cash advances on their cards. Any transaction with plastic involves commissions from 3% to 12%. Traveller’s cheques are even less likely to be recognised as legal tender. Again, only a few hotels accept them, and they charge a hefty commission.

Post DHL (Map p102; Traders Hotel, 1st fl, 223, Sule Paya Rd; h8am-6pm Mon-Fri) Main post office (Map p102; Strand Rd; h7.30am6pm Mon-Fri) A short stroll east of the Strand Hotel. Stamps are for sale on the ground floor but go to the 2nd floor to send mail.

Tourist Information Myanmar Travels & Tours (MTT; Map p102; %275 328, tourist information %282 075; 77-91 Sule Paya Rd; h8.30am-5pm) is a government-run travel

agency on the corner of Mahabandoola Rd and across the street from Sule Paya, which seems modern compared to the MTT’s offices. The staff is as enthusiastic as Soviet bureaucrats though they will provide basics such as schedules for Myanma Airways (MA) and the Yangon–Mandalay railway. It’s not uncommon to be steered towards a private travel agency if your questioning becomes too demanding and involves venturing away from the main tourist quadrangle. Free decent city and country maps are available; information from here,

YA N G O N • • D a n g e r s & A n n o y a n c e s 89

like most other places, should be doublechecked.

Travel Agencies Most visitors to Myanmar only use private domestic travel agencies to book a tour, hire a car or book a domestic flight (air ticket prices are usually cheaper through a private travel agency). However, of the more than 100 enterprises in Yangon calling themselves travel agencies, only a handful can be considered full-service, experienced tour agencies. Among the more reliable agencies are the following: Columbus Travels & Tours (Map p98; %229 245; www.travelmyanmar.com; 586 Strand Rd) It’s on the corner of Strand Rd and 7th St. There’s also a branch office on the 3rd floor of the Sakura Tower across from the Traders Hotel. Diethelm Travel (Map p86;%527 110; leisure@ diethelm.com.mm; 37 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd) Exotissimo Travel (Map p102; %255 266; www .exotissimo.com; 3rd fl, Sakura Tower, 339 Bogyoke Aung San Rd) Free Bird Tours (Map p102; %245 489; www.freebird tours.com; 357 Bo Aung Gyaw St) Good News Travel (Map p102; %09-511 6256; [email protected]; 4th fl, FMI Centre, 380 Bogyoke Aung San Rd) The owner, William Myatwunna, is extremely personable and knowledgeable. Recommended. Gulliver Tours & Travel (Map p90;%526 100; [email protected]; 51B Inya Maing Rd) Insight Myanmar Tourism (Map p98; %297 798; [email protected]; 85-87 Thein Byu Rd, Botataung Township) Myanmar Himalaya Trekking (Map p90; %227 978; www.myanmar-explore.com; Rm 226, Summit Parkview Hotel) New Horizons Travels & Tours (Map p90;%542 949; [email protected]; 64 B2R Shwe Gon Plaza) Santa Maria Travel & Tours (Map p102; %254 625; www.myanmartravels.net; 195-B 32nd St) Tour Mandalay (Map p98; %294 729; www.tour mandalay.com; 2nd fl, 194-196 Mahabandoola Rd) Woodland Travels (Map p98; %202 071; www .woodlandtravels.com; 422-426 Strand Rd, 7 FJV Commercial Centre)

DANGERS & ANNOYANCES Many travellers report being overcharged double or triple the correct amount when buying bus tickets from the kiosks around Aug San Stadium in Yangon. No doubt it’s not uncommon elsewhere, but it seems

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Pagoda Rd

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particularly egregious here where fares are not posted and ticket sellers routinely claim there are only a few seats left for any particular route. The truth is, as mentioned in the Getting There & Away section (see p123) there are almost always several bus companies leaving at about the same time for any destination. If the ticket sellers refuse to sell you the ticket at or close to the correct price you can always simply show up at the bus station before the scheduled departure.

SIGHTS

Shwedagon Paya erátig®u.ur;"

Much like the Statue of Liberty in New York City or the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the

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Tamwe Thin Gan Rd Gyan

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YA N G O N • • S i g h t s 91

INFORMATION Alliance Francaise...................................1 B2 Cambodian Embassy...............................2 C1 German Embassy....................................3 C2 Gullivers Tours & Travel..........................4 B2 Italian Embassy.......................................5 B2 Japanese Embassy..................................6 C2 Kandawgyi Hospital...............................7 D3 Korean Embassy......................................8 B1 Myanmar Himalaya Trekking.............(see 56) Nepalese Embassy..................................9 D3 New Horizons Travels & Tours..............10 C2 Pacific Medical Centre & Dental Surgery.................................11 C1 Vietnamese Embassy............................12 B2 Yangon General Hospital......................13 A3

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47 53 68 62 t 96 37 S 72 Kyemyindaing d Shwe Gone Daing iR 79 60 Bargayar Rd ed Z 77 a 25 m A 65 am 34 20 Za Dh rN Rd Resistance Shwedagon i St Park 30 Pu Paya 38 aw People's Panhlaing in S Park Sh 31 33 taung Bo St UH 32

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Shwedagon Paya (Map p90; admission US$5; h5am10pm) has achieved iconic status for Yangon and, along with Bagan, for the country as a whole. However, unlike the monuments of those Western cities, the majority of the pilgrims visiting Shwedagon are local, its meaning deeply religious and rather than being a beacon of the modern, it proudly stands for the ancient and timeless. To a foreigner maybe the most exotic element of this huge gold bell-shaped temple is how casually it stands amid the modern and familiar, or how Burmese who live literally in its shadow go about their everyday lives without seeming to register amazement or awe in its existence. If Bagan is special in part because of its isolation, Shwedagon

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Bogyoke Aung San Museum................14 Chaukhtatgyi Paya...............................15 Hledan Zei............................................16 Institute of Medicine.............................17 Institute of Myanmar Traditional Advanced Boxing.............................18 Judson Church......................................19 Kohtatgyi Paya.....................................20 Kokine Swimming Pool.........................21 La Source Beauty Spa............................22 Maha Wizaya (Vijaya) Paya..................23 Mahasi Meditation Centre....................24 Martyrs’ Mausoleum.............................25 Mogok Meditation Centre....................26 Myanmar Book Centre..........................27 Myanmar TV & Radio Department.......28 Ngahtatgyi Paya...................................29 People's Park........................................30 People’s Square....................................31 Planetarium..........................................32 Pyithu Hluttaw (National Assembly)......33 Resistance Park.....................................34 St Augustine’s Church...........................35

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Sanpya Zei............................................36 Seri Beauty & Health.............................37 Shwedagon Paya..................................38 Tatmadaw Boat Club............................39 Yangon International School................40 Yangon University Swimming Pool........41 Yangon Zoological Gardens..................42 Yuzana Plaza........................................ 43

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SLEEPING Aurora Inn............................................44 Bagan Inn.............................................45 Beauty Land Hotel................................46 Guest Care Hotel..................................47 Hotel Nikko Royal Lake Yangon...........48 Kandawgyi Palace Hotel.......................49 Liberty Hotel.........................................50 Motherland Inn 2................................. 51 Mya Yeik Nyo Royal Hotel...................52 Savoy Hotel..........................................53 Sedona Hotel........................................54 Summer Palace Hotel............................55 Summit Parkview..................................56 Winner Inn...........................................57 Yoma Hotel 2........................................58

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EATING Ashoka Indian Restaurant.....................59 B3 Aung Thuka..........................................60 B2 Café Dibar............................................61 B2 Furusato Japanese Restaurant ..............62 C2 Green Elephant Restaurant...................63 A1 Han Il Kwan..........................................64 B1 Hla Myanma Htamin Zain.....................65 B2 Karaweik Palace Restaurant..................66 D3 Le Planteur...........................................67 C2 Maharaja Indian Restaurant...............(see 42) Onyx Restaurant...................................68 B2 Padonmar Restaurant............................69 B1 Royal Garden Restaurant.......................................70 D3

seems all the more exotic because of the way it has been domesticated and intertwined in the physical and mental geography of the city. In the heat of the day, the stupa glitters bright gold. When the sun sets it casts its last rays on the soft orange dome, and a swarm of sparrows migrates from the Shwedagon grounds until their return the following morning. It can be quiet and contemplative, or colourful and raucous. Kipling called it ‘a golden mystery…a beautiful winking wonder’. For Myanmar Buddhists, it is the most sacred of all Buddhist sites in the country, one which all Burmese hope to visit at least once in their lifetime. The great golden dome rises 98m above its base. According to legends, this stupa – of the solid zedi (stupa; bell-shaped monument) type – is 2500 years old, but archaeologists suggest the original stupa was built by the Mon, sometime between the 6th and 10th centuries. In common with many other ancient zedi in earthquake-prone Myanmar, it has been rebuilt many times and its current form dates back only to 1769.

Royal Taj Restaurant.............................71 Sabai Sabai Thai Restaurant..................72 Sandy’s Myanmar Cuisine....................73 Sei Taing Kya Teashop.........................74 Sharkey’s..............................................75 Vietnam House Restaurant...................76 World Cup............................................77 Yadana Garden Restaurant...................78 Yin Dee Thai Restaurant.......................79 Yin Fong Seafood Restaurant...............80

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DRINKING Actor’s Corner Café............................(see 86) Captain's Bar......................................(see 53) Frenz Bar & Grill...................................81 C2 Mr Guitar Café.....................................82 C2 ENTERTAINMENT Dolphin Seafood Restaurant.................83 C3 LakeView Theatre Restaurant.............(see 49) Lone Ma Lay Restaurant.......................84 C3 SHOPPING Blazon Centre.......................................85 Dagon Centre.......................................86 Excel Treasure......................................87 Golden Valley Art Centre......................88 Inya Gallery of Art.................................89 Mingala Zei..........................................90 Nandawun............................................91 San Pya Fish Market.............................92 Thirimingala Zei....................................93 Traditions Gallery..................................94 Wingaba Gallery..................................95

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TRANSPORT Air Mandalay........................................96 B2 Hsimmalaik Bus Station......................................97 A1 Htee Dan Jetty (Passenger Ferry to Dalah).............. 98 A2

Visible from almost anywhere in the city, Shwedagon is located to the north of central Yangon, between People’s Park and Kandawgyi. The admission fee includes an elevator ride to the raised platform of the stupa. Of course, like most Burmese, you may walk up one of the long graceful entrances. There’s also a US$5 camera fee, not always enforced. The north gate is especially photogenic at night. HISTORY

During the Bagan period of Myanmar’s history (10th to 14th century), the story of the stupa emerges from mists of legend (p92) to become hard fact. Near the top of the eastern stairway you can see an inscription recording the history of the stupa to 1485. In the 15th century, the tradition of gilding the stupa also began – Queen Shinsawbu, who was responsible for many improvements to the stupa, provided her own weight (40kg) in gold, which was beaten into gold-leaf and used to gild the structure. Her son-in-law, Dhammazedi, went several

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THE LEGEND OF SHWEDAGON PAYA The legend of Shwedagon Paya tells of two merchant brothers meeting the Buddha, who gave them eight of his hairs to take back to be enshrined in Myanmar. With the help of a number of nat (spirits), the brothers and the king of this region of Myanmar discovered the hill where relics of previous Buddhas had been enshrined. When the chamber that would house the hairs was built and the hairs were taken from their golden casket, some quite amazing events took place: …there was a tumult among men and spirits…rays emitted by the Hairs penetrated up to the heavens above and down to hell…the blind beheld objects…the deaf heard sounds… the dumb spoke distinctly…the earth quaked…the winds of the ocean blew…Mount Meru shook…lightning flashed…gems rained down until they were knee deep…all trees of the Himalaya, though not in season, bore blossoms and fruit. Fortunately, hairs of the Buddha are not unveiled every day. Once the relics were safely enshrined, a golden slab was laid on their chamber and a golden stupa built on it. Over this, a silver stupa was built, then a tin stupa, a copper stupa, a lead stupa, a marble stupa and finally, an iron-brick stupa. Or so the legend goes. Later, the legend continues, the stupa at Dagon fell into disuse and it is said the great Indian Buddhist emperor Asoka came to Myanmar, finding the site only with great difficulty, and subsequently had the encroaching jungle cleared and the stupa repaired.

better, by offering four times his own weight and that of his wife’s in gold. He also provided the 1485 historical inscription on the eastern stairway. The zedi suffered from a series of earthquakes that caused great damage during this time. In 1612 Portuguese renegade adventurer Philip De Brito raided the stupa from his base in Thanlyin and carried away Dhammazedi’s great bell, with the intention of melting it down for cannons. As the British were to do later, with another bell, he dropped it into the river. During the 17th century, the monument suffered earthquake damage on eight occasions. Worse was to follow in 1768, when a quake brought down the whole top of the zedi. King Hsinbyushin had it rebuilt to virtually its present height, and its current configuration dates from that renovation. British troops occupied the compound for two years immediately after the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1824. In 1852, during the Second Anglo-Burmese War, the British again took the paya, the soldiers pillaged it once more and it remained under military control for 77 years, until 1929. In 1871 a new hti (the umbrella-like decorative top of a paya), provided by King Mindon Min from Mandalay, caused considerable head-scratching for the British, who were not at all keen for such an association to

be made with the still-independent part of Myanmar. During the 20th century, the Shwedagon Paya was the scene for much political activity during the Myanmar independence movement. The huge earthquake of 1930, which totally destroyed the Shwemawdaw in Bago, only caused minor damage to Shwedagon. Less luck was had the following year when the paya suffered from a serious fire. After another minor earthquake in 1970, the zedi was clad in bamboo scaffolding beyond King Mindon’s 100-year-old hti, and was refurbished. DESIGN

There are four covered walkways up Singuttara Hill to the platform on which Shwedagon stands. The southern entrance, from Shwedagon Paya Rd, is the one which can most properly be called the main entrance. Here, and at the northern entrance, there are lifts available, should you not feel fit enough for the stroll up the stairs. The western entrance features a series of escalators in place of stairs, and is the only entrance without vendors. The eastern stairway has the most traditional ambience, passing adjacent kyaung (monasteries) and vendors selling monastic requisites. Two 9m-high chinthe (legendary halflion, half-dragon gurardian figures) loom

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over the southern entrance. You must remove your shoes and socks as soon as you mount the first step. Like the other entrances, the southern steps are lined with a series of shops, where devotees buy flowers – both real and beautifully made paper ones – for offerings. Buddha images, ceremonial paper umbrellas, books, golden thrones, incense sticks, ivory combs and antiques are also on sale. However hot it may be outside, you’ll find the walkway cool, shady and calm. It’s this quiet, subdued atmosphere on the entrance steps that makes the impact so great as you arrive at the platform. You emerge from semi-gloom into a visual cacophony of technicoloured glitter – for Shwedagon is not just one huge, glowing zedi. Around the mighty stupa cluster an incredible assortment of smaller zedi, statues, temples, shrines, images and tazaung (small pavilions). Somehow, the bright gold of the main stupa makes everything else seem brighter and larger than life. Stupas, indeed all Buddhist structures, should be walked around clockwise, so turn left at the top of the steps and, like the crowds of locals, start strolling. During the heat of the day, you’ll probably have to confine yourself to the mat pathway laid around the platform – unless your bare feet can take the heat of the uncovered marble paving. The hill on which the stupa stands is 58m above sea level and the platform covers over five hectares. Prior to the British takeover of southern Myanmar, there had been Burmese defensive earthworks around the paya, but these were considerably extended by the British, and the emplacements for their cannons can still be seen outside the outer wall. The main stupa, which is completely solid, rises from its platform in a fairly standard pattern. First there is the plinth, which stands 6.4m above the clutter of the main platform and immediately sets Shwedagon above the lesser structures. Smaller stupas sit on this raised platform level – four large ones mark the four cardinal directions, four medium-sized ones mark the four corners of the basically square platform and 60 small ones run around the perimeter. From this base, the zedi rises first in three terraces, then in the ‘octagonal’ terraces and then in five circular bands – together these elements add another 30m to the stupa’s height. A standard architectural problem

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associated with stupas is how to change from the square base to the circular upper elements? Here, as in many other zedi in Myanmar, that transition is achieved with the help of the octagonal sections, which make a transition from the horizontal design of these lower elements to the smooth vertical flow of the bell. The shoulder of the bell is decorated with 16 ‘flowers’. The bell is topped by the ‘inverted bowl’, another traditional element of stupa architecture, and above this stand the mouldings and then the ‘lotus petals’. These consist of a band of down-turned petals, followed by a band of up-turned petals. The banana bud is the final element of the zedi before the hti tops it. Like the lotus petals below, the banana bud is actually covered with no less than 13,153 plates of gold, measuring 30 sq cm each – unlike the lower elements, which are merely covered with gold-leaf. The seven-tiered hti is made of iron and again plated with gold. Even without the various hanging bells, it weighs well over a tonne. The hti tiers descend in size from bottom to top, and from the uppermost tier projects the shaft which is hung with gold bells, silver bells and various items of jewellery. The topmost vane, with its flag, turns with the wind. It is gold- and silver-plated and studded with 1100 diamonds totalling 278 carats – not to mention 1383 other stones. Finally, at the very top of the vane rests the diamond orb – a hollow golden sphere studded with no less than 4351 diamonds, weighing 1800 carats in total. The very top of the orb is tipped with a single 76-carat diamond. AROUND THE STUPA

The mighty central zedi, regilded every year, is only one of many structures on the hilltop platform. Reaching the platform from the southern stairway (47), you encounter the first shrine (15), which is to Konagamana, the second Buddha. Almost beside the shrine stand the planetary posts for Mercury (31 and 32). If you were born on a Wednesday morning (as was the Buddha), then this is your post, and the tusked elephant is your animal sign. Continuing around the plinth, you pass a double-bodied lion with a man’s face, a laughing necromancer with his hands on his head, and an earth goddess. At the southwestern corner

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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Banyan Tree.................................1 Chinese Merchants' Tazaung....... 2 Chinese Prayer Hall......................3 Curio Museum.............................4 Dhammazedi Inscription...............5 Eastern Shrine Hall....................... 6 Eastern Stairway Landing............. 7 Eight Day Stupa............................8 Golden Elder Stupa...................... 9 Guardian Nat............................. 10 Hair Relics Well..........................11 Hintha Prayer Post..................... 12 Izza-Gawna Pavilion...................13 King Tharawaddy Min's Bell.......14 Konagamana Shrine...................15 Large Pavilion.............................16 Low Pavilion.............................. 17 Maha Ganda Bell....................... 18 Mahabodhi-Style Temple...........19

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Mai Lamu & King of the Nats..... 20 Northern Adoration Hall............. 21 Northern Stairway Landing......... 22 Northwestern Corner.................. 23 Pavilion (where hti was placed)... 24 Pavilion (with Indian figures)...... 25 Pavilion (with tall columns)........ 26 Pavilion (with woodcarvings)..... 27 Pavilion (with woodcarvings)..... 28 Planetary Posts for Jupiter.......... 29 Planetary Posts for Jupiter........... 30 Planetary Posts for Mercury.........31 Planetary Posts for Mercury........ 32 Planetary Posts for the Moon.......33 Planetary Posts for the Moon......34 Planetary Posts for Venus........... 35 Planetary Posts for Venus........... 36 Planetary Post for Mars...............37 Planetary Post for Saturn............ 38 Planetary Post for the Sun...........39

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Planetary Post for Yahu..............40 Prayer Hall (with reclining Buddha)................................. 41 Prayer Pavilion........................... 42 Prayer Post Bell.......................... 43 Rakhaing Tazaung..................... 44 Shan Umbrellas.......................... 45 Small Gilded Zedi....................... 46 Southern Stairway Landing.........47 Stairs to Zedi Plinth.................... 48 Student Monument....................49 Tawa-gu Image......................... 50 Trustees' Office......................... 51 Two-Pice Tazaung..................... 52 Two-Pice Tazaung..................... 53 U Nyo Pavilion........................... 54 Western Adoration Hall..............55 Wish-Fulfilling Place...................56 Wonder-Working Image............ 57

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of the plinth, you reach the planetary post for Saturn (38). Come here if you were born on a Saturday; your animal sign is the naga (serpent being). The pavilion (42) directly opposite has 28 images to represent the 28 previous Buddhas. Back towards the southwest corner of the platform is a monument (49) with inscriptions in four languages, recounting a 1920 student revolt against British rule. Continuing around the platform, you come to a glass case with two figures of nat (10) – one is of the guardian nat (spirits) of Shwedagon Paya. Close to these figures is a prayer hall (44), quite bare inside, but with fine woodcarving on the terraced roof. It is known as the Rakhaing Tazaung, as it was donated by brokers from the Rakhaing (Arakan) coast bordering Bangladesh. An 8m-long reclining Buddha can be seen in the next prayer hall (41). Next to this is the Chinese Merchants’ Tazaung (2), with a variety of Buddha figures in different poses. On the plinth opposite this prayer hall are figures of Mai Lamu and the king of the nat (20), the parents of King Ukkalapa who, according to the legend, originally enshrined the Buddha hairs here. The figures stand on top of each other. The western adoration hall (55) was built in 1841, but was destroyed in the fire that swept the zedi platform in 1931. The planetary posts for the Thursday-born (29 and 30) stand to the right and left of this pavilion: your planet is Jupiter and your animal sign is the rat. A figure of King Ukkalapa can be seen further to the left, on the zedi plinth. Directly opposite the west adoration hall is the Two Pice Tazaung (52) located at the head of the western stairway. The low pavilion (17) next to the entrance was built by manufacturers of monastery requirements – in contrast to the rather Chinese-looking roof. Next along is a pavilion (26), with tall columns and the pyatthat (wooden, multiroofed pavilion) rising from the upper roof. Almost opposite this tazaung, at the northwestern corner of the main zedi, is the planetary post (40) for those born on Wednesday afternoon, whose animal symbol is the tuskless elephant, and whose planet is Yahu (Rahu, a mythical planet in Hindu astrology that allegedly causes eclipses). A small stupa with a golden spire (8) has eight niches around its base, each with

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a Buddha image. Between the niches are figures of animals and birds – they represent the eight directions of the compass and the associated sign, planet and day of the week. To get over the small complication of having an Eight Day Stupa and a seven day week, Wednesday is divided into Wednesday morning and Wednesday afternoon. The eight days, which can also be found with their corresponding planetary posts around the main stupa are (from the southern entrance): Direction Day

Planet

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tusked elephant naga (dragon serpent) rat tuskless elephant guinea pig or mole garuda tiger lion

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Close to this small Eight Day Stupa stands the bell pavilion (18) housing the 23-tonne Maha Ganda Bell. Cast between 1775 and 1779, it was carted off by the British after the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1825. The British dropped it into the Yangon River while trying to get it to the port for shipping to England; after repeatedly trying to raise it from the river bottom, they gave up and told the Burmese they could have the bell back if they could get it out of the river. The Burmese placed logs and bamboo beneath the bell until it eventually floated to the surface. Venturing back into the open area of the platform, you come to the star-shaped ‘wish-fulfilling place’ (56), where there will often be devotees, kneeling down and looking towards the great stupa, praying that their wishes come true. The large pavilion (16) across from the bell pavilion houses a 9m-high Buddha image and is often used for public meetings. Behind this pavilion stands a small shrine (57) with a highly revered ‘wonderworking’ Buddha image covered in gold leaf. From the northwestern corner of the platform (23), you can look out over some of the British fortifications and the country to the north of the hill. There are also two banyan trees growing here, one of them

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grown from a cutting from the actual tree at Bodhgaya in India, under which the Buddha sat and was enlightened. Among the cluster of buildings on this side of the platform is the Chinese prayer hall (3), with good woodcarvings and Chinese dragon figures on the sides of the zedi in front of it. The adjacent pavilion (25) has life-size figures of Indians guarding the side and front entrance doors. No-one quite understands their relevance or that of the very British lions that guard the next pavilion. In 1824 a force of Burmese ‘Invulnerables’ fought their way up the northern stairs to the entrance (22) of the platform before being repulsed by the better-armed British forces occupying the paya. The crocodilelike stair bannister dates from 1460. The Martyrs’ Mausoleum of Bogyoke Aung San and his compatriots stands on the western side of the hill reached from this stairway. Walking back towards the stupa, you pass the pavilion (24) built on the site where the great zedi’s hti, provided by King Mindon Min, was placed before being raised to the zedi summit. The Hair Relics Well (11) was located at the position of the Sandawdwin Tazaung (28) and is said to reach right down to the level of the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River and to be fed from it; the Buddha hairs were washed in this well before being enshrined in the zedi. In the northern adoration hall (21), the main image is of Gautama, the historical Buddha. On either side of the hall stand planetary posts for Friday (35 and 36), domain of the planet Venus, and the guinea pig or mole. Modelled after the Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya, India, the temple (19) a few steps away is distinctly different from the general style of buildings on the platform. A small gilded zedi (46) stands next to this temple, and next again is another ‘two-pice’ tazaung (53) enshrining a 200-year-old Buddha image. An opening behind this image is, according to legend, the entrance to a passage that leads to the chamber housing the Buddha hair relics. Although seen from the ‘two-pice’ tazaung, the Buddha image is actually in the adjacent stupa. Izza-Gawna (which means ‘goat-bullock’) was a legendary monk whose powers enabled him to replace his lost eyes with one from a goat and one from a bullock. In his

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pavilion (13), the figure off to the left of the main Buddha image has eyes of unequal size as a reminder of this unique feat. The golden Elder Stupa (9) is built on the spot where the hair relics were first placed before being enshrined in the great zedi. A straight line drawn from the centre of this stupa to the centre of Shwedagon would pass through the small stupa reputed to be the entrance to the passage that leads to the relic chamber. Women are not allowed to ascend to the platform around the Elder Stupa, which is also known as the Naungdawgyi Stupa. Back in the corner of the platform is the Dhammazedi inscription (5), which dates from 1485 and was originally installed on the eastern stairway. It tells in three languages – Pali, Mon and Burmese – the story of Shwedagon. Cast in 1841, King Tharawaddy Min’s bell is housed in an elegant pavilion (14). The Maha Titthadaganda (three-toned bell) weighs 42 tonnes. Note the ceiling made of lacquer inlaid with glass. If you look closely, you can also discern red-billed green parrots nearly hidden in the scrolling among the devas (celestial beings). The adjacent small pavilion (27) has some good panels of woodcarvings. Back on the main platform the planetary post (39) for those born on Sunday (the sun) stands at the northeastern corner of the stupa platform. The bird-like creature beneath the post is the garuda of Hindu-Buddhist mythology, called galoun by the Burmese. Further around you will see golden Shan umbrellas (45) among the plinth shrines; there is also one over the Friday planetary post near the northern pavilion. Facing the eastern stairway, the eastern shrine hall (6) is said to be the most beautiful on the platform. It was renovated in 1869, but destroyed by the 1931 fire and subsequently rebuilt. The main image is that of Kakusandha, the first Buddha. The eastern stairway (7) is the longest and is lined with shops selling everyday articles as well as religious goods and antiques. On either side, the people who were born on Monday worship at the planetary posts (33 and 34) ruled over by the moon and the tiger. The graceful U Nyo pavilion (54), beside the eastern entrance, has a series of interesting woodcarved panels illustrating events

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in the life of Gautama Buddha. The prayer post (12) close to the southeastern corner of the zedi is topped by a mythological hintha bird. An interesting bell (43) hangs near this prayer post. Opposite these on the zedi plinth is the planetary post for Tuesday (37), presided over by the lion and the planet Mars. In the corner of the platform stands another sacred banyan tree (1), also said to be grown from a branch of the original tree under which Gautama Buddha gained enlightenment in India. There is a good view from this corner of the platform over Yangon and across the Yangon River towards Thanlyin. On a clear day, you can see the Kyaik-khauk Paya, just beyond Thanlyin. The paya trustees have their office (51) on this side of the platform, and there’s also a small curio museum (4). In front of the museum is a pavilion (28) with very fine woodcarvings. There is also a revolving hti and a telescope, possibly for looking at the real hti on top of the zedi. Beside the southern shrine (15), the first stop on this circular tour, stairs (48) lead up onto the zedi plinth. With permission from the paya trustees, men only are allowed to climb up to the plinth terrace. Men come up here to meditate; the terrace is about 6m wide – a circular walkway between the great zedi and its 68 surrounding zedi. Behind the eastern shrine is a Buddha image (50) known as the Tawa-gu, which is reputed to work miracles.

Sule Paya

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It’s not every city whose primary traffic circle is occupied by a 2000-year-old golden temple. Surrounded by government buildings and commercial shops, the tall zedi at Sule Paya (Map p102; cnr Sule Paya & Mahabandoola Rds; admission free) is another example of the strange incongruity of the Yangon cityscape. It’s not everywhere you check the Internet and visit a shrine said to contain a hair of the Buddha in the space of a few blocks. The central stupa’s name, Kyaik Athok, translates in the Mon language as ‘the stupa where a Sacred Hair Relic is enshrined’. As with many other ancient Myanmar shrines, it has been rebuilt and repaired many times over the centuries, so no-one really knows exactly when it was built.

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The golden zedi is unusual in that its octagonal shape continues right up to the bell and inverted bowl. It stands 46m high and is surrounded by small shops and all the familiar nonreligious activities that seem to be a part of every zedi in Myanmar. Besides its significance as a landmark and meeting place, maybe its most mundane function is as a milestone from which all addresses to the north are measured.

Botataung Paya

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One of Yangon’s ‘big three’ payas, and said to contain hair relics of the Buddha, the Botataung Paya (Map p98; Strand Rd; admission US$2) was named after the 1000 military leaders who escorted relics of the Buddha to Myanmar from India over 2000 years ago (Bo means leader, usually in a military sense and tataung means 1000). For one six-month period this paya is said to have harboured all eight strands of the Buddha’s hair before they were distributed elsewhere. Of course it’s not breathtaking like Shwedagon or striking for being so out-of-place like Sule Paya, however Botataung’s spacious riverfront location and elements of kitsch make it worth visiting. It’s proximity to fresh air and the Yangon wharves were less fortuitous when a bomb from an Allied air raid in November 1943 scored a direct hit on the unfortunate paya. After the war, the Botataung was rebuilt in a very similar style to its predecessor, but with one important and unusual difference: unlike most zedi, which are solid, the Botataung is hollow, and you can walk through it. There’s a sort of mirrored maze inside the stupa, with glass showcases containing many of the ancient relics and artefacts, including small silver-and-gold Buddha images, which were sealed inside the earlier stupa. Reconstruction also revealed a small gold cylinder holding two small body relics and a strand of hair, said to be that of the Buddha’s, which is reputedly to still be in the stupa. Above this interesting interior, the golden stupa spire rises to 40m. To the western side of the stupa is a hall containing a large gilded bronze Buddha, cast during the reign of King Mindon Min. At the time of the British annexation, it was kept in King Thibaw Min’s glass palace, but after King Thibaw was exiled to India, the

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Mya Yar Gon St

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101st St

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Bogalay Zay St

Mingala Taung Nyunt

46th St 47th St 48th St

0 0

Bo Myat Tun St

Daw Thein Tin St

49th St 50th St 51st St 52nd St Bo Ta Htaung Pagada Rd

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INFORMATION Alliance Francaise...............................(see 11) American Center.....................................1 B1 Ava Laundry...........................................2 E3 AWB Bank..............................................3 B3 Bee Internet Café...................................4 D2 Central Women’s Hospital......................5 A1 Chinese Embassy....................................6 A1 City Mart Supermarket............................7 F3 Columbus Travel & Tours........................8 B3 Cyber World I....................................(see 78) East Yangon General Hospital.................9 F3 FJV Commercial Centre.........................10 F4 French Embassy.....................................11 B1 Indonesian Embassy..............................12 B1 Insight Myanmar Tourism.....................13 E4 Lao Embassy.........................................14 B1 Malaysian Embassy...............................15 B1 Myanma Agricultural Bank....................16 B3 New Yangon General Hospital..............17 B2 Pakistani Embassy.................................18 B1 Planet Internet Café..............................19 F3 Police Station........................................20 F4 Rubyland Tourism................................21 D2 Sri Lankan Embassy...............................22 B1 Tour Mandalay...................................(see 66) Woodland Travels..............................(see 10) Yangon General Hospital......................23 C2 Yoma Bank.......................................... 24 D2 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Amusement Park..................................25 Botataung Paya....................................26 Defence Services Museum....................27 Ein Daw Yar Paya..................................28 English Methodist Church.....................29 Golden Express Ltd...............................30 Kheng Hock Keong..............................31 Ministry of Communication..................32

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs.....................33 Ministry of Railway Transportation................................ 34 Ministry of Transport............................35 National Museum..................................36 Salvation Army Church.........................37 Shwe Pon Pwint Paya...........................38 Sikh Temple..........................................39 Sri Devi.................................................40 Than Zei (Market).................................41 Theinbyu Zei (Market)..........................42 Yangon Swimming Pool.......................43

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SLEEPING Grand Plaza Park Royal Hotel...............44 Haven Inn.............................................45 Lai Lai Hotel..........................................46 Ocean Pearl Inn....................................47 Panda Hotel..........................................48 Pansea Yangon.....................................49 Queen's Park Hotel...............................50 Sakhantha Hotel.................................. 51 Thamada Hotel.................................... 52 Three Seasons Hotel.............................53 YMCA..................................................54 Yoma Hotel..........................................55 Yuzana Garden Hotel........................... 56

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EATING 50th Street Bar & Grill...........................57 Aung Mingalar Shan Noodle Shop....... 58 Chinese Street Stalls.............................59 Feel Myanmar Food..............................60 Ginza Pan Food Centre........................61 Golden Dragon Teashop.......................62 Home Sweet Home Restaurant.............63 Ichiban-Kan..........................................64 Indian Street Stalls................................65 Lashio Lay Shan Restaurant...................66

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British shipped the image to London. In 1951 the image was returned to Myanmar and placed in the Botataung Paya. Also on the grounds is a nat (spirit) pavilion containing images of Thurathadi (the Hindu deity Saraswati, goddess of learning and music) and Thagyamin (Indra, king of the nat) flanking the thoroughly Burmese nat Bobogyi. A short walk from Botataung Paya at Botataung jetty, you can watch ferryboats and oared water taxis cross the Yangon River.

Chaukhtatgyi Paya e¨x;k'qp'äkI".ur;"

Good thing he’s resting because when magnified to this size the placid features of the Buddha in repose can start to seem somewhat eerie, especially if you begin to imagine what he would look like standing above you. Monstrous fantasies of the Buddha aside, the reclining Buddha at Chaukhtatgyi (Map p90; Shwe Gon Daing Rd; admission free), almost as large as the enormous figure in Bago, is impressive. Housed in a large metal-roofed shed, only a short distance northeast beyond the Shwedagon Paya, this huge figure is surprisingly little known and hardly

Lucky Seven Teashop............................67 F3 Maharaja Indian Restaurant..................68 D1 Maw Shwe Li Restaurant......................69 A3 Night Market......................................(see 75) Singapore’s Kitchen..............................70 B3 Western Park Restaurant......................71 A2 DRINKING J's Bistro & Bar...................................(see 77) Ritz Café..............................................72 C2 ENTERTAINMENT National Theatre...................................73 C2 Pioneer Club.......................................(see 56) Thamada Cinema................................. 74 D2 SHOPPING Iron Bazaar...........................................75 Ivy Gallery.............................................76 J's Irrwaddy Dream...............................77 La Pyat Wun Plaza...............................78 Lucky 7................................................79 Twenty One.........................................80 TRANSPORT Botataung Jetty.....................................81 City Bus Ticket Offices (Long Distance Buses).....................82 Hledan St Jetty......................................83 Inland Water Transport Office............................................. 84 Kaingdan St Jetty..................................85 Lan Thit Jetty........................................86 Myanma Five Star Line..........................87 Myanma Five Star Line (MFSL) Cargo Jetty......................................88 Pongyi St Jetty......................................89 Sin Oh Dan St Jetty (Vehicle Ferry to Dalah).................. 90

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publicised at all – if you can’t get to Bago to see the Shwethalyaung, then don’t miss this colossal image. Fortune-tellers on the surrounding platform offer astrological and palm readings.

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The ‘world peace’ zedi was built for the 1954–56 Sixth Buddhist Synod. The 34mhigh stupa (Map p86) also measures 34m around its base. It stands about 11km north of the city centre, a little beyond the Renaissance Inya Lake Hotel. This attempt to construct a modern paya was not terribly successful – it does not have the same visual appeal of Myanmar’s older, more graceful stupas. The interior of the monument, however, is hollow and contains some nice Buddhist sculptures, including a lei-myet-hna (four-sided Buddha sculpture).

Maha Pasana Guha mh;p:snliu,'gU

The ‘great cave’ (Map p86) is a totally artificial one, built close to the Kaba Aye Paya. It was here that the Sixth Buddhist Synod was held in 1954–56 to coincide with the 2500th

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anniversary of the Buddha’s enlightenment. The cavern measures 139m by 113m. This enormous cave, which can accommodate up to 10,000 people, took only 14 months to build; it helps if you have 63,000 labourers. The cave is still used to hold grand religious ceremonies.

Maha Wizaya ( Vijaya) Paya mh;vIjy

Linked by a pedestrian bridge to the Shwedagon complex southern gate, the Maha Wizaya (Map p90; admission K200) is unavoidably dull in comparison. It’s a rather plain but wellproportioned zedi built in 1980 to commemorate the unification of Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar. The king of Nepal contributed sacred relics for the zedi’s relic chamber and Burmese military strongman Ne Win had it topped with an 11-level hti – two more levels than the hti at Shwedagon. Foreign media and some locals often refer to the monument as ‘Ne Win’s paya’, due to Ne Win’s involvement in the project (a common practice among top military figures). However, many Myanmar citizens resent this phrase, pointing out that as the zedi was built by donations from the people, it should rightfully be called the ‘people’s paya’.

Other Paya, Temples & Shrines South of the Chaukhtatgyi Paya, there’s a huge seated Buddha image at the Ngahtatgyi Paya (Map p90). It’s appropriately known as the five-storey Buddha and is located in the Ashay Tawya monastery. In Kyemyindaing (also called Kyimyindine and Kemmedine), in the west of the city, there’s another huge seated Buddha over in the Kohtatgyi Paya (Map p90; Bargaryar St); it stands (or sits) 20m high. There are many monasteries in the vicinity. Kyemyindaing also has a busy night market. Near the airport, the Me La Mu Paya (Map p86) has a series of images of the Buddha in his previous incarnations, and a reclining Buddha image. The paya is named after the mother of King Ukkalapa, the founder of the city of Dagon. In Insein, west of the airport, you'll find the five-storey Ah Lain Nga Sint Paya (Map p86). Near the International Buddhist University, between Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd and Thudhamar St, is wedding-cake shaped Swe Taw Myat Paya (Buddha Tooth Relic Pagoda; Map p86;

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Swedaw St). Not that you’d ever know it nor

should it affect your appreciation of the paya architecturally but it contains not just another tooth relic from the Buddha, but a replica of a relic brought from China in 1997 by pilgrims. The Yau Kyaw Paya is a 30-minute drive northeast of the city centre, past the Kyaikkasan Paya. It’s an interesting complex of buildings with tableaux depicting Buddhist legends, pet monkeys, deer and peacocks and an interesting museum crammed full of Burmese antiques. The paya is beside the Pazundaung Chaung in a rural setting. At the time of writing, construction was underway on a replica of the Thatbyinnyu Paya, in the North Okkalapa section of Yangon; the Thatbyinnyu is the tallest structure in Bagan. Kheng Hock Keong (Map p98; Strand Rd) is the largest Chinese temple in Yangon. Supported by a Hokkien association, the 100-year-old temple is most lively from around 6am to 9am when it’s thronged with worshippers offering candles, flowers and incense to the Buddhist and Taoist altars within. Old men play Chinese checkers in the temple compound throughout the day. The Moseah Yeshua Synagogue (Map p102; 85 26th St), near Mahabandoola Rd, was founded over 100 years ago by Sephardic Jews. In the classic Sephardic style, it contains a bimah (platform holding the reading table) in the centre of the main sanctuary and a women’s balcony upstairs. The wooden ceiling features the original blue-and-white Star of David motif. Myanmar had around 2500 Jews – a combination of B’nai Israel, Cochin (Indian) and Iraqi heritages – until nationalisation in the 1960s and 1970s, when many began leaving the country. Today there are no more than 50 or so Burmese Jews left in Myanmar, but surviving trustees maintain the synagogue for the occasional special service given by visiting rabbis from India or Israel. Caretaker Moses Samuels is happy to talk with visitors and show them the nearby Jewish cemetery, with over 700 graves dating back to 1856. Look for the Jewish star above the shops on Mahabandoola Rd. The entrance, sandwiched between small shops, is around the corner on 26th St. Several colourful Hindu temples can be found in the centre of the city, including

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Sri Sri Siva Krishna (Map p102; 141 Pansodan St), Sri Kali (Map p102; Anawrahta Rd), between 26th and 27th Sts, and Sri Devi (Map p98; cnr Anawrahta Rd & 51st St). These are the centres for the city’s annual Murugu Festival, famous for colourful street processions featuring acts of ritual self-mutilation.

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TIP Ride the lift to the top of the Sakura Tower (map p102), an office building across from Traders Hotel, for the best 360 degree views of the city.

National Museum

Martyrs’ Mausoleum

About 1km north of Bogyoke Aung San Rd, and just south of the Indonesian embassy is the National Museum (Map p98; %282 563; Pyay Rd; adult/child/student US$5/10/10; h10am-4pm), an unspectacular, cavernous and quite sparsely labelled collection. Nevertheless, you can find a number of interesting exhibits, especially the 8m-high Sihasana (Lion Throne), which belonged to King Thibaw Min, the last Burmese king. There is also a fair range of royal regalia, much of which was plundered by the British but later returned (in fact you’ll find a more impressive Burmese collection in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum). Also worth a look are some extraordinarily intricate examples of 19th-century Burmese woodcarving. Upstairs you’ll find Burmese archaeological finds as well as traditional musical instruments. The 4th floor features about 40 mannequins dressed in the traditional dress of various ethnic groups in the country. There are also some excellent old maps and modern Burmese paintings.

Close to Shwedagon, on a hill offering a good view over the city, stands this memorial (Map p90; Ar Za Nir St; admission US$3; h9am-4pm) to Bogyoke Aung San and his fellow cabinet officers who were assassinated with him. It was also here that a bomb set off by North Koreans killed a number of South Korea’s top government officials in late 1983. The mausoleum itself is only open one day a year – 19 July.

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Mahabandoola Garden mh;bNμŸlpn'"¨x®

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Just southeast of the Sule Paya, this square urban park (Map p102; admission K50) offers pleasant strolling in the city centre’s heart, especially in the early morning when the Chinese come to practise tai chi, and the air hasn’t yet filled with traffic fumes. Occupying the centre of the northern half of the park is the Independence Monument, an obelisk surrounded by two concentric circles of chinthe. For a year or two following the 1988–90 prodemocracy uprisings, the park was occupied by Burmese soldiers; many of the more violent events of the time took place nearby.

Located in Bahan Township, the quiet and secluded Bogyoke Aung San Museum (Map p90;

Yangon Zoological Gardens

Bogyoke Aung San Museum

%541 359; Bogyoke Aung San Museum St; admission US$3; h10am-3.30pm Tue-Sun) is the former home of

General Aung San and his wife Daw Kin Kyi, and contains remnants of another era. The house itself dates from the 1920s and the rooms, stairway, railings and furniture are fairly intact. There are several old family photos, which of course include daughter Suu Kyi as a little girl. A glass-encased English-language library reveals the general’s broad interests; titles range from Cavalry Training, Armoured Cars, a History of the US, Left-wing Democracy in the English Civil War and Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations.

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The monkey pen looks like a concrete cyclodrome and the elephants are tethered in place by heavy chains, nevertheless the zoo (Map p90; %72 2134; admission incl gardens K1500; h6am-4pm) and connecting 0.7-hectare gardens (Map p90; %274 244; Kan Yeik Thar St) make a popular outing for Myanmar families. The entrance is opposite the Dolphin Seafood Restaurant on Kandawgyi. Originally developed in 1906 by the British, the sparsely landscaped grounds include a couple of artificial lakes, a playground and a miniature train circuit for kids, and English and Latin labels (even on many of the trees).

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Tigers and lions and a fair selection of both common and scarce Asian animals (including sambar, leopard, serow, Eld’s deer, Malayan sun bear, goral, Indian muntjac, great hornbill, python, cobra and the huge marsh crocodile) are on display. Unchained elephants carry passengers on three-minute rides for K500. A row of large pens in the back house a massive Himalayan giffon, and a few great hornbills among other large birds.

Kandawgyi kn'etÉäkI"

Occupying prime Yangon real estate, this natural lake (Map p90) close to the city centre is a good place for a stroll. Don’t expect

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INFORMATION AA Pharmacy.........................................1 C2 Australian Embassy................................ 2 D4 Bagan Bookshop....................................3 D3 Bookstalls................................................4 B1 Bookstalls...............................................5 D3 British Council Library...........................(see 6) British Embassy...................................... 6 D4 Camera/Film Shops................................7 C2 Central Bank of Myanmar......................8 C3 Central Telephone & Telegraph Office...9 C2 Cyber World II......................................10 C1 DHL...................................................(see 55) Exotissimo Travel................................(see 37) Fire Station...........................................11 C2 Free Bird Tours.....................................12 D1 Global Network Co...............................13 C2 Good New Travel...............................(see 95) Indian Embassy.....................................14 C3 Internet Café......................................(see 98) Inwa Bookshop.....................................15 C1 Main Post Office.................................. 16 D4 May Pharmacy.....................................17 C2 Myanma Foreign Trade Bank................18 C3 Myanmar Oriental Bank........................19 B2 Myanmar Travels & Tours (MTT)..........20 B3 New Zealand Embassy..........................(see 2) Santa Maria Travel & Tours...................21 B1 US Embassy..........................................22 C3 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Cholia Jama Mosque.............................23 City Hall...............................................24 Customs...............................................25 High Court Building..............................26 Holy Trinity Cathedral...........................27 Immanuel Baptist Church.....................28 Immigration Office...............................29 Independence Monument....................30 Law Court............................................31 Methodist Telugu Church.....................32 Moseah Yeshua Synagogue..................33 Mosque................................................34 Narsapuri (Moja) Mosque.....................35 St Mary’s Cathedral..............................36 Sakura Tower.......................................37 Sri Kali..................................................38

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Sri Siva Temple.....................................39 A2 Super One Department Store................40 B1 SLEEPING Central Hotel.........................................41 City Star Hotel......................................42 Daddy’s Home.....................................43 Garden Guest House............................44 Golden Smiles Inn.................................45 Mahabandoola Guest House.................46 May Fair Inn.........................................47 Mayshan Guest House.........................48 New Aye Yar Hotel..............................49 Okinawa Guest House..........................50 Panorama Hotel....................................51 Strand Hotel......................................... 52 Sunflower Hotel....................................53 Tokyo Guest House.............................. 54 Traders Hotel........................................55 White House Hotel...............................56

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EATING 999 Shan Noodle Shop.........................57 C2 Adorns Kitchen.....................................58 B1 APK Kitchen Thai Food.........................59 B1 Bharat Restaurant.................................60 D2 Golden City Chetty Restaurant.............61 C1 Golden Duck Restaurant.......................62 B3 Grand Mee Ya Hta.............................(see 58) J Donuts...............................................63 C2 J Donuts.............................................(see 59) MacBurger...........................................64 D2 Mandarin Restaurant............................65 C3 Nan Yu.................................................66 C3 New Delhi Restaurant...........................67 B2 Nila Biryani Shop...................................68 B2 Nilar Win’s Cold Drink Shop.................69 D2 Okinawa Restaurant.............................70 B3 Palei Kywe Restaurant..........................71 D4 Pizza Corner..........................................72 B1 Shami Food Centre...............................73 C2 Shwe Htoo Restaurant..........................74 B2 Tokyo Fried Chicken.............................75 B1 Tokyo Fried Chicken.............................76 C2 Var Lunch Home..................................77 B2 Yakiniku Japanese Barbeque.................78 B1 Yatha Teashop..................................... 79 D3

DRINKING ABC Country Pub.................................80 C2 Café Aroma..........................................81 C1 Da Best 69 Entertainment.....................82 A2 Diamond White Bar............................(see 41) Emperor Entertainment.........................83 A2 Golden Triangle Bakery.........................84 B3 Mr Brown Café.....................................85 C2 Silver Oak Café....................................86 D3 Strand Bar..........................................(see 52) Theingi Shwe Yee Tea House...............87 D1 Zawgyi’s Café.......................................88 B1 Zero Zone Rock Restaurant..................89 A2 ENTERTAINMENT Aladdin Recreation Centre................... 90 D3 Cinemas...............................................91 C1 Nay Pyi Daw Cinema............................92 C1 SHOPPING Ava Tailoring........................................93 Bogyoke Aung San Market....................94 FMI Centre............................................95 Global Tailoring.....................................96 Morning Market...................................97 Myanmar Shopping Mall......................98 Theingyi Zei (Market)...........................99

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TRANSPORT Air France...........................................100 C1 Air Nippon Airways..........................(see 100) Birman Bangladesh.............................101 D3 Indian Airlines.....................................102 C2 Japan Airlines.....................................(see 95) KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines.................. 103 D4 Malaysia Airlines.................................104 B1 Myanma Airways.............................(see 103) Myanma Five Star Line (MFSL) Passenger Jetty............................................... 105 C4 Myanma Port Authority..................... 106 D4 Myanmar Airways International.......(see 102) Pansodan St Jetty...............................107 C4 Pick-ups to Thanlyin...........................108 C2 Silk Air..............................................(see 100) Thai Airways....................................(see 100) Train Ticket Office..............................109 C1 Yangon Airways Office...................... 110 C4

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untamed nature or meditative quiet here as the sidewalk surrounding the circumference of Kandawgyi also runs alongside a busy road. Also known by its literal translation, Royal (Dawgyi) Lake (Kan), the lake seems at its most attractive at sunset, when the glittering Shwedagon is reflected in its calm waters; you’ll find the best sunset view from the lake’s eastern edge. Several of the city’s embassies, clinics and smaller hotels are in the lake’s vicinity, the majority north of the lake. Just east of the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel, on the southern side of the lake, floats a Shin Upagot shrine. Upagot is a Bodhisattva or Buddhist saint who is said to protect human beings in moments of mortal danger.

The eastern side of the lake is dominated by a very expensive government-financed project including a small park and playground for children as well as the fanciful or monstrous – depending on your taste – Karaweik, a reinforced concrete reproduction of a royal barge. Apart from being something of a local attraction in its own right, the Karaweik (Sanskrit for garuda) – the legendary bird-mount of the Hindu god Vishnu – is also the name of a government-owned restaurant nearby. Traditional dance performances are held here in the evenings.

Inya Lake

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Inya Lake itself is hidden from street level view – a shame as a walk or drive around the perimeter reveals only that something is probably on the other side of the earthen berms. The lake (Map p86) is roughly five times larger than Kandawgyi but to see actual water you must explore on foot and

brave the powerful sun. There aren’t many opportunities for shade, really only scattered umbrellas, popular with young couples sneaking a little alone time. Inya is north of the city, stretching between Pyay Rd to the west and Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd to the east; certain areas along the lakeshore – occupied by state guesthouses and ministerial mansions – are off-limits to the general public. Before reclusive dictator Ne Win died in December 2002, he resided on University Ave at one end of the lake while Aung San Suu Kyi, who at the time of research was still under house arrest at No 54, was at the other end. For years these two important figures in contemporary Myanmar history had resided like powerful nat locked in a battle of wills.

Myanmar Gems Museum & Gems Market

¨mn'm;¾ekY;k'mYk'¨ptiuk'NH='¾ aer;='"¨pxn'" Just north of Parami Rd, this museum (Map p86; %665 365; 66 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd; admission US$3;

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102 YA N G O N • • S i g h t s

Most top-end hotels offer professional traditional Myanmar massage. Maybe the most decadent is the Strand Hotel (p109) where sessions (US$75, 90 minutes) are preceded by a soak in a rose-petal–sprinkled tub. Silk pyjamas are provided. Also try: La Source Beauty Spa (Map p90; %512 381; 1 Shwe

11

Merchant St

Mahabandoola Rd

Merchant St

Ban

k S t

8

7

Stra

Yango

n Riv er

nd

Rd

6 Strand Rd

42nd St

41st St

Bo Aung Kyaw St

39th St

40th St

5

Seikkan Thar St

4

37th St

9

Rd

Bo Aung Kyaw St

35th St

3

Mahabandoola Garden

Strand

36th St

34th St

2

200 m 0.1 miles

38th St

1

Pansodan St

31st St

0 0

Maha Bandoola Garden St

27th St

Mahabandoola Rd 10

32nd St

29th St

Shwe Dagon Pagoda Rd

Train Ride More in the category of sightseeing rather than transportation, the Yangon Circle Line (Yangon train station: %274 027; US$1) is a slow moving, not particularly comfortable threehour trip around Yangon and the neighbouring countryside. However, for US$1, it’s a great way to get a quick overview of the sprawling capital. There are actually two trains, one clockwise and one counterclockwise, and it takes about three hours to complete the loop in either direction. You can always hop off at any station and take a taxi back to the city centre. The first train leaves around 6am from platform 6/7 at the

ὈὈ ὈὈ

Anawrahta Rd Theingyizi Plaza

Maha Bandoola Garden St

Li Rd) Body scrubs, facials, hair salon, and special bridal packages. Seri Beauty and Health (Map p90; %534 493; 103 Dhama Zedi Rd; upper body massage US$3) Skilled and friendly. Every eighth massage is free.

33rd St

Sule Paya Rd

Bogyoke Aung San Rd

Bo Sun Pat Rd

Traditional Myanmar Massage

30th St

An informal group does a 3km and 6km run between the Traders Hotel and the Zoological Garden/Kandawgyi area every Sunday. Inquire at the Traders Hotel (see p110).

28th St

Running

Shwe Bontha St

U Wi Za Ra Rd) Attached to the He & Me Food Centre & Music Pub, which offers snacks and drinks in an open-air setting. Yangon University Swimming Pool (Map p90; %531 889; Inya Rd)

26th St

Opposite the Shwedagon Paya to the west, the People’s Park (Map p90; admission US$3; h7am7pm) is a huge expanse of grass and trees that is bisected by People’s Square, a wide, socialist-style pedestrian promenade. Near a set of fountains just to the south of People’s Square is a children’s playground area, and in the southeastern corner of the park there are a couple of armoured tanks on display. The entrance to the park is on the eastern side, by the Shwedagon Paya’s western gate.

Yangon Swimming Club Pool (Map p98; %278 550;

Start your tour of downtown at the 2200year-old Sule Paya (1; see p97) the geographic and commercial heart of the city, and where the British-designed grid street pattern was centred. After a complete rotation or two and visit inside, cross the busy traffic circle to the east and you’ll find the twice rebuilt City Hall (2). On the next corner further east on Mahabandoola Rd is the Immigration Office (3), once one of the largest department stores in all of Asia. Across the street is the Immanuel Baptist Church (4) originally built in 1885. Continuing east on Mahabandoola, take the next right onto Pansodan St where you’ll see the High Court Building (5) on your

Kon Zay Dan St

Other Attractions

Sa Ya San St)

right, in name at least, the highest legal authority in the land. Continue south on Pansodan St, past Merchant Rd to Strand Rd, the last east-west thoroughfare before the Yangon River. On your left is the Strand Hotel (6; p109), whose restored façade evokes another era and whose air-conditioned lobby, café and bar make a good rest-stop along the way. Ready to brave the heat and uneven sidewalks again, walk west along Strand Rd for a block past Pansodan St where you’ll see the Customs House (7), built in 1915, on one corner and the Law Court (8), an impressive looking colonnaded building on the other – both institutions best admired (figuratively) from afar. Turn north up Mahabandoola Garden St or the less pedestrian friendly Sule Paya Rd. On the other side of Merchant St, you can’t miss the 50m obelisk, a monument to the country’s independence standing in the middle of popular Mahabandoola Garden (9; p101). This brings you back to the Sule Paya from where you can continue on west down Mahabandoola Rd through the chaotic Indian and Chinese quarters (10) of the

WALKING TOUR – DOWNTOWN YANGON

25th St

explore, with lots of hand-blown glass on display, in a surprisingly pleasant indooroutdoor setting. It was this place that provided the huge, mesmerising eyes of the reclining Buddha at Chaukhtatgyi Paya (see p99). Unusual wine glasses, small vases and the like are also for sale at very reasonable prices here. It’s well worth your while paying a visit. The friendly, giggly owner is usually on hand to give you a tour of the workshop. The factory isn’t signposted, and is well hidden down a jungly driveway. Most taxi drivers in the downtown area aren’t familiar with the factory, and it definitely helps if you tell them it’s located in Hlaing (pronounced lie-eng) Township. A taxi from the downtown area should take about 15 minutes one way and cost around K3000 for a return trip.

Most of the top-end hotels have pools and many are open to the public for a few dollars. Admission to some includes access to the hotels’ gyms and saunas. The nicest of these are the Sedona (US$5), the Kandawgyi Palace (US$5) and the Nikko Royal Lake (US$5). Three public pools in Yangon charge fees (usually US$3) for daily use and are generally open from 6am to 8pm: Kokine Swimming Club (Map p90; %550 034; 34

YA N G O N • • W a l k i n g T o u r – D o w n t o w n Ya n g o n 105

Central Train Station (Map p98; Bogyoke Aung San Rd) and the last trip of the day departs around 5pm. Trains depart approximately every 30 minutes though not all do the full circuit. The train is least crowded on weekends. To buy tickets look for the ticket window next to an oval track map at the eastern end of the station.

23rd St

ng:"fn'e¨mmHn'e¨mck'Tu® The glass factory (Map p86; %526 053; 152 Yawgi Kyaung St, Hlaing Township; admission free; h 9.3011am & 12.30-3.30pm) is an interesting place to

Swimming

24th St

Na-Gar Glass Factory

ACTIVITIES

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22nd St

h9am-5pm Tue-Sun) is meant to impress – starting with the world’s largest sapphire that comes from Mogok to the northeast of Mandalay. The sapphire measures 17cm in height, and is nearly 12kg in weight; this somehow translates to 63,000 carats. The museum also boasts the world’s largest jade boulder, rough ruby, and star sapphire. Other not-so-impressive claims include the only mineral with ‘imperial’ in its name. The Gems Market is spread over three floors. In a currently poor country famous for valuable resources, the museum offers an unintended lesson in beauty, politics and money.

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104 YA N G O N • • A c t i v i t i e s

city. Every block along the way is crammed with shops and street vendors selling everything under the sun. Anywhere along the way you can turn right, or north, for several blocks until you hit Bogyoke Aung San Rd. It shouldn’t be hard to determine where the Bogyoke Aung San Market (11; p121) is from here; a nice place to end your walk and begin a new sort of tour, a slightly more difficult one that involves walking and shopping at the same time.

COURSES

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Kawthoung area (p167 for kayaking and boat trips and p333 for diving trips) Putao area (see p225) For hiking in the far north of the country.

FESTIVALS & EVENTS Crowds of pilgrims descend on the Shwedagon for a paya pwe (pagoda festival) from 29 February to 7 March, one of the more important Myanmar holidays. Other major festivals in Yangon include the following: Independence Day (4 January) Includes a seven-day fair

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exact percentage of ownership – whether the government is a majority or minority shareholder and exactly what this means – is difficult to ferret out (see p331). The obvious appeal of the hotels just north of the city centre in the Kandawgyi area are the breathtaking views of the Shwedagon Pagoda, especially at night. The lake itself provides a peaceful backdrop for several clustered hotels around its shores. The city becomes more suburban and spread out the further north you go towards Inya Lake.

Meditation

at Kandawgyi; see p340.

Several monasteries in Yangon welcome foreigners to meditation courses. For more information see p335.

Water Festival/Thingyan (April) The Myanmar New

City Centre

Year is celebrated by a wet pandemonium. See p340 for more details. Buddha’s birthday (April/May) See p340 Martyrs’ Day (19 July) Commemorating the assassination of Bogyoke Aung San and his comrades. See p341 Murugu Festival Held at Yangon’s Hindu temples (see p101), it involves colourful processions.

The author’s choice for this price range can be found on p108.

..

Thai Chi & Martial Arts The art of Tai Chi is practised daily at dawn at Mahabandoola Garden, near the Sule Paya. Burmese kickboxing instruction for beginners is offered on the ground floor of the YMCA (Map p98; %294 128, 296 435; Mahabandoola Rd, near Thein Byu Rd; hbeginners 7-9am Tue, Thu & Sat, experienced 3-5pm Mon, Wed & Fri). There’s usually

someone around who can translate the essentials, though you should mostly expect to learn by example. Techniques taught here incorporate some moves borrowed from Thai and international boxing. Visitors are welcome to participate in boxing upon becoming members; if you’re staying at the YMCA, you’re welcome to use the facilities for a small donation. Inquire at the main office on the upper floor for more information. Saya Pan Thu, founder of the Institute of Myanmar Traditional Advanced Boxing (Map p90; 15 Aung Chan Tha St, Hledan Rd, Kamayut Township) teaches a more traditional Burmese kickboxing style on most Saturdays at 4pm at the Yangon University campus. Pan Thu doesn’t speak much English, nor apparently do any of his students.

TOURS Yangon is a good place to organise tours to some difficult-to-reach places, including the following. The operators are listed in the referenced pages. Chin State (p329) Includes hikes and bird-watching on Mt Victoria in the west of the country.

..

SLEEPING Judging by the number of large top-end business-style hotels cropping up all over the city, the hospitality industry in Yangon is alive and well. Low occupancy rates, though, belie the wisdom of the hotel building boom and heavy rebates are to be had by the savvy traveller. Practically all of the budget options are located in the busy city centre area but room rates are high and the quality low when compared with budget accommodation in Mandalay. It’s worth considering spending a few extra bucks and taking the jump to midrange accommodation if you’re only in the capital for a night or two. Many of the midrange and top-end hotels provide airport pick-ups and offer Internet access and full-service business centres. Only a few accept credit cards in person so it’s worthwhile booking and paying for reservations online where rates are often heavily discounted anyway. Even if you do just show up unannounced you’ll rarely have to pay the advertised price. Some of the top hotels add on an additional 10% service charge and 10% government tax. Almost all hotels, even the mostly lowly budget place, will store luggage while you’re away up country. Note: most of the top-end hotels are joint ventures with the government although the

BUDGET

Prices quoted generally include a rudimentary eggs-and-toast breakfast. Payment is accepted in US dollars, and sometimes kyat. Street noise, especially in the early morning, is a nuisance at many of the options. Motherland Inn 2 (Map p90-1; %291 343; www.myan marmotherlandinn.com; 433 Lower Pazundaung Rd; r US$713; ai) While the Motherland Inn 2 (the

original Motherland has since closed) is a long walk or a short taxi ride from the centre itself, it’s one of the best value options in this category and is deservedly popular with the backpacker set. This well-managed hotel’s modern and green façade is easily noticeable on this quiet residential street. The rooms themselves are simple but exceptionally clean; several triples with fan or air-conditioning are also available. A complimentary airport shuttle runs twice a day and breakfast is outstanding for this category. The pricier rooms have private bathrooms. Okinawa Guest House (Map p102;%374 318; 64 32nd St; dm US$5, s/d with bathroom US$10/15; a)

The only downside to the Okinawa’s six beautifully furnished all-wood rooms is the erratic power supply, which means no hot water and air-conditioning only at night. If neither are concerns, this distinctive guesthouse just a short walk from Sule Paya is an excellent option; even the attic-level dormitory room is attractive. Just look for the red roof and brick exterior on this otherwise nondescript street. White House Hotel (Map p102; %240 780; white house@ mptmail.net.mm; 69-71 Kon Zay Dan St; r US$5-

YA N G O N • • S l e e p i n g 107

14; a) It’s a good thing the White House rooftop has hammocks and swings and that the views are so spectacular because the steep climb to get here is an aerobic workout. Some of the rooms are weirdly shaped and the design scheme is somewhat funky – shards of glass and mirrors and tiles – but things are kept clean and the common areas at the top are crowded with potted plants. Breakfast is better than average and the front desk is a one stop shop for all your bus and tour information. Golden Smiles Inn (Map p102; %373 589; mya [email protected]; 644 Merchant St; r US$5-12; a)

Golden Smiles is centrally located, up a flight of stairs from a grubby street-level entrance. There’s nothing outstanding about the eight basic rooms and lighting can be dim despite the sunny balcony hangout/breakfast area. All the rooms have air-con, the more expensive rooms have private bathroom and the staff is helpful and friendly. May Fair Inn (Map p102;%384 183; mayfair.inn@ mptmail.net.mm; 57 38th St; r US$9; a) This inn between Merchant and Strand has several clean, carpeted rooms. The modern bathrooms make up for the slight inconvenience of night-time–only air-con and hot water. The May Fair isn’t the place to meet other travellers and there is no welcoming common area or extra domestic touches despite the fact that it is family owned. YMCA (Map p98; %294 128; 263 Mahabandoola Rd; r US$8-19; a) At the time of writing a new nine-story wing was in the works, three floors dedicated to accommodation. Rooms in the original building are large, sparse and decorated only with concrete but they do have windows – a plus in the budget category. Free transport to/from the airport is available. Both men and women are welcome here, although double rooms are ostensibly for married couples. Sunflower Hotel (Map p102; %240 014; sunflower [email protected]; 259/263 Anawrahta Rd; r US$8-15; a) Located in the heart of the busy Indian

quarter on the corner of Shwe Bontha St and Anawrahta Rd, the Sunflower offers a variety of neat if airless and character-free rooms. The pricier rooms with air-con also have TV. Tokyo Guest House (Map p102; %287 143; 200 Bo Aung Kyaw St; r US$6; a) Though rooms in this 2nd floor guesthouse are barely large enough for a bed and are windowless, they

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THE AUTHOR’S CHOICE Haven Inn (Map p98; %295 500; phyuaung@

is an especially quiet block at night so you should be able to sleep undisturbed. Ocean Pearl Inn (Map p98; % 297 007; www

Panorama Hotel (Map p102; %253 077; panorama@ mptmail.net.mm; 294-300 Pansodan St; s/d US$22/30; ai) Within walking distance of the train

mptmail.net.mm; 216 Bo Myat Tun St; s/d US$10/ 15; a) There’s no more homey and invit-

.oceanpearlinn.com; 215 Bo Ta Taung Pagoda Rd; s/d US$10/ 15; ai) In the same neighbourhood as the

ing place to retire to after a busy day of sightseeing in Yangon. The Haven Inn, announced only by a small neon sign, is located on a relatively quiet street east of the city centre. The five well-furnished rooms are often all booked in high season. Each has air-con, minifridge, large private bathroom and comfortable mattresses though all are window-free. Room 101 is surprisingly large and includes a desk and separate sitting area. The 1st-floor living room area and 2nd-floor breakfast space are all dark wood. Dr Htun, the friendly owner of this family-run retreat, is an excellent source of information.

Haven and Three Seasons, the newly opened Ocean Pearl is another high-value option. While the rooms don’t have as much charm as the other two, there is satellite TV and it’s kept so clean you can see your reflection in the floor. Not only are the willing-to-please front desk staff able to book air, bus and train transport but there is 24-hour room service for those with late night cravings. Mayshan Guest House (Map p102; %252 986; may-

station and the Bogyoke market, the aptly named 10-storey Panorama’s rooms offer good views of downtown Yangon. Its wide marble atrium lobby seems slightly dated and in some of the rooms the carpets are fraying and the paint is peeling. However, location and professional and attentive service offset these flaws. Yoma Hotel (Map p98; % 297 725; yoma.one@

are clean and well-kept and there is a sunny breakfast area filled with plants and books. Bathrooms are shared. The following are bare-bones and only last resorts: Daddy’s Home (Map p102; %252 169; 107 Kon Zay Dan St; r per person US$4-10) Only a few doors from the White House. Garden Guest House (Map p102; %253 779; 441-445 Mahabandoola St; s/d from US$4/6) Fronting Sule Paya. Mahabandoola Guest House (Map p102; %248 104; 93 32nd St; s/d US$3/5) Also fronting Sule Paya.

[email protected]; 115-117 Sule Paya Rd; s/d US$15/22; ai) It’s hard to top the Mayshan’s loca-

tion, a half a block north of Sule Paya. The vibe is less family and intimate than others, nevertheless the small, tiled modern rooms are well-kept and have satellite TV, a good way for new arrivals to pass the early morning jet-lagged hours. There’s a lift and a lobby and breakfast area, both good halfway points between the privacy of your room and the crunch of the outside streets. The Mayshan is also one of the few places where you can access personal hotmail email accounts (30 minutes for US$3). New Aye Yar Hotel (Map p102; %256 938; newayar@ mptmail.net.mm; 170-176 Bo Aung Kyaw St; s/d US$18/20; a) One of the best high-rise entries in this

Yangon’s accommodation options in this price category have expanded rapidly. Some hotels will accept credit cards. Almost all offer discounts in the low season and if you stay for an extended period of time. The two best value choices, as well as the author’s choice (see above), are within a few blocks of one another. Three Seasons Hotel (Map p98; %293 304; phy-

category, the New Aye Yar has a regal looking lobby fronted by two stone lion statues guarding the entrance. Unusual in this price range, you get spiffy uniformed porters and a selection of foreign newspapers for perusal. All of the large rooms have satellite TV, fridges and big, inviting bathrooms. Lower priced rooms have carpeting, while for a few dollars extra you can get one of the much nicer, newer all wood (floors and furniture) rooms; some have panoramic views of the city. Thamada Hotel (Map p98; %243 639; thamada

[email protected]; 83-85 52nd St; s/d US$12/20; a ) Similar in style and appeal to the

[email protected]; 5 Signal Pagoda Rd; s/d US$25/30; a) Rooms in this six-storey hotel just

Haven Inn, the Three Seasons is owned by the same family. If one is full they’ll escort you to the other. High ceilings and spotless wooden floors are complimented by modern bathrooms and tasteful furnishings. Friendly staff serves up an outstanding breakfast – part Western, part Burmese – in the sunny 2nd-floor sitting area. This

across from the train station and next to the cinema of the same name, are surprisingly luxurious. Everything in the bedrooms is done in teak with a few special touches such as local artwork and photography. But it’s the spacious bathrooms that are the real standout. Some rooms have baths and those in the back are quieter.

MIDRANGE

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mptmail.net.mm; 146 Bogyoke Aung San Rd; s/d US$15/18; ai) Not as nice as its Yoma 2 counterpart

(p112), the Yoma gets by on its central location and the business-friendly professionalism of its staff. The quality of the rooms themselves varies; some with low ceilings have seen better days while there are nicer, newer ones too. There are five floors and no lift. Monthly rates are available on request. Queen’s Park Hotel (Map p98; %296 447; qphotel@ mptmail.net.mm; 132 Anawrahta Rd; s/d US$15/22; a i) The very small lower priced rooms in

YA N G O N • • S l e e p i n g 109

this 11-storey hotel on the corner of Bo Myat Tun St are decidedly not good value. The larger, higher priced ones have the standard amenities in this category. There’s a generator to cover frequent power outages and free airport transfer for groups of six or more. Central Hotel (Map p102; %241 007; www.myan mars.net.central; 335-357 Bogyoke Aung San Rd; s/d US$30/ 35; ai) Next to the Traders Hotel and

just across the road from Bogyoke Aung San Market, the Central offers large and clean, if unremarkable, standard rooms and larger suites. All rooms have air-con with private bathroom, fridge and phone. The hotel has a good Chinese restaurant and a very popular bar/café, the Diamond White Bar (p118), adjacent to the large lobby. The Central is a good place to change dollars for kyat. Sakhantha Hotel (Map p98; %249 518; Yangon Central Train Station; s/d US$15/25; a) Basically a wing of the train station, the Sakhantha’s rooms are so big and the ceilings so high that a train carriage could probably fit inside. You don’t really need all this space and there

THE STRAND HOTEL Strand Hotel (Map p102; %243 377; www.ghmhotels.com; 92 Strand Rd; superior ste US$425, Strand ste US$900; ai) Royalty, both the Hollywood kind and the more traditional, make the Strand their home away from home in Yangon. Mick Jagger, Oliver Stone, the King of Tonga, George Orwell, Noel Coward and Somerset Maugham all slept here. ‘When in Singapore stay at the Raffles’, the saying used to go. (Actually it was ‘feed at the Raffles’ and stay somewhere else, but never mind.) Similarly, when you are in Yangon, the place to stay, if you can afford it, is this property located between 38th and Seikkan Thar Sts. The Strand was originally constructed by the Sarkies brothers, of Raffles fame, in 1896, and was one of those glorious outposts of the British empire early in the 20th century. During WWII it was forced to close, only to reopen in 1948, under the auspices of London’s Steel Brothers Co. Ne Win nationalised the property in 1963 and in its latter-day socialist role the Strand became a run-down shadow of its former self – certainly no competition for the well-kept likes of Raffles or The Oriental in Bangkok. Yet somehow, the old colonial era lived on at the Strand. All of this changed again in 1991, when Dutch-Indonesian resort impresario Adrian Zecha and his company began spending US$36 million to renovate the grande dame. By the beginning of 1995, 32 rooms had been totally redone and opened to the public. Though well beyond the budget of many visitors to Myanmar as a place to spend the night, the Strand is well worth a visit for a drink in the bar, high tea in the lobby lounge or a splurge lunch at the café. Unlike the Oriental or Raffles, the hotel isn’t appended to touristy shopping malls and souvenir shops. The décor doesn’t bowl you over with a surplus of ornamentation either, and the staff is more laid-back and less snobbish to nonguest visitors. Each suite here is elegantly finished in the colonial style, with plenty of brass and teak and all the amenities expected at hotels of this calibre. The renovated guest rooms are divided into eight superior suites, 23 deluxe suites and one apartment-like Strand Suite. To all rates, add the mandatory 20% tax and service. Among the public facilities are a dinner-only restaurant, an opulently finished bar decorated with local art, a café and a small business centre. All guests are met at the airport.

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isn’t enough furniture to justify its size but this plus its colonial-era style makes it a unique choice. Both the City Star Hotel (Map p102; %250 291; www.citystarhotel.com; 169/171 Mahabandoola Garden St; s US$20-25, d US$25-30; a) and the Lai Lai Hotel (Map p98; %227 878; fax 227 342; 783 Mahabandoola Rd; s/d US$15/25; a) are modern Chinese-style

high rises in the heart of Yangon. Higher priced rooms have windows with good views of the chaos below.

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rooms have balconies facing the front. The Pioneer (p120), a popular nightclub is at the rear of the building.

Shwedagon & Kandawgyi Area This area of the city is generally quieter than central Yangon. It’s also convenient for walking to Shwedagon Paya, the zoo and Kandawgyi. It’s not a place to seek out budget accommodation. MIDRANGE

TOP END

Grand Plaza Park Royal Hotel (Map p98; %250 388; www.grandplaza.yangon.parkroyalhotels.com; 33 Ah Lan Paya Pagoda Rd; s/d US$60/70; ais) A swanky

350-room hotel just north of the city centre, it comes complete with wood and rattan furnishings, Japanese and Chinese restaurants, café, disco/pub, business centre, fitness centre and tennis court. Rooms here are exceptional value, especially if on one of the floors with a combo business centre, library and lounge. At the time of research the Grand Plaza Park Royal was accepting Visa cards, and was also allowing guests to withdraw cash with their cards for 8% commission; traveller’s cheques are changed for only 3% commission. Traders Hotel (Map p102; %242 828; fax 242 800; www.shangri-la.com; 223 Sule Paya Rd; r US$70-75, ste US$110; ais) Because of its imposing

22 storeys and 500 rooms, and because it’s anchoring one of the busiest street corners in the city, Traders has achieved landmark status. This hotel, part of the Shangri-La chain, enjoys a reputation for good service and is popular with conferences and business meetings. It has a very decent book/gift shop, business centre, fitness centre and excellent restaurant and bar facilities. All rates include breakfast, airport transfer, laundry and local phone calls. Traders also has a free laundry service and a generous check-out time of 6pm. Significant discounts can be found online. Yuzana Garden Hotel (Map p98; %248 944; 44 Signal Pagoda Rd; s/d US$36/48; ais) From a distance the colonial façade looks grand and impressive but, like an ageing movie star, reveals it’s wrinkles and cracks upon closer inspection. The lobby was probably elegant in its day and the oversized rooms are attractive though some are a little mildewy and need a touch-up. More expensive

Winner Inn (Map p90; %535 205; www.winnerinn myanmar.com; 42 Than Lwin Rd; r US$20-25; ai) The Winner is a low slung building that’s attached to a four-storey wing between Inya Lake and Shwedagon Paya. Rooms are very good value, complete with private bathroom, fridge and satellite TV; there is a dining room overlooking the garden. Higher priced rooms are larger. Guest Care Hotel (Map p90; %511 118; www.guest carehotel.com; 107 Dhama Zedi Rd; s/d US$24/32; ai)

All guests at the Guest Care have access to the top floor viewing area with spectacular unobstructed views of the nearby Shwedagon Pagoda. Rooms at this hotel are kept spick and span. Larger rooms have sitting areas and some touches of antique furniture; all have satellite TV and minifridges. Mya Yeik Nyo Royal Hotel (Map p90; %548 310; www.myayeiknyo.com; 20 Pa-le Rd; r US$35, r in old bldg US$100; ais) There are two very dif-

ferent Mya Yeik Nyos right next to one another. One is a modern, slightly kitschy looking four-storey building, the other is a stately, old mansion built by the British as an office for the legendary Irrawaddy Flotilla Company (IFC). The rooms in the former are large and comfortable though the furniture is mismatched and feels like a 70s-era suburban living room. Grand restoration plans for the latter include six massive incredibly unique rooms filled with local handicrafts and sculptures and lit by elegant chandeliers. The MYN Royal’s landscaped grounds afford clear views of the Shwedagon Paya. Bagan Inn (Map p90; %541 539; pinegrp@mptmail .net.mm; 2 Nat Mauk Ln – 29 Po Sein Rd; s/d US$40/60; a) This is a well-managed place sitting

in its own large, landscaped compound on a quiet street, just north of Kandawgyi. Owned by Hong Kong Chinese, the inn’s 25 rooms, in three separate two-storey

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buildings, are large and nicely decorated. All rooms feature fridge, TV and phone; there are also more expensive suites. Rates include laundry service. Summer Palace Hotel (Map p90; %527 211; fax 525 424; 437 Pyay Rd; s/d US$20/25; ais) The Summer Palace, set back from the road near the Myanma TV and radio broadcast station, is a diminutive version of one of the larger top-end hotels in the city. It’s only six-storeys and 56 rooms but has an efficient business centre, professional service and a small swimming pool and bar at the rear. Panda Hotel (Map p98; %212 850; www.myanmars

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to walk from your room to the bar or one of the excellent restaurants on the 2nd floor (see p117). Most of the rooms have windows that open out onto the pool area. Kandawgyi Palace Hotel (Map p90; %249 255; www.kandawgyipalace.com; Kan Yeik Tha Rd; s/d US$80/90; ais) Architecturally, the Kandawgyi

city centre, is another high quality businessoriented midrange hotel in a residential area. Rooms have all the standard amenities, plus some have excellent views and there’s a small gym. It offers free airport transfers.

Palace looks like an extension of the nearby Shwedagon Paya, blending seamlessly into the fairytale vistas from the lake shore. Rooms are mostly teak and wicker and if you stay in one of the paya-side suites the windows frame the scene like a picture postcard. The hotel has several fine restaurants with Burmese, Asian and also European fare (see p116), including a nightclub and 24hour coffee shop. There is also a business centre and a beautiful outdoor swimming pool guarded by a giant stone dinosaur. For those with royal fantasies, there are several amazing bungalows with private Jacuzzi, pool and butler service. Summit Parkview (Map p90; %211 888; www

TOP END

.summityangon.com; 350 Ahlone Rd; s/d US$50/55, studio ste US$220/230; ais) A top choice among

.net/pandahotel; 205 Wadan St; s US$20-25, d US$25-30; ai) This 13-storey high-rise west of the

Pansea Yangon (Map p98; %229 860; www.pansea .com; 35 Taw Win St; s/d US$150/170; ais) To truly be pampered and live like a sovereign on holiday, this elegant teak mansion in the leafy embassy district is for you. The Pansea was once a guesthouse for important nationals of the Kayah ethnic group visiting the city, but now after a masterful restoration it’s a foreigners ideal of colonial luxury. In the 2nd-floor open-air lounge area with bar and pool table, and most especially the rooms, everything is wood and handicrafts and paintings set off with soft plush cushions and bright colours. It’s a feast for the senses and is worth a visit even if you’re not an overnight guest. There’s an excellent restaurant, Mandalay (p116), serving French and Asian cuisine in a pond-side setting. Savoy Hotel (Map p90; %526 289; www.savoy -myanmar.com; 129 Dhama Zedi Rd; s/d US$90/135; ais) Everything inside the Savoy is

done so perfectly that it’s easy to forgive the fact that it’s situated right on a busy street corner with heavy traffic. A cross between the Pansea and a smaller version of the Strand, the Savoy is excellent value in this category. Hallways, rooms and even the lavish bathrooms are stocked with photographs, antiques, handicrafts and sculptures, all of museum quality and it’s a pleasure just

business travellers, it stands within walking distance of Shwedagon Paya. The voluminous marble lobby is designed to impress; the hotel’s 252 rooms come with satellite TV, in-house movies and 24-hour room service; suites and studio suites cost more. In addition to a useful hotel clinic and dispensary, the Summit features a fitness centre, newsstand, hair salon, shopping arcade, several travel agents, a bakery/café and also a restaurant. Hotel Nikko Royal Lake Yangon (Map p90; %544 500; www.nikkoyangon.net; 40 Nat Mauk Rd; superior s/d US$90/100, deluxe US$120/140; ais) This

large, imposing hotel overlooking Kandawgyi has none of the charm or character of other hotels in this price range. It does have all the amenities you’d expect: a business centre with secretarial service, a fitness centre and large pool (K1500 for nonguests), a grand ballroom, a very good Japanese restaurant and a brasserie serving excellent Bamar, Mediterranean and Thai cuisine.

North & Inya Lake Area The remainder of the hotels are well north of the city centre; the majority are along or just off Insein Rd or Pyay Rd, which are both long avenues running north to south.

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MIDRANGE

s) The Renaissance is a 239-room com-

Aurora Inn (Map p90; %525 961; fax 525 400; 37A Thirimingalar St; s US$10-15, d US$20-30; a) Hidden down a narrow street off Pyay Rd, this French-managed place encompasses two older buildings; the one at the back is decorated with antiques and contains a snack bar. Rooms are spacious, and the more expensive rooms have air-con. The attached restaurant serves good French cuisine. Yoma Hotel 2 (Map p90; %531 065; 24A Inya Rd; s/d US$21/28; ai) A small, 17-room hotel that, like its Yoma 1 counterpart, it is very service-oriented and a popular spot in this price range with business travellers. Lower long-term rates are available. Shwe Hinthar Inn (Map p86; %533 295; roswin

plex, about 6km north of the city centre on 37 acres of landscaped grounds near Inya Lake. It’s not much to look at from the outside but the facilities and rooms are fairly sumptuous and elegant. There’s an excellent fitness centre, tennis courts, business centre and several restaurants and cafés. The Dusit Inya frequently hosts conferences and banquets. Room rates are excellent value for a top-end Yangon hotel.

[email protected]; 51 Pyay Rd; s/d US$30/40; as)

It’s a converted colonial building offering 18 well-appointed rooms on spacious grounds; rates include continental breakfast. There is a large garden and poolside bar on the grounds. It’s near the northern end of Inya Lake, next to the Philippine embassy. Royal White Elephant Hotel (Map p86; %503 986; [email protected]; 11/15 Kan St, 6 miles; s/d US$20/ 24; a) This place is near Inya Lake off Pyay

Rd. It’s a four-storey building with elevator and receives raves for its friendly service. However, the spacious, carpeted rooms are beginning to wear around the edges. Liberty Hotel (Map p90; %525 974; fax 524 144; 343 Pyay Rd; s/d US$24/28; a) Near the Hanthawady roundabout in an elite residential neighbourhood is this two-storey colonial mansion converted to a hotel. The rooms are large and high-ceilinged, and there’s also a much larger family room. There’s a nice garden out back. TOP END

Sedona Hotel (Map p90; %666 900; www.sedona myanmar.com; 1 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd; r US$75; ais)

Towering over Inya Lake, the Sedona is a big conventional hotel. There are no real special touches or acknowledgments that this is indeed Yangon, however the rooms are very comfortable and good value. Discounts are usually available for stays of three nights or more. The hotel boasts a popular fitness centre, large outdoor pool, sauna, tennis courts, business centre, good bookshop and several restaurants including the Orzo (see p116). Dusit Inya Lake Resort (Map p86; %662 857; www.dusit.com; 37 Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd; r US$70; ai

EATING Yangon is the culinary capital of the country. From street food, to cheap Bamar and Indian eateries, to high-end restaurants with creative chefs serving European, Thai, and Japanese cuisine, eating is an unexpected highlight of a visit to the city. Eat early – by 10pm all but a couple of 24-hour places, a few large hotel cafés and the Strand will be ready to close. There are also a few music clubs/cafés that serve food until 11pm.

Bamar Eating options outside Yangon are limited to mostly Bamar cuisine so many travellers take advantage of the relative diversity and hold off on Bamar cooking until they leave the capital. While this is an understandable strategy to keep the taste buds guessing, it would be unfortunate as there are several Bamar restaurants more interesting than those upcountry. THE AUTHOR’S CHOICE Sandy’s Myanmar Cuisine (Map p90; %525

195; 290 U Wi Za Ra Rd; vegetable entrees K1500, meat entrees K3000) There’s no better place to try Bamar cooking than at Sandy’s overlooking serene Kandawgyi. The colonnaded colonial building and outdoor patio seating heighten the surprisingly affordable dining experience. Try the Be’Ou-PazunAhsar-Thoor-Gyaw – just pronouncing it is a mouthful – duck eggs filled with minced prawns (K3000), pumpkin soup (K1500) and meat-filled clay pot (K4500). The mohinga (rice noodles with chicken or fish) breakfast here, compared with the same meal served in the average teashop, is like the difference between haute couture and sweat pants.

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The more humble-looking the restaurant appears, the more locals probably frequent it. Figure on spending no more than K1000 per person for a full spread, not including beverages: Feel Myanmar Food (Map p98; %725 736; 124 Pyihtaungsu Yeiktha St; meals K2000) The Feel does heavy lunch-time business; a mixed crowd of locals and foreign embassy staff pack the all-wood dining room that resembles a private home in northern Myanmar. Choose from a great looking array of dishes laid out buffet style in the back. There are a few other Feel Myanmar outlets in the city; this is the nicest, though. Aung Thuka (Map p90; 17A 1st St; venison curry K1000; h10am-7pm) On a small side street between Shwe Gon Daing and Dhama Zedi Rds near the Shwedagon Paya, Aung Thuka features a simple dining room decorated with Myanmar calendars and movie posters, and furnished with linoleum-top tables and wooden chairs. Along one side of the room are dozens of pots containing the day’s curries and special dishes; you’ll automatically receive soup, dhal, rice and side dishes. Hla Myanma Htamin Zain (Beautiful Myanmar Rice Shop; Map p90; 27 5th St; curries K1000; h10am-7pm)

Near the Aung Thuka restaurant, this place is sometimes called Shwe Ba because a famous Burmese actor of that name once had his house nearby. Like Aung Thuka it’s a very simple, plain restaurant, where the food is served from rows of curry pots. There are also some Chinese and Indian dishes. Green Elephant Restaurant (Map p90; %535 231; www.elephant-house.com/restaurant; 519A Thirimingalar St; dishes K2500) Tour groups make this restau-

rant down a narrow side street off Pyay Rd part of their Yangon itinerary. If you don’t mind rubbing elbows with other foreigners, the upmarket and slightly Westernised Bamar curries, salads, meat and seafood dishes are quite satisfying. Service is very good and the restaurant includes an upmarket craft shop.

Shan Aung Mingalar Shan Noodle Restaurant (Map p98; Bo Yar Nyunt St; dishes K1000) Opening onto the busy corner of Nawady St, Aung Mingalar is an excellent place to simultaneously indulge in people watching and the sweet sound of noodle sipping. Waiters are uniformed in Aung Mingalar T-shirts and

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it’s probably the most modern of the Shan noodle shops. 999 Shan Noodle Shop (Map p102; 130B 34th St; most noodle dishes K400) Four or five tables are crammed into this tiny eatery behind City Hall a short walk from Sule Paya. The menu, printed in English and Burmese, includes filling Shàn k’auq swèh (thin rice noodles in a slightly spicy chicken broth), and myi shay (Mandalay-style noodle soup). Noodle dishes are served with fried tofu triangles and jars of pickled cabbage. The kitchen may sell out of some items by early evening. Maw Shwe Li Restaurant (Map p98; %221 103; 316 Anawrahta Rd, Lanmadaw Township; curries K1000) This is another good Shan eatery west of the city centre. The small, friendly, out-of-the-way place is usually crowded with locals, and the curries are excellent and cheap; Shan specialities include pei pot kyaw (sour bean condiment) and hmo chawk kyaw (fried mushrooms). Lashio Lay Shan Restaurant (Map p98; %259 015; 71 51st St; mains under K1000) A popular, simple little place near the corner of Mahabandoola and 51st Sts, it serves excellent Shan mains.

Thai Yinn Dee Thai Restaurant (Map p90; %526 526; 126 Dhama Zedi Rd; freshwater catfish salad K2200; a) Thumbing through the small phonebooksized menu is an exercise in gustatory masochism. Fortunately, the food comes quickly and when it comes it tastes as good as the photos look. Yinn Dee Thai’s menu is more creative than its competitors and its dining room more elegant. Sabai Sabai Thai Restaurant (Map p90; %544 724; 232 Dhama Zedi Rd; dishes K000; a) One of the more popular restaurants in Yangon, Sabai Sabai is in a new location but the extensive menu and homey, welcoming atmosphere remain the same. The menu isn’t as interesting as that in the Yinn Dee Thai’s but the portions are large. Prices are in US dollars and kyat. Padonmar Restaurant (Map p90; %536 485; 78 Inya Rd; dishes K1800; a) The menu here is a mix of Thai- and Bamar-influenced Thai dishes (or is it Thai-influenced Bamar dishes)? Whatever it is, the ground nut and tomato curry (K800) is especially good. Open late, the curiously decorated garden dining area is a good place for a late, leisurely dinner;

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French and Australian wines and mixed drinks are available. Silom Village Restaurant (Map p86; %527 448; 647A Pyay Rd; K2000; a) Just north of Inya Rd in Hlaing township, this large bustling openair restaurant does very good Thai classics. The atmosphere is fun – although the service can be spotty when they’re busy. APK Kitchen Thai Food (Map p102; %250 437; 369 Shwe Bontha St; dishes K1200; a) Attached to the grocery of the same name, you can watch shoppers through the window in the restaurant while you eat. The food is better than you’d expect from the fast-food style bench seats, and it’s easy to pick out favourites from the big photo-filled menu.

Chinese You can sample the whole range of Chinese cuisine in Yangon – from the familiar Cantonese to the less well known Shanghai, Sichuan, Beijing or Hokkien dishes. Singapore’s Kitchen (Map p98; %226 297; 524 Strand Rd; dishes K1500; h10am-1am; a) This is one of the best Chinese restaurants in town. It offers excellent food and good service with a choice of upstairs or down, fresh fish on display, an open kitchen and tables that spill onto the footpath during fair weather. At night it’s a bright and busy place, and even better is the late closing time. Besides seafood, it does a good job of crispy-fried duck, as well as lots of veggie and noodle dishes. A 10% service charge is added to the bill. Golden Duck Restaurant (Map p102; %241 234; 222-224 Strand Rd; duck mains K1800; h10am-10pm)

The Golden Duck is a busy, popular little place offering seafood and, of course, duck. It doesn’t have the ambience of the nearby Singapore’s Kitchen, but it serves excellent food and is good value. Yin Fong Seafood Restaurant (Map p90; %546 149; Kan Yeik Tha Rd; dishes K4500; a) This restaurant directly across from the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel is deservedly popular. A few of the specialties are squid with garlic sauce (K4600), wasabi cuttlefish (K4800), shark congee (K4800), and also medicinal eel soup (K4200). Western Park (Map p98; %225 143; Thakhin Mya Rd; dishes K1800) Near Thakhin Mya Park and the bus terminal at the corner of Strand Rd, the Western Park is a big banquet style hall. Its menu lists a wide variety of styles and dishes but the specialty is the juicy duck.

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Palei Kywe Restaurant (Map p102; %296 094; 44 Bo Aung Gyaw St; dishes K800; h10am-9pm) This restaurant is in the city centre near the main post office, between Strand Rd and Merchant St. It serves excellent northern Chinese fare at reasonable prices. The roast duck is a speciality. Mandarin Restaurant (Map p102; %272 960; 126 Mahabandoola Garden St; dishes K800) Near the corner of Mahabandoola Rd, just across from the park, this place is owned by the same family that runs the Mayshan Guest House. The Mandarin offers the usual assortment of northern Chinese dishes, vegetarian fare and fresh fish in a clean and fan-cooled setting. Nan Yu (Map p102; %252 702; 81 Pansodan St; dishes K1200; a) The Nan Yu has all the usual Cantonese specialities. For noodles, fried rice and other quick Chinese meals, try the night market (Map p98; Madaw Rd) in Chinatown, around the corner from the Cantonese temple.

Indian Along Anawrahta Rd, west of Sule Paya Rd towards the Sri Kali temple, are a number of shops serving Indian biryani (kyettha dan bauk in Burmese), and at night the roti and dosa (a thin crepe filled with potato; spelt toeshay on menus) makers set up along the pavement on the side streets. Indian food is probably the cheapest way of eating in Yangon, particularly at places that serve thali (all-you-can-eat meals of rice and vegetable curries piled on a fresh banana leaf or stainless-steel plate), which often cost only K200. Biryani costs a bit more, around K300. New Delhi Restaurant (Map p102; Anawrahta Rd) It does a variety of North and South Indian dishes for as little as K200. The selection includes puris (puffy breads), idli (rice ball in broth), dosa and banana-leaf thalis and a variety of curries for lunch and dinner. Overhead fans keep the swarms of bugs attracted by the ceiling lights from dive bombing your food. No tea here, only coffee, South Indian style. The restaurant opens onto the street between 29th and Shwe Bontha Sts. Shwe Htoo Restaurant (Map p102; cnr Anawrahta Rd & 30th St) This restaurant is open later than most and is good for a quick palata (fried flatbread) or biryani plate; it’s between the New Delhi and Nila Biryani. Nila Biryani Shop (Map p102; Anawrahta Rd) Although it's always crowded, and deservedly

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so, the service is snappy, so the wait for delicious biryanis isn’t long. It’s between 31st and 32nd Sts in the city centre. Shami Food Centre (Map p102; Anawrahta Rd) A block east on the same side of Anawrahta Rd, this place serves fare similar to the Nila Biryani and is owned by the same family. Both offer vegetarian biryani, as well as the usual chicken. Bharat Restaurant (Map p102; %281 519; 356 Mahabandoola Rd; mains from K600) On the corner of Seikkan Thar St, this place is dependable and cheap; it’s similar to the New Delhi with more of a focus on South Indian flavours. Bharat’s marble-topped tables make a nice change from the long cafeteria-style tables at the Indian places on Anawrahta Rd. Golden City Chetty Restaurant (Map p102; 170 Sule Paya Rd) Just north of the Sule Paya, on the eastern side of the street, this place follows the usual pattern for Yangon’s Indian restaurants – white-tiled walls and bright fluorescent lights; it’s one of the few citycentre Indian places open after 7pm. Var Lunch Home (Map p102; Shwe Bontha St) Two doors south of Anawrahta Rd and the Sunflower Hotel, Var Lunch serves tasty dhal as well as chicken, mutton and veggie curries – all on banana leaves, South Indian style. Good, cheap and authentic – it costs about K800 for two people. There are some very good upmarket Indian restaurants north of the city centre. Ashoka Indian Restaurant (Map p90; %555 539; 28B Pho Sein Rd; mains from US$5; a) Up the road from the Nikko Hotel in a nicely restored old home is the Ashoka serving up excellent, mostly North Indian cuisine. Portions are small but that justifies ordering several courses including piping hot breads and filling samosas. The dining room is large and service formal and attentive. Royal Taj Restaurant (Map p90; %542 899; 138C University Ave Rd; mains from US$4) Another very good North Indian eatery just east of Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd and Inya Lake with excellent tandoori dishes and veggie curries. Prices are moderate. Maharaja Indian Restaurant (Map p98; %720 126; Amusement Park, Zoological Garden Compound; mains US$5) Another very good choice.

Japanese Furusato Japanese Restaurant (Map p90; %556 265; 137 West Shwegondine Rd) Fursato, a traditional

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Japanese restaurant (no shoes, floor seating) enjoys a stellar reputation because of its high quality sushi and sashimi. The hot pot and barbeque dishes are also excellent. Ichiban-Kan (Map p98; %245 027; 17-18 Aung San Stadium; noodle dishes US$3-10; a) This small old school–style Japanese restaurant is in the northwest corner of the stadium. The small menu focuses on soup and noodle dishes. Yakiniku Japanese Barbeque (Map p102; %374 738; 357 Shwe Bontha St; bbq dishes K1000; h10am10pm; a) Yakiniku is just down the block

from the Bogyoke Aung San Market. Tables here have small gas-fired grills built into them, and you’re responsible for cooking your own raw meat and fish. Okinawa Restaurant (Map p102; 32nd St; K1000) Owned by the same family as the Okinawa Guest House down the block, this casual restaurant does good Singapore-style fried rice.

Korean Han Il Kwan (Map p86; %533 898; 46 Inya Rd; mains K4000-8000). For genuine Korean and the best kimchi (salted, pickled vegetables) to be found in Yangon, look for the large red Han Il Kwan sign on the left side of 6½ miles on Pyay Rd. Along with a main dish, you get a small vegetable salad and at least eight side dishes with various kinds of kimchi. Various noodle and Chinese and Japanese dishes fill out the menu. Wash it all down with Korean soju (K5000), a delicious rice liquor that packs a punch. World Cup (Map p90; Dhama Zedi Rd; mains K30005000) Diagonally opposite the Savoy Hotel on Dhama Zedi Rd, World Cup is another Korean favourite. It serves galbi tang (a delicious rich beef soup) as well as marinated meat (usually pork rib) to eat with the kimchi. Pictures of World Cup footballers decorate the walls.

Vietnamese Vietnam House Restaurant (Map p90; %554 957; 287 Shwe Gon Daing Rd; dishes K800) Between Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd and Chaukhtatgyi Paya, this place has an excellent local reputation, and the prices are moderate.

French Le Planteur (Map p90; %549 389; 16 Sawmaha St; mains US$15-25; a) Widely considered the best restaurant in Yangon, the cost of a meal

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at Le Planteur matches its exalted reputation. A list of just a few of the delicacies will whet the appetite of foodies: boneless frog leg appetizers, chowder of Japanese scallops with black truffles and Myanmar white beans, and locally caught filet of parrot fish. The all-you-can-eat barbecue – ribs, steak, chicken, seafood and vegetables – comes with free drinks for the first two hours of the barbecue – with drinks including wine, beer, Johnnie Walker and soft drinks – every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. It costs a reasonable K18,000. To find Le Planteur, follow the signboard on Nat Mauk St, next to Kandawgyi near the Hotel Nikko. L’Moliere (Map p86; %501 558; 49 Pyay Rd; mains US$12;a) Opened in 2004, L’Moliere is picturesquely set right on Inya Lake. The chef specialises in fish and seafood, but meat dishes, especially the lamb cutlets with dauphinoise potato are also excellent. Fantastic chocolates round out the meal. J’s Bistro & Bar (Map p98; %220 284; 59 Taw Win Rd; soups K3500; a) Connected to the boutique J’s Irwaddy Dream in the same elegant teak building, J’s is popular with foreign embassy staff on lunch breaks. Besides a few French dishes, plus several Thai and Bamar inspired ones, the menu includes good cheeses, desserts and bread.

Italian L’Opera Restaurant (Map p86; %566 662; 20 Thukha Waddy Rd; pizzas US$9; a) One of the better and more elegant restaurants in Yangon, L’Opera boasts well-trained and smartly dressed wait staff but more importantly is the Italian owner and chef’s meticulous preparation. L’Opera is east of Inya Lake, just south of Kanbe St, in a pretty little residential cul-de-sac. The outdoor garden seating is a bonus in good weather. Lunch is even more affordable, including delicious seafood pizza. Café Dibar (Map p90; %006 143; 14/20 Than Lwin Rd; mains K3000; a) Around the corner from the Savoy Hotel, in a strip mall of a few other restaurants, Café Dibar is an informal and less expensive Italian bistro. The seafood pizza and lasagne are excellent.

Other Western Onyx (Map p90; sandwiches K2000; a) Not entirely sure of what it wants to be yet, the Onyx

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is hip and stylish inside, outside it’s hidden behind a cement wall at the corner of Dhama Zedi and Inya. The décor is minimal but the pop music is loud. Service is slow but friendly, a few of the dishes are inventive while the burgers are only basic. 50th Street Bar & Grill (Map p98; %298 096; 9-13 50th St; pizzas US$7; a) No detail or cliché is missing, from the pool table to the newspapers to the overpriced Cokes (US$2) to the mediocre pizzas, pastas and sandwiches. Everything it’s assumed an expat misses. The 50th Street, near the corner of Merchant St is a popular hang-out with both expats and locals alike. Prices are in US dollars, though you may pay in kyat as well. Lunches are half-price Monday to Friday.

Hotel Restaurants Most of the hotel restaurants stay open until 11pm. Strand Grill (Map p102; %243 377; 92 Strand Rd; h6-11pm) The Grill is one of Yangon’s most expensive restaurants, with changing continental dinners starting at about US$25. Less formal (and less expensive) is the hotel’s Strand Café (entrees from US$9; h6.30am-11pm), which offers well-prepared soups, salads and sandwiches, as well as a number of Burmese and Asian-inspired dishes. There is also a proper and filling high tea, from 2pm to 5pm daily. The cost is US$14 per person. La Maison du Lac (Map p90; %249 255) The Swiss chef at this restaurant in the Kandawgyi Palace Hotel prepares special set French dinners (US$15) every Friday and Saturday. Shiki-Tei (Map p98; %250 388) This elegant and modern Japanese restaurant in the Grand Plaza Park Royal Hotel is one of the best in the city. The set lunch (US$5) is a good deal. Mandalay Restaurant (Map p98; % 221 462; 35 Taw Win St; mains US$10) At the ritzy Pansea Yangon, this is a serene restaurant serving outstanding French- and Burmese-style cuisine; it’s a perfect place to splurge. Adorns Kitchen (Map p102; %256 355; dishes K2500) Consistently rated as the top Chinese restaurant in Yangon, Adorn’s can be found in the Grand Mee Ya Hta Executive Residences next to the FMI Centre. Orzo (Map p86; mains K8000) Downstairs in the Sedona with a view of the pool, this Italian restaurant serves good pizza and pastas.

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Traders Hotel Restaurant (Map p102; %242 828; 223 Sule Paya Rd; brunch US$12, dinner US$18) In the Traders Hotel, this restaurant serves international, Cantonese, Japanese and Burmese cuisine and elaborate buffet dinners. The Gallery Bar on the 2nd floor does a lavish brunch, which includes well-prepared Bamar curries, Chinese steam pot, roast duck, soufflés and desserts. Parkview Café (Map p90; 350 Ahlone Rd; mains K6000, buffet K8500) At the Summit Parkview Hotel, it is another good place for Sunday brunch; this one with both veggie and nonveggie Indian cuisine. Buffet dinners from around the world are served Thursday to Sunday nights. Kipling’s Restaurant (Map p90; %526 289; mains K9000-17,000, 4-course dinner K17,000) Kipling’s has a German chef but mostly Italian fare; the Bierstube (beer, wine and German food) and the Captain’s Bar (happy hour from 6pm to 8pm daily and Wednesday from 8pm to 11pm) are both in the Savoy Hotel on Dhama Zedi Rd. Travellers keen to avoid governmentowned places should bypass the Karaweik Palace Restaurant, which is a remarkable looking structure on Kandawgyi.

Teashops Yangon’s numerous teashops are not just places to have cups of milk tea or coffee or tiny pots of Chinese tea. They are great places for cheap Burmese, Chinese and Indian snacks. For breakfast, in fact, you’re often better off spending a few kyat in a teashop, rather than eating the boring toast, egg and instant-coffee breakfasts provided by many hotels and guesthouses. Sei Taing Kya Teashop (Map p90; 53 Za Ga War St; h7am-5pm) This is the most famous teatippling spot in Yangon. It has six branches and the most happening branch is near the Israeli embassy. It serves top-quality tea, samosa, palata, mohinga (rice noodles with chicken or fish and eggs) and ei-kyakwe (deep-fried pastries). A branch east of the city centre is at 103 Anawrahta Rd, on the corner of 51st St. There’s another just south of the Theinbyu Playground and by Kandawgyi, on Thein Byu Rd. Yatha Teashop (Map p102; %349 341; 353 Mahabandoola Rd; h7am-5pm) Mahabandoola Rd has a couple of more modest establishments that typify the general division between

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Chinese-influenced and Indian-influenced teashops. This place, between Seikkan Thar and 39th Sts, represents the latter, providing fresh samosas and palata. The Golden Dragon Teashop (Map p98) and Lucky Seven Teashop (Map p98) are lively teashops serving good snacks and are in the vicinity of several good midrange guesthouses east of the city centre.

Street Food Lit up like Times Square, little makeshift grills and small plastic tables line 19th St between Mahabandoola and Anawrahta Rds in Chinatown. To order, point to what you want – a selection of meat and fish skewers (K150), artichokes and bean curd. It’s a bit of a men’s club, though there’s no reason to think women aren’t welcome. Another good Indian stall (selling good barbecued fish) is nearby on Latha St, just south of Mahabandoola Rd, next to Vilas Beauty Salon. Snack places for dessert are around the corner on Mahabandoola Rd. The noodle stalls on 32nd St, near the Sule Paya, are very cheap and very good. Food stalls serving curries and rice – for experienced stomachs only – can be found along the eastern side of Bo Galay Zay St.

Fast Food If you’re seeking more of a café-style atmosphere, see p118. Sharkey’s (Map p90; 4B Golden Valley) A favourite with the expat community, it sells locally made cheese, yogurt, pizzas (part cooked – you need your own oven to finish it off), pesto, olives, sundried tomatoes, as well as home grown roquette and other vegetables and fresh herbs. The Burmese owner, who acquired his cheese-making skills in Europe, also cures his own hams and chorizo, and makes pâté to die for. Sharkey’s is found in Bahan township close to the Australian embassy. Pizza Corner (Map p102; %254 730; 397 Shwe Bon Thar St; pizza K2000-2800; a) This Pizza Hut– style joint is a block from Bogyoke Aung San Market. The lights are bright and the décor is American fast-food to the hilt but the veggie and meat pizzas are tasty. Pasta and fried chicken are also on the menu. Ginza Pan Food Center (Map p98; %379 234; 29 Gyo Phyu Rd; a) The Ginza Pan, across from Aung San Stadium, suffers from an identity crisis.

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Is it a café, a fast-food joint, a full-service restaurant, Myanmar or Thai, or a bakery? It’s actually a combination of all of the above and doing all of them adequately. Tokyo Fried Chicken (Map p102; 156 Mahabandoola Garden St; h8am-9pm; a) There are several outlets of TFC, Yangon’s very own version of KFC. One is just north of Mahabandoola Rd and the other is across the street from Bogyoke Aung San Market. Nilar Win’s Cold Drink Shop (Map p102; %278 364; 377 Mahabandoola Rd; h8am-11pm) This long established clean little café is four blocks east of Sule Paya (between 37th and 38th Sts). You can get yogurt, lassi (a delicious Indian yogurt drink, plain or blended with fruit) as well as fruit salad, toast and egg (just K80), French toast and other traveller delicacies. J’ Donuts (Map p102; Shwe Bontha St) is just south of Bogyoke Aung San Rd, while MacBurger (Map p102; Pansodan St) and another J’ Donuts (Map p102; Pansodan St) are opposite each other between Mahabandoola and Anawrahta Rds. All are open 8am to 9pm daily.

DRINKING Apart from the bars and cafés listed below, Yangon abounds in teashops, where cups of milk tea or coffee, followed by endless tiny pots of Chinese tea and cheap snacks, are available. As these places are a good choice for breakfast, we have included them on p117.

Bars Most of the city goes dark around nine. Burmese night owls head to one of the clubs listed opposite. A lively expat scene rotates around the city during the week: Wednesday nights are for the Savoy, Thursday nights Traders, and Friday night the Strand. Strand Bar (Map p102; %243 377; 92 Strand Rd; h11am-11pm) Though it’s primarily an expat scene, this classic bar inside the Strand Hotel has any foreign liquors you may be craving behind its polished wooden bar. Occasionally there’s someone around to play the baby grand. Friday afternoon and early evening is a two-for-one happy hour (there’s a standard happy hour all other days from 5pm to 7pm). The bar is pleasantly relaxed and comfortable despite the price of the rooms above. Mr Guitar Café (Map p90; %550 105; 22 Sayasan St;

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h6pm-midnight) Founded by famous Burmese vocalist Nay Myo Say, this dark café/bar features live folk music from about 7pm to midnight nightly. Well-known Burmese musicians drop by frequently to sit in with the regular house group. The clientele is a mix of locals and expats. Along with music and drinks, Asian and European food is available. Foreign beers such as Corona will set you back K4400. Frenz Bar & Grill (Map p90; %547 324; Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd; hnoon-late) A sleek place, especially for Yangon, Frenz keeps the décor minimalist and, like trendy bars everywhere, risks style over substance. Live music, mostly covers, is on offer every night apart from Sunday. Burgers (K3800), pizza, pastas, Indian cuisine, steaks and seafood make up the culturally diverse menu (K2200 to K5000). 50th Street Bar & Grill (Map p98; %298 069; 913 50th St, h11am-10.30pm) Popular with local Burmese and expats on Friday and Saturday nights, this bar has a pool table and brickoven pizza. There are half-price drinks from 5pm to 8pm Monday to Thursday, 4pm to 9pm Friday and all day Sunday. Silver Oak Café (Map p102; 83/91 Bo Aung Kyaw St; %299 993; hnoon-late) This place, a few blocks from the Strand is one of the few centres of gay nightlife in the city. In front is a hair salon and behind is the club with live music most nights. Captain’s Bar (Map p90; %526 289; 129 Dhama Zedi Rd; huntil midnight) At the Savoy Hotel, this bar is popular with both local Burmese and expats, especially on Wednesday nights when there’s live jazz. Diamond White Bar (Map p102; %241 007; Bogyoke Aung San Rd; hearly morning-late) It’s a popular drinking hole and café on the ground floor of the Central Hotel. There’s a steady stream of satellite TV sport, and prices are good and low.

Cafés Zawgyi’s Café (Map p102; %256 355; 372 Bogyoke Aung San Rd) Zawgyi’s is next to the FMI Centre, one of the best people watching spots in the city. In addition to ice cream, shakes and juices the café menu includes noodle and rice dishes and sandwiches as well. The shop inside sells high-priced handicrafts and textiles. Ritz Café (Map p98; %243 934; 296 Shwedagon Pagoda Rd; h10.30am-10.30pm; a) A hip stylish

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café near the Defence Services Museum with interesting glass tables, it has international newspapers and magazines free for perusal while downing a burger (K780) or cappuccino (K750). CDs are sold here as well. Café Aroma (Map p102; Sule Paya Rd; h8am-11pm; a) The Starbucks of Yangon, this café has several outlets around the city. The Sule Paya Rd branch, next to the cinema, is the most central, and offers fine, freshly brewed coffee and fruit smoothies (from about K500) in a stylish setting. Pasta and pizza dishes are also available for K800 to K1400. Other Café Aroma outlets are at the Yuzana Plaza, just east of Kandawgyi and at the La Pyat Wun Shopping Centre. Golden Triangle Bakery (Map p102; %378 869; 641 Merchant St; h8am-5pm; a) It has three locations throughout the city including one across the street from the Golden Smiles Inn and another in the British Library. The bakery does delicious cheese cake (K850), biscuits and special order cakes, not to mention cappuccinos (K500) and other hot and cold drinks. Actor’s Corner Café (Map p90; %504 932; 1st fl, Dagon Centre; h8am-7pm; a) Far from Hollywood, this café is still advertised as the place where stars hang out, and while you may not be able to spot them, the modern roomy café is good enough for the hoi polloi. Mr Brown Café (Map p102; Mahabandoola Garden St; a) Another place to get a break from the heat and sip a cold drink even if the décor is more fast food than café.

ENTERTAINMENT Nightlife and Yangon aren’t usually used in the same sentence. The main form of local recreation is hanging out in teashops or ‘cold drink’ shops. While Bangkok makes an evening in Yangon seem quaint and provincial, entertainment can be found in far-flung places around this sprawling city, unfortunately much of it in large hotels catering to foreigners. On festival days (some are listed on p106), local bands occasionally organise live outdoor concerts. During the water festival in April, sizable rock-music shows are set up along Inya Rd and University Ave Rd and feature local underground rockers.

National Theatre The Yangon government revived the per-

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formance of Burmese classical dance-drama at the National Theatre (Map p98; Myoma Kyaung Rd), a government-sponsored facility, northwest of Bogyoke Aung San Market. Scenes from Ramayana – called Yama Thagyin in Burmese – are only occasionally held. Check at the theatre itself or try asking staff at the larger hotels.

Dinner Shows There are a few large, banquet-style restaurants with floorshows in Yangon. Heavily used by the visiting business community, these dining spots are typically Chineseowned and feature extensive Chinese menus plus a few Burmese dishes. Entertainment is provided by Burmese bands that perform a mixture of Burmese, Western, Chinese and Japanese pop songs. Some places also feature Burmese classical dance and/or marionette theatre. LakeView Theatre Restaurant (Map p90; %249 255; [email protected]; Kan Yeik Tha Rd; dinner & show K7200) Attached to the Kandawgyi Palace

Hotel, the entertaining show includes 10 traditional Burmese dances; one involves a woman balancing on one foot on a chair while juggling a cane ball. The buffet dinner of Thai and Burmese favourites starts at 6.30pm, before the show. Lone Ma Lay Restaurant (Map p90; %550 357; Nat Mauk St, Kandawgyi; dishes K1000) This is among the best of the bunch of restaurants at Kandawgyi that offer entertainment. Shows focus on Burmese classical and folk dance early in the evening, and pop later on. Dolphin Seafood Restaurant (Map p90; %250 240; Kan Yeik Thar St) Near the aquarium, also on the lake, the Dolphin Seafood is less formal and known for employing the best Burmese pop singers in town. A recent addition to the restaurant is karaoke in English, Burmese and Chinese.

Clubs Yagon’s own interpretation of club culture involves competitive fashion shows and mostly listless groups of men sipping bottles of Myanmar beer. It’s not clear whether an 11pm curfew is de facto or de jure, either way it’s only periodically and unevenly administered, dependent on both power supply and politics. Most clubs have a nominal cover charge that includes the first drink. A word of warning: prostitutes are a regu-

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lar feature at many of Yangon’s hot night spots. Though the government keeps them on the move, there is little concern for their health or safety, or that of their clients. There are several rooftop clubs in Thein Gyi Zay Plaza, on Shwedagon Paya Rd in Chinatown. Access is provided by lifts open to the street. They tend to be open from early evening until late. You might find yourself straining to hear the gentle lap of ocean waves at Zero Zone Rock Restaurant (Map p102; %373 384; 2nd fl, 2 Thain Gyi Zay) whose bamboo shelters seem more appropriate for a beach club than Yangon rooftop. It’s the most appealing of the bunch offering up live music nightly, views of the city, cheap beer and Myanmar, Chinese and Indian food. Da Best 69 Entertainment (Map p102; City Centre Plaza, Shwedagon Pagoda Rd) and Emperor Entertainment (Map p102; %240 600; 5th fl, City Centre Plaza, Shwedagon Pagoda Rd) are on the same block. Pioneer Club (Map p98; %240 995; 44 Alanpya Pagoda Rd, Yuzana Garden Hotel), a disco popular with US Marines, and other primarily male expats and Burmese hosts a ‘supermodel’ show.

Cinemas There’s no better city for Myanmar cinephiles than Yangon. By a conservative estimate there are over 50 theatres, a half-dozen or so found along Bogyoke Aung San Rd, east of the Sule Paya. Tickets are K800 or less per seat. Critically acclaimed films are in short supply; rather there is a succession of syrupy Myanmar dramas, Bollywood musicals, kung-fu smash-ups, plus a few Hollywood blockbusters. Nay Pyi Daw Cinema (Map p102; %276 555; Sule Paya Rd; a) This cinema across from Traders Hotel and next to the Aroma Café has showings throughout the day. It’s one of the busiest cinemas in the city. Thamada Cinema (Map p98; %246 962; 5 Alaung Paya St; a) Easily the best cinema for foreigners, it is comfortable and shows fairly recent American and international films. American Center (Map p98; 14 Taw Win St) Behind the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this centre shows free American movies at noon every Monday.

SHOPPING It’s unfortunate that shipping goods from Myanmar is either prohibitively expensive for most or simply not possible because of

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political reasons; travellers are therefore limited to whatever can fit in their carry-on baggage. Yangon isn’t the shoppers’ mecca that Bangkok is, it does however offer a more manageable alternative as there are fewer and smaller outlets and prices tend to be even cheaper all around.

Arts & Handicrafts A small but thriving local gallery scene exists in Yangon, the majority spread around the relatively posh Golden Valley neighbourhood. Several painters have achieved recognition abroad and prices in general are not inexpensive. Wingaba Art Gallery (Map p90; %549 376; [email protected]; 29 Wingaba St) Contemporary paintings, lacquerware and tapestries are on display in this colonial residence. Nandawun (Map p90; %221 271; cnr Baho & Ahlone Rds) It deals with rare books on Myanmar, ethnic minority costumes, lacquerware and gems. Daw Mya Mya Sein (%542 505; 11 Thiri Zeyar St) This is an antique lacquerware shop in the house of the proprietor, who is a former Shan princess. Traditions Gallery (Map p90; %513 709; 24 Inya Myaing Rd) Quality reproductions of traditional Myanmar handicrafts are sold here. The director is Claudia Saw Lwin. Ivy Gallery (Map p98; %297 654; 159 45th St) Between Bogyoke Aung San and Anawrahta Rds, Ivy is run by the director, Myat Min. It features a fine collection of modern Burmese art. Ivy also has a shop in Bogyoke Aung San Market at 438 West Row. Both Golden Valley Art Centre (Map p90; %513 621; 54(D) Golden Valley), and Inya Gallery of Art (Map p90; %530 327; 50(B) Inya Rd) feature exhibits by contemporary Burmese painters.

Malls There are a number of modern Westernstyle shopping malls with air-con, restaurants, cafés and a wide selection of stores selling everything from hipster T-shirts to flat screen TVs. The largest and most convenient are these: Blazon (Map p90; 72 U Wi Za Ra Rd) Dagon Centre (Map p90; 262-264 Pyay Rd) Excel Treasure (Map p90; Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd) FMI Centre (Map p102; 380 Bogyoke Aung San Rd) Just east of Bogyoke Aung San Market.

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La Pyat Wun Plaza (Map p98; Ah Lan Paya Pagoda St) Not far north of the train station.

Markets

Shopping at the zei (markets, often spelt zay) in central Yangon can be fun, educational and a chance to interact with the locals. The long southern stairway at Shwedagon Paya is lined with small shops catering to pilgrims and tourists alike. Popular items include sandalwood bracelets, small drums, papier mache animals etc. Bargaining is expected here. Bogyoke Aung San Market (Map p102; Bogyoke Aung San Rd; h8am-6pm Tue-Sun) A half-day could easily be spent wandering around this 70year-old sprawling – with over 2000 shops – market (sometimes called by its old British name, Scott Market). Besides the fact that it has the largest selection of Burmese handicrafts you’ll find under several roofs, the market is a fantastic opportunity to smile, laugh and haggle alongside Burmese shoppers. Along the maze-like aisles you’ll find a whole variety of interesting Burmese souvenirs, from lacquerware and Shan shoulder bags to T-shirts and puppets. Pick-up some nice slippers here, convenient for all the on and off demanded by paya protocol. Gems and jewellery are also on hand. To store all this booty, several shops in the market, across the street along Bogyoke Aung San Rd and in the New Bogyoke Market, which caters more to the household needs of Burmese, sell an extensive variety of backpacks of all sizes and brands, some more authentic than others. Some of the more interesting shops in Bogyoke Aung San Market include: Depi Store (39 West Block) For cheroots and cigars. Eastern Queen (1st fl, 18 Face Wing) Rattan furniture. Jing Phaw Mai Lay (Myanma Silk & Cotton Wear; 93 Central Arcade) & Mya Malar (137 West Wing) At least 20 other places in the market also specialise in longyi (saronglike lower garments). Maung Maw & Brothers (115 Inner West Wing) Modern and traditional musical instruments. Myanmar Lacquerware (1-2 East Wing) Lacquerware. Myat Sanda (138 West Wing) Lapheq (pickle tea).

Super Star Antique & National Traditional Goods Shop (15 West Wing) Theingyi Zei (Map p102; Shwedagon Paya Rd) The biggest market in Yangon, this is especially good for locals who find Bogyoke Aung San Market a little too pricey. Most of the merchandise is ordinary housewares and

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textiles, but the market is renowned for its large selection of traditional Burmese herbs and medicines. A snake section features the fresh blood and organs of various snakes, some live ones are disembowelled on-thespot for medicinal consumption. Traditional Burmese herbal shampoo, made by boiling the bark of the tayaw shrub with big black kin pun (acacia pods) is sold in small plastic bags; this is the secret of Myanmar women’s smooth, glossy hair. A new mall-like section on Shwedagon Paya Rd, Theingyizei Plaza, contains less-interesting modern shops. Thirimingala Zei (Map p90; Yangon River bank, Ahlone Township) Off the northern end of Strand Rd (about 1km west of People’s Park), is a labyrinth of vendors selling fresh foodstuffs, vegetables, fruits and meat – it’s worth a stroll for the amazing sights and smells, not all of them especially pleasant. San Pya Fish Market (Map p90; Nat Sin St) Catch even more of an aroma further north along the riverfront. Mingala Zei (Map p90) A little southeast of Kandawgyi, this market proffers textiles, clothes, electrical appliances, plastic ware, preserved and tinned foodstuffs, modern medicines, and even cosmetics from China, Thailand and Singapore. Iron bazaar (Map p98; cnr Mahabandoola & Madaw Rds) Located in Yangon’s Chinatown – you can find all the items that are used in Chinese cooking here. Itinerant vendors set up along Anawrahta Rd east and west of Sule Paya Rd from about 6pm to 10pm nightly, selling everything from Chinese toothbrushes to fresh fruit and shish kebab. Chinatown (Map p98) itself extends east-west between Madaw and Shwedagon Paya Rds, and north-south between Mahabandoola and Strand Rds.

Speciality Shops J’s Irrawaddy Dream (Map p98; %221 695; 59 Taw Win St; h9am-8pm) A block north of the Pansea Hotel, this is a handsome shop featuring high-quality Burmese textiles, clothes, lacquer and other handicrafts. It’s an especially good place to find stylish women’s dresses. Royal Rose (Map p86; %662 576; www.kyolone .com; Inya Yeiktha St) East of Inya Lake and north of L’Opera, Royal Rose sells handbags and beautifully crafted women’s slippers, better than the kind sold in Bogyoke Aung San Market.

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If your prescription spectacles should go missing, optometry stores (Map p102) line both sides of Shwe Bontha St between Bogyoke Aung San and Anawrahta Rds. The Morning market (Map p102; cnr 38th St & Bogyoke Aung San Rd) has fresh flowers at cheap prices. Also try the back entrance to Bogyoke Aung San Market, or on early mornings/evenings at Hledan, Myaynigone or Kyimyindaing markets. Yangon is a surprisingly good place to find DVDs of American, British, French and Hong Kong films. Be aware that a number of DVD shops deal in pirated copies. Here’s a disclaimer for liability purposes: the ones in the following places look genuine. As well as films, Lucky 7 (Map p98; %371 410; 61 Latha St) sells an extensive variety of DVDs of popular American and British TV shows including the Simpsons and the Office; Twenty One (Map p98; %245 295; 168 Mahabandoola Rd, cnr 21st St), a much smaller shop nearby, sells the usual Hollywood blockbusters. Most of the malls listed on p120 have small shops selling DVDs. The ones on the 2nd floor of Excel Treasure and the 4th floor of La Pyat Wun Plaza are the best.

Tailors Yangon isn’t a place you would usually think of for tailor-made clothes, but prices for tailoring are among the lowest in Southeast Asia. The selection of fabrics at tailor shops, however, is mostly restricted to synthetics. Cotton lengths in prints, plaids, solids and batiks can easily be found in the larger markets, so you may do better to buy cloth at a market and bring it to a tailor shop for cutting and sewing. J’s Clothes (Map p98; %220 284; 59 Taw Win Rd) This part of J’s Irrawaddy Dream works with high-quality Myanmar and imported fabrics. Ava Tailoring (Map p102; %2481 56; 124 Pansodan St) If you want a traditional, Mandarin-collar Myanmar shirt (for men), try this place near the train station at the Anawrahta Rd intersection. Globe Tailoring (Map p102; %273 416; 367 Bogyoke Aung San Rd) Well regarded by local expats for women’s and men’s tailoring.

GETTING THERE & AWAY Air

See p354 for information on international

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air travel, and p358 for details on domestic air travel, to/from Yangon.

Boat

Along the Yangon River waterfront, which wraps around the south of Yangon, are a number of jetties with boats offering longdistance ferry services. The four main passenger jetties (Pongyi, Lan Thit, Kaingdan and Hledan) service long-distance ferries headed up the delta towards Pathein or north along the Ayeyarwady River to Pyay, Bagan and Mandalay. Named after the respective streets that extend north from each jetty, all four are clustered in an area just south of Lanmadaw township and southwest of Chinatown. When you come to purchasing a ticket for a particular ferry from the government’s Inland Water Transport (IWT; Map p98; %284 055) deputy division manager’s office, at the back of Lan Thit jetty, be sure to ask which jetty your boat will be departing from. Myanma Five Star Line (MFSL; Map p98; %295 279) ships leave from the MSFL jetty (Map p102) – also known as Chanmayeiseikan jetty – next to Pansodan St jetty. There are several privately owned companies that operate luxury cruises from Yangon to Bagan and Mandalay (see p362). PATHEIN

IWT boats depart from the Lan Thit jetty in Yangon for Pathein at 5pm daily (arriving 10am the next day). The cost is US$7 for deck class (an easy chair if you’re early enough) or US$42 per person for a cabin with private bathroom. From Pathein to Yangon, boats also leave at 5pm and arrive at 10am the next day. A more luxurious option is the privately owned and operated Delta Queen (%246 752;

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site supernatural amounts of luck, patience, and commitment are all possessed by one single person at a single extended moment in time. If the stars should align in your favour remember there is no fixed schedule for departures or arrivals. Bon voyage.

Bus There are two major bus terminals in Yangon: Aung Mingalar Bus Terminal and the Hlaing Thar Yar Bus Terminal, described below. There is a third station, smaller and less important than the following two, known as Tha-khin Mya Pan-gyan Gate. It is near the Western Park Chinese Restaurant. Buses from here, which are generally older and without air-con, service Bago, Mawbi and Taikgyi. Companies based in Aung Mingalar also travel to Bago so the only real reason to leave from Tha-khin Mya Park is because the station is within walking distance of the city centre. Most signs at the bus terminals are in Burmese; however, English-speaking touts anxious to steer you in the right direction are in abundance. To avoid the hassle and attention make sure your taxi driver (both of the major terminals are around 45 minutes from the city centre and it’s unlikely you’ll arrive to either via public bus) knows where you want to go and even better the name of the specific bus company. Showing the driver your ticket will do; if you don’t have a ticket have a Burmese speaker write the information on a slip of paper. You can buy tickets at the bus terminal or at several central locations, mostly opposite the central train station, alongside Aung San Stadium. Many hotels can book tickets for you.

www.myanmar-rivercruises.com; 343 Bo Aung Kyaw St, Yangon; per person US$170) See p134 for more

AUNG MINGALAR BUS TERMINAL (HIGHWAY BUS STATION)

details.

Located to the northeast of the airport, Aung Mingalar (Map p86) is the only official bus terminal for all 150 bus lines leaving for the northern part of Myanmar from Yangon, as well as for Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock), Mawlamyine and destinations to the south. Prior to April 2003 when Aung Mingalar, was christened, another terminal near the airport called Saw Bwar Gyi Gone was known as the highway station. Many publications and maps still refer to Saw Bwar Gyi Gone incorrectly; it’s now used

TWANTE

The alternative to getting to Twante by the Dalah ferry/bus combo is to take the twohour scenic trip along the Yangon River and Twante Canal (see p129for details). DAWEI, MYEIK, & KAWTHOUNG

It’s theoretically possible to travel in a large MFSL boat south to Dawei, Myeik or Kawthoung. In reality, it’s unlikely that the requi-

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as a maintenance yard, warehouse space, and a transport hub for shipping goods. The majority of bus companies do still have offices there. To the North

The nicer, air-conditioned buses of companies such as Leo Express and Sun Moon Express head off to destinations to the north daily, usually at around 5pm or 6pm. Bus companies operating up and down Highway 1 include the following (those with ticket kiosks at Aung San Stadium are indicated below): AKM Express (%636 441) Eastern State Express (%639 455) Hnin Thu Wai (%246 283) Kyaw Express (%242 473; 8-11 Aung San Stadium, South Wing)

Leo Express (%252 001; fax 240 668; Aung San Stadium, Eastern Wing) Mann Shwe Pyi Express (%248 970) Rainbow Express (%272 250) Saw Bwa Gyi Gon (%665 545) Sin-ma-lite (%286 588) Sun Moon Express (%642 903; Aung San Stadium, Southern Wing) Transnational Express (TNE; %249 671; 22-29 Aung San Stadium, Southern Wing) Destinations served include the following. Journey times depend on road conditions and the health of your bus. Bagan (K6500, 14 hours) Ye Thu Aung express buses leave at around 3pm. To go there via Pyay requires bus changes in Pyay and Magwe – this seems to be a route only used by those on package bus tours, or with a private car. Kalaw (K7000, 15 to 17 hours) Buses depart in the late afternoon and go over the mountains. Mandalay (K6000, 12 to 15 hours) Buses leave from around 4.30pm to 6pm. Taunggyi for Inle Lake (K6000, 20 hours) Get off in Shwenyaung and then grab a pick-up or taxi to Nyaungshwe on Inle Lake. Thandwe for Ngapali Beach (K4500, 17 hours) Go via Pyay and Taunggok by Aung Thit Sar Bus or Ye Aung Lan buses run via Gwa. Neither buses particularly comfortable and the former route is only meant for the hardiest of travellers. To Bago, Kyaiktiyo, Hpa-An and Mawlamyine

The names of some of the bus lines that ply the specific routes are listed below in parentheses. Bago (K500-K1000, two hours) Buses (Phyo and Kyan Tine

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Aung) leave every 30 minutes from the early morning to early afternoon. Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock) and Kinpun (K2500, 4½ hours) Buses (Win and The Tan Kyaw) leave at 7.30am, 8.30am and 9.30am. Other bus companies leave between 7am and 1pm. There are also several companies with ticket booths along Pansodan St in Yangon with trips on similar large, air-con buses to Kinpun; however, these leave around 9pm and aren’t very desirable unless you prefer to arrive in the middle of the night. Hpa-An (K4000, eight hours) Buses (Ah Swe Taw, Mya Eai Drae, Shwe Hparr Si and Shwe Chin The) leave from 6.30pm to 8pm. Mawlamyine (K4000, 10 hours) Buses (Yarzar Min, Yaung Ni Htun and Mihara) leave from 6pm to 8pm and go via Hpa-An. With a new bridge over the Thanlwin River, BTT buses plan on running nightly buses (K3000, six hours) directly between Yangon and Mawlamyine. HLAING THAR YAR BUS TERMINAL

This is the bus terminal for travel to the delta region (called Ayeyarwady Division) to the west of Yangon, including destinations such as Pathein (K2500, 3½ hours), Chaungtha Beach (K5000, six to seven hours), and Ngwe Saung Beach (K5000, five hours). Its official name is the Dagon Ayer Bus Terminal (Dagon is the old historic name of Yangon). It’s 45 minutes to an hour away by taxi west of the city centre on the other side of the Yangon River on Highway 5 (Yangon– Pathein Rd). More than 20 bus lines operate out of here. There are several daily buses to Pathein, Chaungtha Beach and Ngwe Saung Beach, leaving from the early morning until 1pm. The more comfortable buses tend to leave

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early in the morning. You can usually buy tickets for the same day.

rail travel within Myanmar using Myanma Railways.

Shwedagon Paya Bus Nos 37, 43 and 46. Chaukhtatgyi Paya Bus Nos 42, 47.

Many people choose to forgo both public transport and package tours by hiring a guide and car and maybe an additional driver for doing DIY tours. For some this combines the best of both worlds – relative comfort and safety and flexibility and personalised itineraries. This can be arranged through a travel agent (p89) or hotel front desk.

To/From the Airport

All licensed taxis carry red licence plates, though there is often little else to distinguish a taxi from any other vehicle in Yangon. The most expensive licensed taxis are the, usually older, mid-sized Japanese cars; many missing their door handles and other ‘extras’. Fares are highly negotiable – most trips around the central area shouldn’t cost more than K1000 one way, and K1000 to K1500 for longer trips. You can also hire a taxi for about K3000 an hour. For the entire day, you should pay from US$15 to US$30 depending on the quality of the vehicle and your negotiating skills. Be sure to work out all details before you agree to a price and itinerary. From downtown to the highway bus terminal drivers ask for K2500 to K3500 and the trip takes from 45 minutes to an hour. To the Hlaing Thar Yar Bus Terminal taxis charge around K3000. For all types of taxis the asking fares usually leap by 30% or so after sunset and on weekends, when rationed petrol isn’t available. Late-night taxis – after 11pm or so – often cost double the day rate, mainly because the supply of taxis on hand is considerably lower than in the day, so the drivers are able to charge more. Many drivers speak enough English to understand directions to your destination but it’s advisable to have someone write them out for you in Burmese as insurance.

Car

Train The most frequented train from Yangon is the 14-hour trip north to Mandalay. While Myanma Railways operate most services, a private company, Dagon-Mann also has a service on this route – the 17 up – which departs Yangon at 3.15pm. Ask at guesthouses or private travel agents for details and bookings. Theoretically foreigners are not allowed to buy tickets for any berths below 1st class. A 1st-class seat costs US$30 (no air-con or video); an ordinary upper seat US$42; a special upper seat (reclining) US$45; an ordinary sleeper US$48; and a superior sleeper (with private bathroom and fridge) US$50. Tickets may be reserved up to a month in advance. It’s possible to get off anywhere along the way, the most relevant stops, being Bago, Taungoo and Thazi. Another line heads north to Pyay and to Kyaiktiyo and Mottama to the south. For general train enquiries, call Yangon central train station (Map p98; % 274 027; h6am-4pm). See p367 for information on

TRAIN TRAVEL FROM YANGON

Destination

2nd

1st

Sleeper

Departure time

Bagan Kyaiktiyo* Mandalay*

US$11 US$4 US$13

US$34 US$9 US$30-38

US$34 US$50

Mottama Pyay Shwenyaung Taungoo Thazi

na US$17 US$13 US$7 US$10

US$17 US$26 US$19 US$26

US$34

8.30am, 10am 7am, 10pm 6am, 11.30am, 3.15pm, 5pm, 6.30pm, 7.30pm, 9pm (see Kyaiktiyo) 7am 3.30pm (see Mandalay) (see Mandalay)

* Also stops at Bago en route.

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Duration 19hrs 8hrs 14hrs 9hrs 7hr 21hrs 9hrs 12hrs

GETTING AROUND

Taxi drivers will approach you before exiting the airport terminal. The standard fare for a ride from the airport to anywhere in the city is US$3. It’s best to have a few single bills so that you don’t have to change money in the airport (see p89). From the city centre to the airport it can cost slightly less (K2000 to K3000).

Boat Cross-river ferries to Dalah (US$1), on the southern bank of the Yangon River, leave about every 20 minutes from Pansodan St jetty (for pedestrians), at the foot of Pansodan St from the early morning to the evening. You can hire privately owned sampans (flat-bottomed skiffs) from the Pansodan or Botataung jetties for K500 per hour if you just want to have a look at the river life.

Bus Over 40 city bus routes connect the townships within Yangon. Many buses date to the 1940s. Often, they’re impossibly crowded; a Myanmar bus is not full until every available handhold for those hanging off the sides and back has been taken. Other routes use newer air-conditioned Japanese and Korean buses that aren’t too bad; some routes also use pick-up trucks with benches in the back. If you can find a space on a bus you can go anywhere in central Yangon for K5. Longer routes cost K10 to K20. Prices often double at night – still cheap and still crowded. Useful bus routes include these: Bogyoke Aung San Market to Mingala Zei (southeast of Kandawgyi) Japanese pick-up No 1. Sule Paya to Thamaing Junction (8 Mile Junction) Along Insein Rd; bus Nos 44, 45 and 53. Sule Paya to the airport Via Hledan junction, Pyay Rd, University of Yangon, western side of Inya Lake and Yangon City Hotel. Blue bus Nos 51, 53 and air-con No 51. Kaba Aye Paya to Mae La Mu Paya Bus No 43. Sule Paya to Aung Mingalar Bus Station Bus Nos 43, 45, 51. Sule Paya to Hlaing Thar Yar Bus Station Bus Nos 54, 59 and 96. Insein to Thein Byu Rd Near the YMCA, Three Seasons Hotel and Cozy Guest House. Green pick-up No 48.

Taxi

Train A circular train route loops out north from Yangon to Insein, Mingaladon and North Okkalapa townships and then back into the city. For more info see p104.

Trishaw Every Asian country seems to have its own interpretation of the bicycle trishaw. In Myanmar, trishaw passengers ride with the driver, but back to back – one facing forward, one backward. These contraptions are called saiq-ka (as in side-car) and to ride one costs roughly from K250 to K500. Nowadays trishaws are not permitted on the main streets between midnight and 10am. They’re most useful for side streets and areas of town where traffic is light.

YA N G O N

YA N G O N

124 YA N G O N • • G e t t i n g T h e re & A w a y

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YA N G O N

© Lonely Planet Publications 126 YA N G O N • • R u n n i n g S u b h e a d

© Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’

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D E LTA R E G I O N • • T h a n l y i n & K y a u k t a n 127

0 0

AROUND YANGON To Gwa (60km)

Thonze

Lemyethna

Myit

Ngathaingchaung

Bay of Bengal

Yakyi Kyonpyaw

R Aye arwady iver y

Danubyu

„ Several gargantuan Buddha statues (p140) take it easy in Bago „ Life along the delta is a water world

revealed by hopping on a ferry to Pathein (p134) or Twante (p129) „ Shade yourself from the sun with a

parasol (p134) from Pathein „ A 115-year-old old boa constrictor at the

Snake Monastery (p144) eats 5kg of chickens at a time in Bago

Bago

Ngwe Saung

Chaungtha Pathein

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Gulf of Mottama (Martaban)

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AYEYARWADY DIVISION

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Myaungmya

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A R O U N D YA N G O N

Hlegu Taukkyan

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Getting There & Around

(p135) and Ngwe Saung (p138) offer a vacation from your vacation

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1

To the west, Pathein is the transport hub with buses and boats to/from Yangon and minibuses for getting to Chaungtha and Ngwe Saung, two popular beaches on the Bay of Bengal. A new bridge and ongoing road work have made these two destinations more readily accessible from Pathein. Bago, easily reached from Yangon by bus or train, is a natural stop before heading north via Taungoo or south to Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock) and beyond. Getting to most other places mentioned in this chapter will require some patience, particularly if you take public transport. The southwest part of the region affords travellers the chance to ride the same river ferries that the locals use.

DELTA REGION Any trip in the delta area, which is crisscrossed by tributaries and canals and mostly flat vistas, drives home the region’s vulnerability and reliance on water. One of

the most fertile regions of the country, this vast basin stretching from the Bay of Bengal coast across to the Bago Range receives the rich nutrients deposited by the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy), Bago, Yangon (Hlaing) and Pathein (Ngawan) Rivers. This riverine network irrigates millions of hectares of farmland, making the delta essentially one of the ‘rice bowls’ of Myanmar. In addition, the estuarine environments along the coast provide much of the country’s saltwater and freshwater fish harvest. Because of such natural abundance, the delta is one of Myanmar’s most populated – and interesting – regions to explore. Several communities in the coastal areas of this region felt the impact of the December 2004 tsunami and the majority of the resulting deaths reported by the government occurred here.

THANLYIN & KYAUKTAN on'lY=' à ekY;k'tn'" %065

Though the religious sites in Thanlyin and Kyauktan across the river from Yangon aren’t

A R O U N D YA N G O N

Kankyidaung

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„ The white-sand beaches of Chaungtha

Satthawadaw Intagwa

2

To Kyaiktiyo (120km); Mawlamyine (200km)

Bago

Pantanaw

Ngwe Saung Beach

Diamond Island

HIGHLIGHTS

YANGON DIVISION Taikkyi

Nyaungdon

Chaungtha

Pya pon River

Travel around parts of the region can be slow and feel like a punch to the solar plexus. However, many parts can be seen on day trips or longer excursions from the capital. The vast delta is great for jumping on a ferry transporting local people between the capital and their waterlogged villages; you can spend the day bopping around a town in a horse cart and be back in your Yangon hotel in the evening if you so wish. But you’ll be better off taking things a bit more leisurely; the region’s true allure is only revealed through the smiles and perseverance of the local people you will meet.

Kyaungonn

Chaungtha Beach

Motingyi Reservoir

Payagyi

Okkan

Apyauk

Athok

The area around Yangon is a microcosm of the country as a whole. It offers magnificent temples, unspoiled beaches and little-visited villages clinging to the delta’s muddy shores. Bago, just a short drive from Yangon, is the home of some fabulous Buddhist sights, including many huge Buddha statues. Pathein, the fourth-largest city in Myanmar, is hardly urban and receives few visitors, but is worth a visit before doing some good old sunbathing and maybe a bit of snorkelling in Chaungtha Beach or Ngwe Saung.

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Zalun

50 km 30 mi To Taungoo (200km); Mandalay (560km); Inle Lake (570km)

To Pyay (200km)

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Around Yangon

Hinthada

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© Lonely Planet Publications 126

particularly impressive, trips to the villages themselves reveal how far Yangon’s relative cosmopolitanism and urbanity extends – that is, not very far. Although neither place is especially charming, they do make for an easy morning or afternoon escape from the hustle and bustle of the capital. During the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Thanlyin was the base for the the notorious Portuguese adventurer Philip De Brito. Officially a trade representative for the Rakhaing, he actually ran his own little kingdom from Thanlyin, siding with the Mon (when it suited him) in their struggle against the Bamar. In 1599 his private army sacked Bago, but in 1613 the Bamar besieged Thanlyin and De Brito received the punishment reserved for those who defiled Buddhist shrines – death by impalement. It took him two days to die, due, it is said, to his failure to take the recommended posture where the stake would have penetrated vital organs. Thanlyin continued as a major port and trading centre until it was destroyed by Bamar king Alaungpaya in 1756, after which Yangon took over this role.

Sights Although there is no longer any of this ancient city to be seen, Thanlyin is a relaxing place, with shaded streets and a busy market to stroll through. A short bus ride out of town will take you to the large, golden Kyaikkhauk Paya, rising on a hillock to the north of the road. It’s said to contain two Buddha hairs delivered to the site by the great sage himself. Most likely the first stupa on this hillock was erected by the Mon 600 to 800 years ago. If it’s too hot to climb the stairs, you can always take the lift for K5. You can hire a horse cart to the paya for about K500 each way. Much more interesting if only because it includes a short boat ride is Yele Paya (Midriver Paya; admission US$1) at Kyauktan, 12km southeast of Thanlyin, where the road terminates at a swiftly moving, wide river. The paya (shrine) is appropriately named since the complex is perched on a tiny island in the middle of the river. In the temple there are paintings of other famous paya both in Myanmar and further afield. Pilgrims feed crumbs to the weirdly domesticated fish splashing about at the temple complex’s edge. To reach the islet, catch one of the

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launch ferries reserved for foreigners from the riverbank (K1500 return).

Sleeping & Eating About the only accommodation option, as none of the several guesthouses in Thanlyin proper are licensed to accept foreigners, is the White House Restaurant & Guest House (dishes about K700), a friendly place about 100m off the main road. The guesthouse serves good Chinese fare in a small air-conditioned café. Near the ferry landing are several food vendors.

Getting There & Away The most convenient way to visit both Thanlyin and Kyauktan on the other side of the Bago River is to hire a taxi in Yangon (US$10 to US$15 for a half day). By taxi, it takes about 20 minutes to get to Thanlyin. However, if you’re passionate about Myanmar’s uncomfortable local transport or are counting kyat, very slow minibuses to Thanlyin (K200, one hour, 25km) leave frequently throughout the day from a spot at the corner of Bogyoke Aung San and Lower Pazundaung Rds. It costs an extra K100 if you continue by minibus from Thanlyin to Kyauktan and the Yele Paya. In Thanlyin, horse carts are a good way to get around.

TWANTE tâ®et"

If your time in the delta area is limited, Twante, a small town noted for its pottery, cotton-weaving and an old Mon paya complex, is a worthwhile day trip. There’s a large market in the centre of town – really only a wide, dusty road lined with ramshackle wooden shops. The journey to Twante is enjoyable, whether you go by hired jeep or ferry. The drive passes through leafy villages, where kids spill out from thatched huts to play. The ferry provides a glimpse of life on and along the famous Twante Canal, which was dug during the colonial era as a short cut across the Ayeyarwady Delta.

Sights SHWESANDAW PAYA

eráz®et;'.ur;"

Standing at 76m tall, this Mon-built zedi (stupa), a kilometre or two south of the

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canal, is just a few years younger than the one at Yangon’s Shwedagon Paya. In a chicken-wire enclosure to one side is a casual display of ancient Twante pottery, plus religious and royal regalia from early Mon and Bamar kingdoms. One corner of the compound commemorates King Bayinnaung’s (also spelt Bayint Nyaung) defeat of a local rebellion. Along the western side of the zedi stand some old bronze Buddhas. Continuing counter clockwise, near the southern entrance you’ll come to a 100-year-old sitting bronze Buddha in Mandalay style. Instead of focusing on the floor, the Buddha’s eyes stare straight ahead. From the ferry dock to Shwesandaw Paya, the cost is K250. A horse cart from Shwesandaw back to the dock is about K200. OH-BO POTTERY SHEDS

aiu"fiuaiu"lup'=n'"

Pottery is a major cottage industry in Twante, which supplies much of the delta region with well-designed, utilitarian containers of varying shapes and sizes. The pots are made in huge thatched-roof sheds in the Oh-Bo district south of the canal, about 15 minutes’ walk from the dock. Twante pots can be purchased directly from the sheds or, perhaps more conveniently, at the central market near the Twante ferry landing. However, transporting these mostly large and heavy objects to one’s home potentially thousands of miles away is an iffy proposition. Trishaws from the dock to the pottery sheds cost K200 per person.

Getting There & Away & Around The most accessible way to get to Twante from Yangon is via a short cross-river ferry and public jeep or pick-up ride. Pedestrian ferries from Pansodan St jetty (near the foot of Pansodan St and opposite the Strand Hotel) take passengers across the Yangon River to Dalah (US$1, 20 minutes). In Dalah, catch one of the dark green jeeps or pick-ups that leave for Twante every 45 minutes or so throughout the day. Both leave only when completely full, so you can either secure a comfortable front seat early in the loading process or you can hop in the back of a vehicle that looks ready to leave. The ride takes 30 to 45 minutes and

D E LTA R E G I O N • • A r o u n d T w a n t e 129

the fare is around K300 or so for a front seat in a jeep; or about K500 for a front seat in a pick-up. Come prepared for a crush. Minibuses (K150) round out the possibilities. Taxis between Dalah and Twante cost around K1500 one way per person. Most, though, are booked by entire families. For comfort and speed it’s worth asking to share one. The seemingly slower but more scenic trip along the Yangon River and the Twante Canal takes two hours – even though it’s only 24km from landing to landing. Although there are several boats that pass by Twante on their way across the western delta, the most frequent departures are aboard Hpayapon-bound craft (ordinary/1st class US$1/3). These leave from the Hledan Rd and Kaingdan St jetties in Yangon at 7am and 1pm daily; the latest return trip leaves Twante at 4pm. When you add up the waiting times for the cross-river ferry/jeep departure versus the canal ferry, both modes of transport end up taking about the same amount of time from start to finish. A good way to vary the trip would be to do the more frequent ferryjeep combo out to Twante, then catch one of the canal ferries back to Yangon around sunset when the waterways are the most picturesque. Trishaws and horse carts are great ways of getting around town.

AROUND TWANTE

Other interesting delta towns are Labutta and Hpayapon, both of which can be reached by long-distance ferry from Yangon. Finding accommodation is not a certainty in these places, so both are destinations for the adventurous. Boats for Hpayapon leave from the Hledan Rd and Kaingdan St jetties in Yangon at 7am and 1pm daily and travel via Twante.

LETKHOKKON BEACH lk'xup'kun'"

Travelling to Letkhokkon, about four hours by taxi or jeep from Dalah, is no easy matter and in the end not much quicker than visiting the more beautiful beaches at Chaungtha and Ngwe Saung. Nevertheless, it is the closest beach to the capital. Located in Kunyangon town, near the mouth of the Bago River, Letkhokkon is

A R O U N D YA N G O N

A R O U N D YA N G O N

128 D E LTA R E G I O N • • T w a n t e

1

B

To Ngwe Saung Beach (46km); Chaungtha Beach (57km)

INFORMATION Hospital........................................1 B3 Police Station...............................2 A4 Post Office...................................3 B3

C

Monastery.................................10 Mosque.....................................11 Night Market..............................12 Pwo Karen Church.....................13 St Peter's Cathedral....................14 School........................................15 School........................................16 Settayaw Paya...........................17 Shwenokhtaw Paya....................18 Shwezigon Paya.........................19 Twenty-Eight Paya.......................................20

B3 B3 B3 C2 B4 A4

33

C2

St

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20 16

7

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25

Mahab

5 Mingyi Rd

3 12 6

18

4 34 28 Shwezedi Rd Central Market

SLEEPING La Pyat Wun Hotel.....................21 Paradise Guest House.................22 Sein Pyae Hlyan Inn...................23 Taan Taan Ta Guest House & Restaurant..............................24

1

Creek

26 29 30 24 27

23 21

11 10

8

Train Station

TRANSPORT Bus Tickets.................................34 B3 Buses to Chaungtha & Ngwesaung............................35 B2

Rd

SHOPPING Parasol Workshops.....................32 B4 Shwe Sar Umbrella Workshop....33 D1

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31 14

St

2

To Mahabodhi Mingala Tagaung Mingala Zeditaw (500m); Leikyunyuang Paya (2km)

for Muslim – pathi – due to the heavy presence of Arab and Indian Muslim traders here centuries ago. The colonial Brits – or more likely their imported Indian civil servants – corrupted the name to Bassein. Today, Pathein’s population includes large contingents of Kayin (Karen) and Rakhaing. Although once part of a Mon kingdom, Pathein is now home to only a few Mon. During the ‘70s and ‘80s, the Kayin villages surrounding Pathein generated insurgent activity that has since generally calmed.

Information Despite the city being one of Myanmar’s largest, there are no banks here offering foreign exchange and there are no Internet services.

B3

n

22

Myenu Rd Bwetgyi St Ohnmar dandi St 32 Kala dan St

B3 B4 B3

EATING Golden Land Restaurant.............25 B3 Ka Ka Gyi Myanmar Restaurant..26 B3 Me Me Lay Teashop...................27 B3 Mya Nan Dar Restaurant.........(see 30) Nga Wun Irra Restaurant............28 B3 Shwe Kaung Restaurant.............29 B3 Shwe Zin Yaw Restaurant...........30 B3 Zee Bae Inn................................31 B4

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The town is of some historic interest and was the scene for major clashes during the struggle for supremacy between the Mon and the Bamar. Later it became an important trade relay point for goods moving between India and Southeast Asia. The city’s name may derive from the Burmese word

A4 A4 B3 B2 B4 C2 C2 D1 B3 B2

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History

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For the country’s fourth-largest city Pathein seems compact and small. It receives few visitors so you’re likely to draw lots of smiles and curious stares. Most travellers only stop off on their way to the beaches on the west coast, yet the workshops that produce colourful, hand-painted parasols, along with the shady, tree-lined village lanes to the northeast of the market, are worth a stroll, as is the bustling riverside road. A boat trip between Pathein and Yangon along the river where large boats are laid up on the mud flats like dinosaurs taking their last gasp of air, is a rare window on the pattern and pace of the everyday lives of Burmese in the delta region. Situated on the eastern bank of the Pathein River (also known as the Ngawan River) in the Ayeyarwady Delta, about 120km west of Yangon, Pathein is the most important delta port outside the capital, despite its distance from the sea. It is surrounded by a major rice-growing area that produces the best rice available in Myanmar, including a high-quality variety called pawsanmwe t’ǎmìn (fragrant rice). The growth of the delta trade, particularly rice exports, has contributed to a general air of prosperity in the city.

1 km 0.5 miles

Sights & Activities If you want to check out Pathein’s parasol workshops, see p134. The following sights don’t charge an admission fee. SHWEMOKHTAW PAYA

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In the centre of Pathein, near the riverfront, looms the golden, bell-shaped stupa at Shwemokhtaw Paya. One legend says it was originally built by India’s Buddhist king Asoka in 305 BC as a small stupa called Shwe Arna. Standing 2.3m tall, this original stupa supposedly enshrined Buddha relics and a 6in (15cm) gold bar. Another legend says a Muslim princess named Onmadandi

A R O U N D YA N G O N

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES City Hall.......................................4 Clock Tower.................................5 Customs House............................6 Division Office.............................7 Hindu Temple..............................8 Monastery...................................9

ve

Vehicle ferries (passengers US$5, 15 minutes) cross the Yangon River to Dalah from Sin Oh Dan St jetty between 18th and 19th Sts in Yangon at 9am, 1pm and 5pm. The road between Dalah and Letkhokkon is in very poor condition in places. Count on close to four hours to complete the journey from Dalah without stops; more by public transport. Expect to pay about K5000 each way to hire a car or jeep from Dalah to make the trip. Of course you could always hire a car and driver in Yangon; however, some drivers refuse to do the trip because the road is so hard on their vehicles.

A

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Getting There & Away

0 0

PATHEIN

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wooden beach bungalows. The hotel has spacious rooms with mosquito nets and private bathrooms. The power supply is unreliable, though. The hotel restaurant serves good seafood.

PATHEIN

D E LTA R E G I O N • • Pa t h e i n 131

in he

Yangon%01-224 346; 68 11th St, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon; s/d US$38/45; a), a tidy row of painted

It’s not easy getting to Letkhokkon by public transport. First you must cross to Dalah via the Pansodan St jetty pedestrian ferry (US$1, 20 minutes); departures are every 20 minutes, starting at 5am and stopping at 8pm. Ask around on the other side in the jammed lot next to the ferry terminal in Dalah to see if anyone’s going to Letkhokkon; usually only a couple of vehicles a day do this route direct. Once in Letkhokkon it’s usually not difficult to find a vehicle heading back to Dalah.

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t Pa

a delta beach facing the Gulf of Mottama (Martaban), with powder beige sand and a very wide tidal bore that tends towards mudflats at its lowest ebb. Copious coconut palms along the beach help make up for the less-than-crystalline waters. The lack of clarity is part of the estuarial milieu here and doesn’t mean the water isn’t clean. At low tide the local kids like to stage mud fights. An excursion to Letkhokkon is more than just a beach trip; it offers a glimpse of relaxed delta life. Along the way, the road passes by rice paddies, betel-nut gardens and several Kayin (or Karen) villages. Adjacent to the main beach area, the village of Letkhokkon itself is a fairly typical seaside town that thrives on coconuts and fishing. Though the town itself isn’t too interesting, there’s a long beach nearby called Anauntphettokan (Westward-Moving Beach; named for its heavy sand drift). The beach can be approached by boat from Ingapu or other spots along the coastline. You can rent a launch for visiting these areas from the Letkhokkon Beach Hotel. The asking price is K3000 per hour, but this is negotiable for multihour hire. As you approach Letkhokkon from the north, there’s a two-lane, palm-flanked avenue leading off to the right where you’ll see the Letkhokkon Beach Hotel (booking office in

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nd ra St

A R O U N D YA N G O N

130 D E LTA R E G I O N • • Pa t h e i n

requested each of her three Buddhist lovers to build a stupa in her honour. One of the lovers erected Shwemokhtaw, the others the less distinguished Tazaung and Thayaunggyaung paya. Whichever story you choose to believe, Bagan’s King Alaungsithu is thought to have erected an 11m stupa called Htupayon over this site in AD 1115. Then, in 1263, King Samodagossa took power, raised the stupa to 40m and changed the name to Shwemokhtaw Paya, which means Stupa of the Half-Foot Gold Bar. The stupa’s main shape has remained the same since Samodagossa’s reign, although the changing of the decorative hti (umbrellalike decorated top) has increased the height to its present 46.6m. The current hti consists of a topmost layer made from 6.3kg of solid gold, a middle tier of pure silver and a bottom tier of bronze; all three tiers are gilded and reportedly embedded with a total of 829 diamond fragments, 843 rubies and 1588 semiprecious stones. The southern shrine of the compound houses the Thiho-shin Phondaw-pyi sitting Buddha image, which supposedly floated to the delta coast on a raft sent from Sri Lanka during ancient times. According to legend, an unknown Sinhalese sculptor fashioned four different Buddha images using pieces from the original Bodhi Tree mixed with a cement composite. He then placed the images on four wooden rafts and set the rafts adrift on the ocean. One landed in Dawei (Tavoy), and is now housed at the Shinmokhti Paya; another landed at Kyaikkami (Amherst), and is now at Yele Paya; the third landed at Kyaiktiyo and is now at Kyaikpawlaw; and the fourth landed near Phondawpyi, a fishing village about 97km south of Pathein. In 1445 the Mon queen Shinsawpu purportedly had the latter image brought up to Pathein, then known as Kuthima. A marble standing Buddha positioned in a niche in the fence running along the western side of the stupa marks a spot where Mon warriors once prayed before going off to battle. In the northwestern corner of the compound is a shrine dedicated to Shin Upagot, the Bodhisattva who floats on the ocean and appears to those in trouble. Turtles swim in the water surrounding the small pavilion.

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SETTAYAW PAYA

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Of the several lesser-known ones in Pathein, perhaps the most charming is this paya dedicated to a mythical Buddha footprint left by the Enlightened One during his legendary perambulations through mainland Southeast Asia. The paya compound wraps over a couple of green hillocks that are dotted with wellconstructed tazaung (shrine buildings) – altogether a nice setting and a change from the flat paya compounds near the river. The footprint symbol itself is the usual oblong, 1m-long impression and not very interesting. Very visible in the compound is a garishly painted 11m standing Buddha. OTHER RELIGIOUS MONUMENTS

One of the standard sights in town is the so-called Twenty-Eight Paya, a rectangular shrine building containing 28 sitting and 28 standing Buddha images – none of them are particularly distinguished except that the latter appear in the open-robe style rather than the closed-robe pose typical of Mandalay standing images. At one end of the hall stands a group of crude sculptures depicting a scene from the Buddha’s life. It’s a short walk from Pathein’s main umbrella workshops. You may have to ask the caretaker to unlock the building. More interesting from an artistic perspective is Tagaung Mingala Zeditaw (Tagaung Paya), centred around a graceful stupa that sweeps inward from a wide, whitewashed base to a gleaming silver superstructure. Look for the small squirrel sculpture extending from the western side of the upper stupa and representing a previous life of the Buddha as a squirrel. One of the pavilions at the base of the stupa contains a very large sitting Buddha image. Local legend says the stupa is the same age as Shwemokhtaw, but like other famous stupas in Myanmar, the truth is buried beneath several layers of royal renovations. The latest refurbishing was carried out in 1979. Tagaung Paya is about 3km south of Kaladan St, past the railway line. West of Tagaung Paya, a little way towards the river, stands Mahabodhi Mingala Zedi, patterned after the world-famous Mahabodhi stupa in Bodhgaya, India. Leikyunynaung Paya, a couple of kilometres directly south of Mahabodhi, was renovated by the

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State Law & Order Restoration Council (Slorc), now the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), using forced labour in the early 1990s to create a facsimile of Ananda Paya in Bagan. Since the renovation few people outside the government worship here. A kilometre or so northeast of Leikyunynaung Paya is Leimyetna Paya, which features a large, but particularly ugly, sitting Buddha. Even aesthetically worse is the gaudily painted sitting Buddha at Shwezigon Paya, at the northern end of town. MARKETS

At the night market (Strand Rd) that is set up each evening in front of Customs House, teenagers cruise, flirt and hang out while vendors purvey food, clothing and tools and just about every other requisite for daily life at low prices. Just south of Shwemokhtaw Paya is the central market, and just south of that is a newer market, with all manner of goods. Both of these markets are closed on Sunday.

Festivals & Events The people of Pathein celebrate Vesakha (a celebration of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and passing away) with a huge paya pwe (pagoda festival) during the full moon of Kason (April/May). The festival is held at the Shwemokhtaw Paya.

Sleeping Most of the hotels’ electricity supplies are at the mercy of the citywide rationing schedule, which means power generally is available from early evening to early morning. Taan Taan Ta Guest House & Restaurant (%22290; 7 Merchant St; s US$5-7, d US$6-10; a)

At five storeys, this centrally located hotel is one of Pathein’s tallest. The Taan Taan offers simple, brightly painted and clean rooms with private bathroom. Larger and more expensive rooms with more sunlight are on the top floor. Paradise Guest House (%25055; 14 Zay Chaung Rd; r US$10; a) Another Pathein high rise, the Paradise is alongside the canal a block from the market. Rooms here are slightly more modern than those at the Taan Taan, ie they have TVs, though the low ceilings in some make it feel cramped. For late nights a karaoke lounge is attached.

D E LTA R E G I O N • • Pa t h e i n 133

La Pyat Wun Hotel (%24669; 30 Min Gyi Rd; s/d US$15/25; a) This newcomer to Pathein is a squeaky clean all-white multistorey building. Rooms have private bathroom, hotwater shower and TV. Sein Pyae Hlyan Inn (%22985; 32 Shwezedi Rd; s/d US$8/10; a) A step down from the others, the Sein Pyae Hlyan is more austere, though the unadorned concrete rooms do have TVs and air-con. Those hoping to avoid governmentowned properties should steer clear of the Pathein Hotel, a two-storey building on spacious grounds near the bus station.

Eating Eating out in Pathein is limited to a few unspectacular restaurants that do basic Bamar and Chinese. Shwe Zin Yaw Restaurant (24/25 Shwezedi Rd; sweet & sour chicken K1300) Near Merchant St, this restaurant does Bamar and Chinese cuisine with good curries and soups. Ka Ka Gyi Myanmar Restaurant (68 Mingalar St; meals K1000) Across from Shwemokhtaw Paya, this place offers fish, vegetable and meat curries. Golden Land Restaurant (Merchant St; mains around K2000;huntil 10pm) Just north of the clock tower, this restaurant has a nice, quiet, front-yard, open-air eating area. The menu is a wide-ranging mixture of Chinese and Bamar dishes, including some seafood. It’s pricey by Pathein standards. Zee Bae Inn (Merchant St; dishes K1000;huntil 10pm;a) Zee Bae is among the more wellknown and longest-running Chinese places. It is a saloon-style, popular little place that has been serving large bowls of noodles and other Chinese dishes since the 1950s. The downstairs area opens onto the street, while upstairs there’s an air-con dining room. Nga Wun Irra Restaurant (cnr Shwezedi & Strand Rds; mains from K300; huntil 9pm) It is a pleasant little dinner spot next to the night market down by the water. This simple place offers friendly service but, strangely enough, only chicken, pork and vegetable dishes – no seafood. Other recommendations: Shwe Kaung Restaurant (dishes K1000) On the same block as the Ka Ka Gyi.

Mya Nan Dar Restaurant (dishes K1000) This place is equally as good as the Shwe Kaung and serves tasty Bamar dishes.

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Most of the ‘umbrellas’ made in Pathein are actually parasols; ie they aren’t waterproof, but are used to counter the hot delta sun. There are a few workshops scattered throughout the northern part of the city, particularly in the vicinity of Twenty-Eight Paya, off Mahabandoola Rd. The parasols come in a variety of colours; some are brightly painted with flowers, birds and other nature motifs. One type that can be used in the rain is the saffron-coloured monks’ umbrella, which is waterproofed by applying various coats of tree resin; a single umbrella may take five days to complete, including the drying process. Parasols and umbrellas can be ordered in any size directly from the workshops. The parasols are reasonably priced, even cheap, though Burmese seem to prefer foreign-made modern umbrellas. Several shops in Pathein sell cheaply made smaller parasols with bright, fluffy pompoms, not good for either decoration or protection from the elements. Workshops welcome visitors who want to observe this craft. Shwe Sar Umbrella Workshop (%25127; frangi [email protected]; 653 Tawya Kyaung Rd; h8am5pm) This family-run workshop with high-

quality work is just around the corner from the Settawyar Pagoda. If you decide to purchase these beautiful handiworks in bulk – you won’t find the same quality elsewhere, even in Yangon – they can be securely and conveniently packaged.

Getting There & Away AIR

Pathein has an airstrip out at the northeastern edge of the city, but at the time of writing it didn’t field any regularly scheduled flights. However, newcomer Bagan Air (BA) was planning to start daily flights in the high season between Pathein and Yangon (US$40, 25 minutes) and Heho (US$88, one hour). There were also plans to link up with ground transport to Ngwe Saung Beach in order to compete with Ngapali as an easily accessible beach destination for high-end travellers. BOAT

Inland Water Transport (IWT; Map p98; in Yangon%01284 055; Lan Thit jetty, Yangon) operates Chinese triple-decker ferries between Yangon and

Pathein. Ordinary class costs US$7, and puts you on the open deck (with an easy chair if you get in early). For US$42 you can get an air-conditioned cabin with private bathroom. These express boats leave Yangon’s Lan Thit jetty daily at 5pm, arriving the next morning in Pathein at 10am. Foreigners must buy tickets from the deputy division manager’s office next to Building 63 on Lan Thit jetty. A more luxurious option worth every kyat is a river cruise aboard the Delta Queen (in Yangon% 01-246 752; www.myanmar-rivercruises .com; 343 Bo Aung Kyaw St, Yangon; per person US$170)

between Pathein and Yangon (20 hours). All cabins are done in teak and there are two special ‘family’ rooms with large picture windows on three sides facing directly out the front of the boat. Both the dining area and lounge/bar area are tastefully done but the real highlight is the superb fivecourse dinner and ‘concert’ that the nine staff members put on for guests after dinner. During high season the Delta Queen generally makes one round trip a week. BUS

Buses to Pathein are available from Yangon’s Hlaing Thar Yar bus station, a 45-minute to one-hour taxi ride (K3000) west of the city on the other side of the Yangon (Hlaing) River. From here, there are several departures from 5am to 1pm to Pathein (three to four hours, 181km). The cost – depending on the standard of bus – can range from K1000 to K3000. Most are comfortable and have TV, reclining cushioned seats and air conditioning, though they probably won’t turn it on. You can buy same-day tickets for any of the departures or most hotels can arrange bookings for you. Be prepared to ask around, though there are usually enough ticket touts around to help you out and take their small commission. Generally uncomfortable Thi Ha and Shwe Min Than minibuses ply the route from Pathein to Chaungtha Beach (K2500, 2½ hours, 58km); departures are 7am, 11am and 1pm from Pathein’s bus station on Yadayagone St. Ask your guesthouse if it’s possible to book a seat on the more comfortable Yangon–Chaungtha buses (see p138). You’ll be asked to pay the full fare but it’s worth it. This author experienced one of the most miserable bus rides of his miserable bus

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ride–full life here; because of sacks of rice and vegetables piled on the floor there was no room for his legs to go except up to his chin for the entire 2½ hours. Shwe Min Than buses take around 1½ hours to travel the 46km from Pathein to Ngwe Saung (K2500); departures are at 7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm from Yadayagone St as well. TAXI

Share taxis for up to four people can be arranged from your hotel in Pathein for Chaungtha (K30,000), Ngapali (K100,000), Ngwe Saung (K30,000) and also Yangon (K40,000).

AROUND PATHEIN

Horseshoe-shaped Inye Lake, 70km northeast of the city near the village of Kyonpyaw, is a favourite weekend picnic spot. Local fishermen sell fresh fish from the lake. If you follow the Pathein River south till it empties into the Andaman Sea you’ll reach Mawdin Point (Mawdinsoun), the site of a famous festival during the lunar month of Tabodwe (February/March). On the sea side of the cape, at its point, is a sandy beach and the revered stupa of Mawdin Paya. During the Mawdin Point festival there are special boats running from Pathein daily. Other times, boats go only once a week or so, leaving the main Pathein jetty around 6am and arriving at 2pm. Be aware that there’s no lodging licensed for foreigners at Mawdin, so this is strictly a trip for risk-takers. During the festival more guesthouses are open, which makes it the best time of year to attempt a trip. There are some elephant camps in the area, providing visitors with an opportunity to see these pachyderms go about their daily work routine. The best places to organise a visit to one are at the hotels in Ngwe Saung or Chaungtha.

CHAUNGTHA BEACH exY;='"s;km'"e¨x %042

A trip to Chaungtha Beach, 40km west of Pathein on the Bay of Bengal, is a chance to experience what the Myanmar middle class does on vacation. The beach gets especially crowded on holiday weekends when local tourists are ferried in by the busload. No

D E LTA R E G I O N • • A r o u n d Pa t h e i n 135

matter what the time of year, beach activity is at its height in the afternoon when children take their first horse ride, freelance photographers comb the beach on the lookout for their next shoot, fully clothed families wade into the water en masse, teenage girls stroll hand in hand, and elaborate picnics are staged only to be broken up by the path of a wayward football from one of the many impromptu games. As Western beaches go, the sand and water aren’t as pristine as nearby Ngwe Saung or Ngapali. At low tide the very wide beach has a touch of the ‘muddy delta’ look – though there is a gorgeous long, white-sand beach only a 15-minute walk north of town, where you’re likely to have the entire expanse to yourself save for the rare local or other foreigners scouting for privacy and a little shade. The village of Chaungtha itself is a few blocks of guesthouses, restaurants and souvenir shops selling T-shirts. There is a post office. Most Chaungtha residents fish, or farm coconuts for a living; a couple of families also make furniture using rattan collected in nearby jungles. Many villagers speak the Rakhaing dialect.

Sights & Activities The village market is most active from 6am to 9am. East of the main village area is a mangrove swamp and a canal beach with a wooden jetty. On the canal side of the peninsula are rickety stilted structures used by the villagers for drying fish. BOATING TRIPS

Offshore lies a modest coral reef with decent snorkelling except during the rainy season, when water clarity is poor. Snorkelling trips for up to six people cost K30,000 and can be booked through hotels. Several hotels can also rent the gear for K1000; there are a few small reefs in the waters to the north. Whitesand Island can be explored in a day trip from Chaungtha Beach. A boat (K3000 one way, one hour) leaves for the island at 8am daily, returning at 5pm. There’s good swimming and snorkelling around the island, as well as a stall selling cold drinks and snacks, but there’s only three trees for shade. For more information, ask at any of the hotels or guesthouses in Chaungtha,

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Shopping

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136 D E LTA R E G I O N • • C h a u n g t h a B e a c h

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INFORMATION Post Office...............................................................................1 B4 0 0

200 m 0.1 miles

A

B To Magyi Village (11.5km)

1 To Pathein (40km); Yangon (220km) 8

7 15

2

6 16 11

Chaungtha Bay 20 12 Zaw Mart Store

10

18

SLEEPING A Yar Oo Resort Hotel.............................................................6 Ambo Resort Hotel..................................................................7 Chaungtha Oo Beach Hotel.....................................................8 Discovery Inn...........................................................................9 Golden Beach Hotel...............................................................10 Grand Hotel Chaungtha Beach...............................................11 Happy World.........................................................................12 Hotel Max Chaungtha Beach.................................................13 Lai Lai Chaungtha Beach Hotel..............................................14 Lin Thit Sar Hotel...................................................................15 Mariner’s Lodge.....................................................................16 Mayko Guest House..............................................................17 See Seim Hotel......................................................................18 Shwe Hin Tha Hotel...............................................................19 Thiri Chaungtha Beach Hotel.................................................20 Win Guest House...................................................................21

B2 B2 A1 A4 B2 B2 B2 A4 A3 B2 B2 A4 A3 A2 B2 B3

EATING Chaungtha Seafood Restaurant.............................................22 Pearl Restaurant.....................................................................23 William Restaurant.................................................................24 William Restaurant.................................................................25

B4 B4 B4 B3

SHOPPING Souvenir Vendors...................................................................26 B4

Main Rd

3

A3 B3 B4 B4

TRANSPORT Bus Station.............................................................................27 B3

21

27 1

26 24

13 22

Bogyoke

Hospital

St

14

St

23 4

Sayonphat

3

Lan Madaw

25 2

5

Ywathit St

4

17 9

Hpokkala Kyun

To Canal Beach To Ferry Jetty (500m)

or contact U Tin Ohn (%24880), the island’s Chaungtha-based manager. Several hotels, including the Shwe Hin Tha (ask for Nay Min), can arrange fishing trips and provide all the necessary equipment for K20,000 to K30,000. Ferry services to nearby villages along the canal are still available from the canal jetty. OTHER ACTIVITIES

You can rent canoes for about K700 a halfday, or bicycles for about K300 per hour or K500 a day, at hotels and guesthouses.

Sleeping Of all the beach destinations in Myanmar, Chaungtha offers the most affordable

accommodation. Few people from the interior visit during the southwest monsoon season, and traditionally all but a few hotels close down from 15 May to 15 September; those that remain open discount room rates. Because of a hotel building boom in recent years there’s not much room left for further development. At the time of research there was talk of a new telephone system being installed in Chaungtha, so all the numbers listed may change in the near future. BUDGET

Shwe Hin Tha Hotel (%24098, in Yangon %01-650 588; s US$5-18, d US$10-25; a) The only beachfront hotel with budget prices, this is a popular backpacker choice. There are a number of friendly and eager English-speaking staff members, and more importantly it’s located on the quiet end of the beach. The cheapest rooms are small blue wooden bungalows with private porches looking out onto the hotel courtyard. Larger, more expensive rooms have ocean views. There is a small library with foreign-language books. Kyaw Kgi (George) is a knowledgeable and friendly guide ([email protected]) or at the hotel. Shwe Hin Tha is the first hotel you pass coming from Pathein.

Several budget places set back from the beach are worth a look. Win Villa (s/d US$3/6) The clean but basic rooms in this attractive teak home are good value. The Win has a balcony on the 2nd floor, but there is no hot water. Breakfast is included. Other options include Mariner’s Lodge (s/d US$5/10), with no-frills, hotel-style rooms; and the strange large, blue A-frame Happy World (s/d US$5/10), with basic clean rooms but no hot water. Several other budget-level guesthouses are clustered around the village. Among the cleanest and friendliest are Discovery Inn (s/d US$3/6) and Mayko Guest House (s/d US$5/10). Rooms at both come with a fan and private bathroom and have Western-style toilets. The Discovery Inn has four thatched bamboo bungalows. MIDRANGE

Chaungtha Oo Beach Hotel (%22888, in Yangon %01-254 708; r US$25-35; a) Popular with UN and foreign-embassy staff, this hotel at the quiet northernmost end of the beach has large, bright blue-and-green chalets, each with delightful private porches. The more expensive rooms have hot water, and the complimentary breakfast is served in a pleasant all-wood wraparound porch. Grand Hotel Chaungtha Beach Resort (%23001; s US$18-25, d US$20-30; a) It has nice, clean, well-kept rooms, modern bathrooms with bathtubs, private porches, all-white bungalows, attractive grounds and a restaurant on the beach. The more expensive rooms have seaside views. Golden Beach Hotel (%24126; r US$10-25; as) The big, bright beachside bungalows come with individual back and front porches, and comfortable, modern bathrooms. A pool is set in the middle of the attractive grounds. Cheaper rooms with fans are across the street in the new annexe. Some are US$6 during the low season. There's a good Chinese restaurant attached. Linn Thit Sar Hotel (%22802; s US$10-20, d US$1530; a) It’s unfortunate there’s not more privacy on this part of the beach because the rooms at the Linn Thit Sar are clean and attractive. The more expensive rooms have air-con. Ambo Resort Hotel (% 22903; s US$18-20, d US$20-25; a) The Ambo doesn’t especially

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distinguish itself from its rivals, with similarly uninspiring bungalow rooms. More expensive ones have air-con. The waterfront restaurant serves some Thai dishes and is a perfect place to catch a sunset. Lai Lai Chaungtha Beach Hotel (%22587; lailai [email protected]; s/d US$18/25; a) One of the oldest hotels in Chaungtha, this place is now a little frayed around the edges. Standard rooms have a fan and private bathroom. Superior rooms come with air-con, fridge and TV. Other recommendations: A Yar Oo Resort Hotel (%24880; s US$7-15, d US$1420; a) Rooms here are not in the best condition. Higher priced rooms have air-con. See Seim Hotel (%22909; r US$22) A sprawling place right on the beach with clean, bungalow-style rooms with fan and private bathroom. The rooms are a little gloomy. The hotel’s restaurant is quite good. Thiri Chaungtha Beach Resort Hotel (in Yangon %01-578 649; s/d US$20/25; a) Rambling place popular with Myanmar people. TOP END

Hotel Max Chaungtha Beach (%24966; www.hotel maxchaungthabeach.com; r US$70-100; ais )

This luxury resort appears somewhat out of place next to its more modest neighbours. The Max opened in 2003 directly across from the village. There’s a long driveway to the portico entrance that reveals large red-roofed villas and landscaped grounds. Facilities include tennis courts, minigolf, billiards, massage parlour and spa. There’s an excellent restaurant with nightly buffet dinners served outside.

Eating Most hotels and guesthouses also have small restaurants; the Shwe Hin Tha’s is particularly pleasant. William Restaurant (dishes K1000), which does Bamar and Chinese cuisine – has two locations, one on the main road and the other in the village. The main street of the village is lined with seafood restaurants. Most offer mains of good freshly caught seafood – lobster, clams, scallops, prawns, and fish – for around K800 to K2000: Pearl Restaurant and Chaungtha Sea Food Restaurant are especially recommended. There are also a few teashops along this strip, one of which opens early in the morning and serves decent hsi t’ǎmìn (turmericcoloured sticky rice topped with sesame

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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Kyauk Pahto............................................................................2 Market.....................................................................................3 Pyilon Chanthar Zedi................................................................4 Ywama Monastery...................................................................5

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138 D E LTA R E G I O N • • N g w e S a u n g

seeds and shredded coconut) and other Bamar tea snacks.

Getting There & Away & Around

without first having to go through Yangon and Pyay. It’s apparently a demanding threeday journey on very local minibuses.

BICYCLE

TAXI

Some hotels rent bicycles for K300 per hour.

Share taxis for up to four people to Pathein (K30,000) and Yangon (K70,000) can be arranged with your hotel’s assistance.

BOAT

The only way to get to Ngwe Saung Beach without first going through Pathein is to hire a boat in Chaungtha. This can be arranged with your hotel or simply by showing up at the pier, however the latter method is difficult without some ability to speak Burmese. The trip costs K25,000 for the entire boat and takes around 1½ hours. BUS

The rough 36km road between Chaungtha and Pathein can be traversed in two hours by private car; public minibuses and pickups usually take about 2½ hours. Several companies plan to run larger, nicer and more modern buses between the two towns in the near future. A new suspension bridge over the Pathein River does away with the previous ferry-crossing hassles and accompanying US$5 fare between Pathein and Chaungtha or Ngwe Saung beaches. Parts of the road to Chaungtha are unsealed. The road passes through nearly-barren scrubland before crossing the U Do Chaung by bridge, and after that climbs forested hills to an elevation of around 300m. This area is said to be inhabited by elephants, monkeys and leopards; at one point you’ll pass through a lush forest reserve. From there, the road descends into an area of coconut groves and rice paddies. Over half the villages passed along the way are Kayin. For transport info on getting to Chaungtha from Pathein see p134. Uncomfortable minibuses leave from Chaungtha Beach for Pathein (K2500, 2½ hours) at 7am, 11am and 1pm from the bus station in the village. Comfortable large air-conditioned buses (Shwe Pyi Lwin is the best company) leave from Chaungtha Beach for Yangon at 7am (K5000 to K6000, six to seven hours). Coming from Yangon, buses leave from Hlaing Thar Yar bus station to Chaungtha leaving several times daily in the morning until lunchtime. It’s theoretically possible to travel north via the town of Gwa all the way to Ngapali

NGWE SAUNG e=âez;='

This beautiful white-sand beach, also known as Silver Beach, facing the Bay of Bengal is in the early stages of being developed and marketed as a rival destination to Ngapali further north. Several top-end bungalowstyle resorts are already firmly established and several more are in the works, and few accommodation options cater for people on small budgets or local vacationers. The beach stretches much longer and is more pristine than nearby Chaungtha Beach. The village itself now sits roughly halfway along the length of the 14.5km stretch of coastline – the government ordered it moved lock, stock and barrel about 100m. Several of the resorts can arrange day trips to an elephant camp halfway between Ngwe Saung and Pathein.

Sleeping Several luxurious resorts were in some stage of construction at the time of research. Continued progress for some seems to depend on the not-unimportant variable of having customers. The devastating 2004 tsunami was felt here, and despite the very minimal damage business appears to have been badly affected. There’s no lack of space for further development but the government seems committed to controlling the pace, size and nature of the resorts – mostly top-end. The road gets progressively worse the further south one travels from the village to the point where only 4WD vehicles can safely navigate through the rough and sandy patches. Be aware that some hotels are located on this stretch of road. The phone system here is unreliable so it’s recommended to contact the Yangon number if there is one.

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the Golden Sea’s small wooden bungalows are simply furnished. A basic breakfast is included. Yamonnar Oo Resort (in Yangon %01-726 413; s/d US$25/35) Not really a resort, the Yamonnar Oo has a few green wooden bungalows. The rooms are unadorned but clean. Silver View Beach Resort (in Yangon%01-512 681 ext 318; s/d US$20/25; a) Rather than being rustically charming like others in this price category, the Silver View Beach is motellike, and not especially suited to the beach. The rooms are relatively more modern, but the grounds are crowded with a decaying children’s jungle gym. Yuzana Resort (in Yangon%01-581 100; r US$25-50; a) Because of its size it’s hard for the Yuzana to not feel abandoned. This hotel, the first built at the beach in 2000, has a large. hangarlike reception area and 133 rooms in low-slung buildings spread out in a large compound. It has a large terrace restaurant with good seafood. TOP END

Treasure Beach Resort (in Yangon%01-501 565; www .myanmartreasurebeach.com; cottages US$85-100; mains US$8; ais) The nicest of all the resorts

and occupying the best location just one minute’s walk from the village, the Treasure Beach is also one of the oldest. It’s very well managed, the grounds are meticulously manicured and the spacious bungalows have satellite TVs and porches ideal for sunset viewing. Reminiscent of a private, highend Balinese resort, the Treasure Beach is sophisticatedly laid back. The restaurant serves reasonably priced European and Bamar meals. The breakfast buffet (part of the price) includes hard-to-find cereal and French toast. Palm Beach Resort (in Yangon %01-581 100; www .thepalmbeachresort.com; r US$60-80; mains US$13; a is) The beautiful, long and narrow cen-

MIDRANGE

tral building at the upmarket Palm Beach, south of the village, leads to an infinity pool perched over the beach. The grounds here are unexpectedly unkempt. Its restaurant has an interesting but expensive menu. The hotel is closed from May to late October. Sunny Paradise Resort (in Yangon % 01-546

Golden Sea Resort (in Yangon %01-241 747; s/d US$15/20) This is the cheapest place to stay in

002; www.sunnyparadise.net; s US$55-80, d US$65-105; ais) This upscale resort north of the

Ngwe Saung at the moment. The rooms in

village is a compound of several buildings

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including a few posh bungalow suites. All the rooms are classy and cosy, a mix of teak, bamboo and modern amenities. Palm trees tower over the manicured grounds and there’s a large marble reception area.

Eating You’ll have to generally rely on your hotel’s cooking because most of the accommodation, apart from the Treasure Beach Resort, is too far from the village to make eating at one of the several restaurants there convenient. In the village, the See Sar Restaurant and Charlie Restaurant have English menus and serve seafood (K2000) and some standard Bamar and Chinese dishes.

Getting There & Away & Around See p134 for details on possible flights from Yangon and Heho to Pathein with transport links to Ngwe Saung. Buses going from Yangon to Ngwe Saung (K5000, five hours) leave from the Hlaing Thar Yar bus terminal, west of the Yangon River and a 45-minute to one-hour taxi ride from the city centre. There are several departures from around 7am to 2pm. Minibuses from Pathein (K2500, two hours) stop first at the intersection between the beginning of the village and the Treasure Beach Resort. If staying further south the bus should be able to drop you at your resort; conversely, you should be able to catch the bus leaving Ngwe Saung (7am, 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm) by waiting by the side of the road. If you’re staying north of the village you’ll have to hire transport or walk. The upmarket resorts such as the Treasure Beach and Palm Beach offer van services to customers from either Pathein (1¼ hours) or Yangon (four hours) – but the vans don’t come cheap. Share taxis can be arranged for Ngwe Saung from Pathein (K30,000) and Yangon (K70,000). There is no way to get to Ngwe Saung by road from Chaungtha without first going through Pathein. If coming by boat from Chaungtha (K25,000 for entire boat, 1½ hours) ask to be dropped off as close to your hotel as possible, though this is dependent on the tide and water depth at each location. There are a few trishaws available to carry you short distances.

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140 N O R T H O F YA N G O N • • Ta u k k y a n

On the road to Bago, beyond Yangon’s airport at Mingaladon, you reach Taukkyan, where the road to Pyay forks off to the northwest, while the Bago and Mandalay road continues on to the northeast. Shortly beyond the junction is the huge Taukkyan War Cemetery with the graves of 6374 Allied soldiers who died in the Burma and Assam campaigns of WWII. There is also a memorial bearing the names of the almost 27,000 soldiers who died with no known grave. Maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the cemetery is beautifully landscaped. You can get to Taukkyan on a No 9 bus from Yangon or aboard any Bago-bound bus from either the Aung Mingalar Bus (Highway) Terminal or the Tha-khin Mya Pan-gyan Gate terminal (see p90).

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C2 B3 C3 B3 A4 D2 D3 C2 A4 A3 B3

SLEEPING Bago Star Hotel..........................24 Emperor Hotel............................25 Myananda Guest House.............26 San Francisco Motel...................27

B4 B3 B3 B3

D Shwe See Seim Motel................ 28 A4 Silver Snow Guest House...........29 C3 EATING 35 Restaurant.............................30 B3 Hadaya Café..............................31 B3 Kyaw Swar...............................(see 30) Panda Restaurant.....................(see 26) Shwe Le Restaurant....................32 B3 Triple Diamond Restaurant......(see 30) SHOPPING Colours of Myanmar Art Centre..33 B4 TRANSPORT Bus Station.................................34 B4 Pick-ups to Kyaiktiyo................(see 31)

To Kyaiktiyo (120km); Mawlamyine (220km); Mandalay (382km)

a royal capital called Hanthawady (from the Pali-Sanskrit ‘Hamsavati’, meaning the Kingdom of the Swan) at the edge of the lake. During the later Mon dynastic periods (1287–1539), Hanthawady became the centre of the Mon kingdom of Ramanadesa, which consisted of all southern Myanmar. The Bamar took over in 1539 when King Tabinshwehti annexed Bago to his Taungoo kingdom. The city was frequently mentioned by early European visitors – who knew it as Pegu – as an important seaport. In 1740 the Mon, after a period of submission to Taungoo, re-established Bago as their capital, but in 1757 King Alaungpaya sacked and utterly destroyed the city. King Bodawpaya, who ruled from 1782 to 1819, rebuilt it to some extent, but when the river changed its course the city was cut off from the sea and lost its importance as a seaport. It never again reached its previous grandeur.

Sights & Activities Several of the major sites have ticket counters where foreigners are asked to pay a US$10 admission fee. One ticket is good for entrance to the Shwethalyaung Buddha, Shwemawdaw Paya, Kanbawzathadi Palace & Museum, Mahazedi Paya and Kyaik Pun Paya. All other sites are free or staff request visitors to make a nominal donation. We are not recommending this, but several travellers report not being asked to pay admission when visiting certain sites in the late afternoon. Most sites have a separate nominal camera and video fee. They are open from early in the morning to late in the afternoon.

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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Bogyoke Aung San Equestrian Statue....................2 Church.........................................3 Clock Tower................................4 Four Figures Paya.........................5 Gothaingotan Paya......................6 Hintha Gon Paya.........................7 Kanbawzathadi Palace & Museum..................................8 Kha Khat Wain Kyaung................9 Kyaik Pun Paya..........................10 Kyinigan Kyaung........................11 Maha Kalyani Sima.....................12

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The logical first stop after leaving Yangon, Bago feels like an amusement park of fascinating Buddhist religious sites. It’s very easy to do a day trip to Bago from Yangon, but shuttling from one site to the other makes it difficult to do any of them any justice. It’s best to take your time and spend the night, although there’s a lack of quality accommodation here. An early start to visit the sites is probably the best idea, as Bago can get very hot around noon. Bago is only about 80km from Yangon, yet is just far enough off the beaten track to avoid many tourists. The town is like a clogged artery because the highway that passes through; buses slow to disgorge their passengers, and motorcycle and trishaw touts competing for your attention. There is a very basic email service, Sitthugyi Email Centre, east of the river.

B Mahagi Paya..............................13 Mahazedi Paya..........................14 Market.......................................15 Mon Weavers............................16 Mosque......................................17 Shwegugale Paya.......................18 Shwemawdaw Paya...................19 Shwethalyaung Buddha.............20 Snake Monastery.......................21 Three Lions Cheroot Factory......22 Woodcarving Workshops...........23

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To Hanthawady Golf & Country Club (2.5km); Yangon (80.5km)

Bago is upping the ante in the race for bigger and longer Buddhas. A 60m to 70m one is in the works scheduled to be completed sometime in 2006. Whether complete or still eerily surrounded by scaffolding, you can find it in a clearing next to the Myethalayaung (Emerald Reclining) Buddha. Mr Han, a knowledgeable guide who speaks excellent English, can be found at the Myananda Guest House (see p144) or contacted at [email protected]. SHWETHALYAUNG BUDDHA

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This reclining Buddha is so big that from looking up from the bottom steps it’s impossible to determine exactly what’s ahead

of you. The golden slab you see is only the torso. Measuring 55m long and 16m high, the Shwethalyaung is a good 9m longer than the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho in Bangkok, but still 19m short of the Buddha in Dawei (see p163). You’ll find the Shwethalyaung to the west of the Yangon–Bago road, only a little more than 1km to the Yangon side of the train station. A sign on the platform in front of the image gives the measurements of each body part; the little finger alone extends 3.05m. The Shwethalyaung is reputed to be one of the most lifelike of all reclining Buddhas. The Burmese say the image represents Buddha in a ‘relaxing’ mode – instead of parinibbana (death) – since the eyes are

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In deference to legend, the symbol for Bago is a female hamsa (hintha or hantha in Burmese; a mythological bird) standing on the back of a male hamsa. At a deeper level, the symbol honours the compassion of the male hamsa in providing a place for the female to stand in the middle of a lake with only one island. Hence, the men of Bago are said to be more chivalrous than men from other Burmese areas. In popular Burmese culture, however, men joke that they dare not marry a woman from Bago for fear of being henpecked!

N O R T H O F YA N G O N • • B a g o 141

Yangon -Bago Rd

TAUKKYAN

THE HAMSA

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Ba Yint Noung St

NORTH OF YANGON

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wide open and the feet lie slightly splayed rather than parallel. The sturdy iron shed that houses the image may look rough and ready, but it’s spacious and airy and gives you a far better view than offered by the cramped cells that house most reclining Buddhas. The walkway up to the platform is crowded with souvenir and handicraft stalls. Originally built of brick and stucco in 994 by the Mon King Migadepa II, the Shwethalyaung was allowed to deteriorate and was then restored several times before the destruction of Bago in 1757. The town was so completely ravaged that the huge Buddha was totally lost and overgrown by jungle. It was not found until the British era of the 1880s when an Indian contractor, digging in a large earth mound for fill to be used in the construction of the railway line, rediscovered the image. Restoration began in 1881 and the present iron and steel tazaung (shrine building), a product of a Calcutta engineering company, was completed in 1903. The 1930s saw another flurry of renovation activity, as a mosaic was added to the great pillow on which the Buddha’s head rests, and Italian marble was laid along the platform. Near the huge head of the image stands a statue of Lokanat (Lokanatha or Avalokitesvara), a Mahayana Buddhist deity borrowed by Burmese Buddhism. Behind the reclining Buddha image is a set of huge painted reliefs depicting the legend of the founding of the image. The price of admission is worth it. A Japanese war cemetery, Kyinigan Kyaung, can be seen on the grounds of a monastery just north of Shwethalyaung. SHWEMAWDAW PAYA

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Shwemawdaw Paya stands northeast of the train station. You can’t miss the stupa, as its height of 114m dominates the town. The Shwemawdaw is said to be over 1000 years old and was originally built by the Mon to a height of 23m to enshrine two hairs of the Buddha. In 825 it was raised to 25m and then to 27m in 840. In 982 a sacred tooth was added to the collection; in 1385 another tooth was added and the stupa was rebuilt to a towering 84m. In 1492, the year Columbus sailed the Atlantic, a wind blew

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over the hti (umbrella-like pinnacle) and a new one was raised. King Bodawpaya, in the reconstruction of Bago after the ravages of Alaungpaya, rebuilt the stupa to 91m in 1796, but from that point it has had a rather chequered career. A new hti was added in 1882, but a major earthquake in 1912 brought it down. The stupa was repaired, but in 1917 another major quake again brought the hti down and caused serious damage. Again it was repaired, but in 1930 the biggest quake of them all completely levelled the stupa and for the next 20 years only the huge earth mound of the base remained. Reconstruction of the Shwemawdaw Paya commenced in 1952 and was completed in 1954, when it reached its present height. The glittering golden top of the stupa reaches 14m higher than the Shwedagon in Yangon. At the northeastern corner of the stupa, a huge section of the hti toppled by the 1917 earthquake has been mounted into the structure of the stupa. It is a sobering reminder of the power of such geological disturbances. Like the Shwedagon in Yangon, the stupa is reached by a covered walkway lined with stalls – some with interesting collections of antique bits and pieces. Along the sides of the walkway a collection of rather faded and dusty paintings illustrates the terrible effects of the 1930 earthquake and shows the subsequent rebuilding of this mighty stupa.

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anew, as at the Mandalay Palace, including the king’s apartment and audience hall. Among other copied marvels, the original audience hall featured a seven-level roof, two levels higher than Mandalay Palace, and was topped with solid gold tiles. The government is keen to make the site into a showpiece of sorts, as King Bayinnaung ruled during an era when Burmese domains reached their furthest in Southeast Asia. The nearby Mon site of Oktha-myo, meanwhile, is all but ignored. The small, well-stocked, octagon-shaped museum displays Mon, Siamese and Baganstyle Buddhas; clay tobacco pipes; glazed tiles and pots; bronze weights and scales; pieces of the original teak stockade; and weaponry. HINTHA GON PAYA

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Located behind the Shwemawdaw, this shrine (admission free) has good views over Bago from the roofed platform on the hilltop. According to legend, this was the one point rising from the sea when the mythological bird (the hintha or hamsa) landed here. A statue of the bird, looking rather like the figures on opium weights, tops the hill. The stupa was built by U Khanti, the hermit monk who was also the architect of Mandalay Hill. You can walk to it by taking the steps down the other side of the Shwemawdaw from the main entrance. KYAIK PUN PAYA

KANBAWZATHADI PALACE & MUSEUM

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Recently, the original site of Hanthawady, which surrounded a former Mon palace, was excavated just south of the huge Shwemawdaw Paya. Walled in the Mon style, the square city measured 1.8km along each side and had 20 gates. The palace compound in the centre, known as Kanbawzathadi, housed King Bayinnaung from 1553 (or 1566 according to some sources) to 1599 and covered 82 hectares. About 26 hectares of this area have been excavated. Bayinnaung, the brother-in-law of a Taungoo king, moved to Bago after conquering an older Mon principality called Oktha-myo, which is east of the Hanthawady site. Only the palace’s brick foundations are visible today. Everything else is being built

There’s something uncannily impressive about these four seated Buddhas with regal gazes that seem to see all, about 1.5km out of Bago just off the Yangon road. Built in 1476 by King Dhammazedi, it consists of four 30m-high sitting Buddhas placed back-to-back around a huge, square pillar. According to legend, four Mon sisters were connected with the construction of the Buddhas; it was said that if any of them should marry, one of the Buddhas would collapse. One of the four Buddhas disintegrated in the 1930 earthquake, leaving only a brick outline. It has since been fully restored. En route to the Kyaik Pun Paya, you can detour to the picturesque Gaung-Say-Kyan Paya, reached by crossing a wooden bridge over a small lake.

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N O R T H O F YA N G O N • • B a g o 143

MAHA KALYANI SIMA (MAHA KALYANI THEIN)

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This ‘Sacred Hall of Ordination’ was originally constructed in 1476 by Dhammazedi, the famous alchemist king and son of Queen Shinsawpu. It stands beside the road en route from the train station to the Shwethalyaung. It was the first of 397 similar sima (ordination halls) he built around the country, copying plans brought back from Sri Lanka. Philip De Brito, the renegade Portuguese adventurer, burnt it down in 1599 during his period of plunder, and during the sacking of Bago in 1757 it was destroyed once again. Subsequently, it suffered from fires or quakes on a number of occasions before being levelled by the disastrous 1930 quake. As with the Shwemawdaw, reconstruction was completed in 1954. Next to the hall are 10 large tablets with inscriptions in Pali and Mon. The hall itself features rows of tented arches around the outside, with an impressive separate cloister and marble floors inside. Niches along the inside upper walls contain 28 standing Buddha images. Across the road from the Maha Kalyani Sima, by the corner, is a curious monument, the Four Figures Paya, with four Buddha figures standing back to back, in somewhat similar fashion to the four seated Buddhas at the Kyaik Pun on the outskirts of town. An adjacent open hallway has a small reclining Buddha image, thronged by followers, and some macabre paintings of wrongdoers being tortured in the afterlife. MAHAZEDI PAYA

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Continuing beyond Shwethalyaung Paya brings you to the Mahazedi (Great Stupa) Paya. Originally constructed in 1560 by King Bayinnaung, it was destroyed during the 1757 sacking of Bago. An attempt to rebuild it in 1860 was unsuccessful and the great earthquake of 1930 comprehensively levelled it, after which it remained a ruin. This current reconstruction was only completed in 1982. Stairways lead up the outside of the stupa, and from the top there are fine views over the surrounding area. Note the model stupa by the entrance. The Mahazedi originally had a Buddha tooth, at one time thought to be the actual

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142 N O R T H O F YA N G O N • • B a g o

144 N O R T H O F YA N G O N • • B a g o

SHWEGUGALE PAYA

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A little beyond the Mahazedi, this zedi has a dark gu (tunnel) around the circumference of the cylindrical superstructure. The monument dates to 1494 and the reign of King Byinnya Yan. Inside are 64 seated Buddha figures. From here you can take a short cut back to the corner in the road, just before the Shwethalyaung. OTHER ATTRACTIONS

North of the main town centre, near the eastern bank of the river, is one of the three largest monasteries in the country, Kha Khat Wain Kyaung. Watching the long line of monks and novices file out of the monastery in the early morning for their daily round of alms is quite a sight. Busloads of tourists visit the monks at lunchtime at 10.30am. You’re free to wander around the eating hall but we recommend that you be cognisant of the kind of atmosphere created by groups of foreigners snapping photos of the monks like caged animals in a zoo while they eat their meal in silence. A short distance further south from the Kanbawzathadi Palace & Museum is the Snake Monastery, where you’ll find a former head of a monastery in Hsipaw who has since been reincarnated in the form of a 115-year-old boa constrictor. Apparently this snake told its owner up north the exact address where he needed to go in Bago in order to complete the construction of a stupa begun in a previous life. People from all over come to pay homage to the snake on weekends and during Buddhist Lent. Every 10 days it eats 5kg of chickens. There’s a zedi nearby on a small hilltop that’s great for watching sunsets. Many Bago women work in local cheroot factories – there are around 15 large ones, and many smaller ones. The Three Lions cheroot factory is a little north of the

road to Shwethalyaung, off the main avenue through town; the proprietors don’t mind receiving visitors. Further west, towards Mahazedi Paya, you can visit a woodcarving workshop.

Festivals & Events On the full moon of the Burmese lunar month of Tagu (March/April) the Shwemawdaw Paya festival attracts huge crowds of worshippers and merrymakers.

Sleeping The quality of accommodation reflects the fact that many travellers visit Bago only for the day. Most options are on the busy main road between the railway line and the river near the place where buses to and from Yangon stop, so rooms towards the back of these hotels are quieter. Electricity is generally available only from the evening to early morning. Cheaper rooms only have fans. Bago Star Hotel (%23766; 11-13 Kyaikpon Pagoda Rd; s/d US$24/30; as) The Star, the nicest and most expensive hotel in Bago, is located just off the highway on the same road as the Kyaik Pun Paya. Almost all the hotel is built from Myanmar wood. Accommodation is in wooden bungalows that have hot-water showers. Generators keep the air-con humming. The pool, while not especially smart, does the job in the searing heat. A nice, large restaurant is attached. Discounts are available. Myananda Guest House (%22275; 10 Main Rd; r US$4-10; a) This is the best budget choice; it’s small and friendly and on the main road a few doors towards the river from the Hadaya Café (see opposite). Economy rooms have fan, shared bathroom and toilet. One triple room has air-con, fridge, TV and attached cold-water bathroom. Plans were in the works to add a few more rooms and a breakfast area on the sun-drenched top floors. English-speaking Mr Han, a knowledgeable guide, can be found here. Emperor Hotel (%23024; Main Rd; r US$3-7; a) The Emperor looks modern and nice from the outside, decked out in reflective glass and potted plants, but this six-storey hotel is a different story inside. Standard rooms, some with Asian-style toilet and bath, tend to be dank and with peeling paint jobs. Touts from here are generally more aggressive than others in town.

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San Francisco Motel (% 22265; Main Rd; s/d US$5/8; a) Further southwest near the railway crossing, this motel has single and double rooms both with shared or private toilet. Double rooms in the new wing (west) are cleaner and brighter looking. Silver Snow Guest House (s US$5-15, d US$10-20) This guesthouse is across the Bago River, near the reservoir and clock tower. It has clean economy rooms, as well as rooms with private bathroom. There is no air-con, but all rooms have a fan and a mosquito net upon request. Shwe See Seim Motel (%22118; 354 Ba Yint Noung St; s/d US$24/30; as) The Shwe See Seim is a nine-room place near the bus station that is slightly fancier than all but the Bago Star. Bungalow units and regular rooms cost the same. There is a small and fairly dirty pool. Travellers keen to avoid governmentowned hotels should bypass the Shwewatun Hotel, out towards the Shwemawdaw Paya.

Eating Panda Restaurant (dishes K800; a) Just west of the river, the Panda offers a good, mediumpriced, standard Chinese menu. Shwe Le Restaurant (chicken dishes K1100) This is a clean and quiet gem half a block north of the main road, just west of the river. The menu features Shan, Indian and Malaysian curries. 35 Restaurant (dishes K1000; a) A friendly but shabby place a few doors west of the Emperor Hotel, this is a popular eatery and not a hotel. The menu is a combination of Bamar, Chinese, Indian and European; the food is cheap and good, and the menu includes ‘goat fighting balls’ (goat testicles), prepared in a number of ways. Opposite the Emperor Hotel, the Hadaya Café is a popular teashop with a nice selection of pastries, and good-quality tea and coffee. Two more restaurants serving good Bamar and Chinese are the Triple Diamond Restaurant and Kyaw Swar.

Shopping Northwest of the Kyinigan Kyaung, a settlement of Mon weavers uses handlooms to produce cotton longyi (sarong-style garments) and other textiles. Next door to the Bago Star Hotel is the Colours of Myanmar Art Centre (h8am-5.30pm),

N O R T H O F YA N G O N • • B a g o 145

which sells paintings by local artists at inexpensive prices.

Getting There & Away You can get to Bago by either rail or road; in either case the trip takes about 2½ hours. By road, the route to Bago follows the Mandalay road to Taukkyan, about 30km from the capital, where the Pyay road branches off. From here to Bago the country is much more open and the traffic somewhat lighter. BUS

Wait outside the Myananda Guest House for buses passing through Bago. Southeastern Myanmar

Pick-ups to Kyaiktiyo depart from in front of Hadaya Café (K500, five hours). Buses to Kyaiktiyo leave throughout the day from near the Emperor Hotel, and cost around K800 to K1000 one way. Buy a ticket on the bus rather than from the ticket booth next to the Emperor Hotel, which charges an inflated K1500 or so. Several buses pass through Bago from 8am to 9am on their way to Hpa-an (K2500, five hours). Until the bridge over the river was recently completed, to reach Mawlamyine by bus you had to go through Hpa-an or transfer to the ferry at Mottama. At the time of research, the bridge wasn’t open for use; however, in the future the schedule will likely be similar to that for Mottama. A few buses pass through Bago for Mottama at 8am and then at 9pm (K3000, nine hours). Taungoo & Inle Lake

Several buses pass through Bago from 5pm to 6.30pm on their way to Kalaw (K6000, 12 hours). Air-con buses from Bago to Nyaungshwe (K2000) leave at around 1.30pm from near the Myananda Guest House and Emperor Hotel. The trip takes about 16 hours – unfortunately, this means arriving in Inle Lake at around 4.30am. It’s worth noting that this bus trip can get quite chilly, and some warm clothing or a blanket is recommended. For Taungoo, make reservations on any of the northbound buses, including those heading to Nyaungshwe (Inle Lake), Kalaw and Mandalay. You will have to pay the full fare of K5500 (4½ hours).

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Buddha tooth of Kandy, Sri Lanka. After Bago was conquered in 1539, the tooth was later moved to Taungoo and then to Sagaing near Mandalay. Together with a begging bowl supposed to have been used by the Buddha, it remains in the Kaunghmudaw Paya (p254), near Sagaing, to this day. Women are not allowed to climb to the top of the stupa.

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146 N O R T H O F YA N G O N • • B a g o

Most of the private bus companies running air-conditioned express buses between Yangon and Mandalay stop in Bago. While they usually won’t sell tickets for the short distance between Yangon and Bago, you can book tickets from Bago onward to Mandalay – for the full Yangon–Mandalay fare (around K5000). The Mandalay buses usually arrive in Bago by 7pm; inquire at the Bago bus station or the travel desk in the lobby of the Emperor Hotel. Yangon

Buses from Yangon (K500 to K1000) operate approximately hourly from 5am or 6am and depart from the Aung Mingalar (Highway) bus terminal (p86) north of the airport. GEC Bus Company and Taung Hta Ban Company both make the two-hour trip in relative comfort. Pick-ups and smaller buses (K300, front seat K500) depart from the Tha-khin Mya Pan-gyan Gate terminal on Strand Rd near the Western Park Restaurant in Yangon, but they can often take as long as four hours as they stop and start so often. Avoid travelling on Sunday, however, when Bago is a very popular excursion from Yangon and the buses get very crowded. TAXI

A more expensive but more convenient alternative is to hire a taxi from Yangon. A taxi between Yangon and Bago should cost about US$15 to US$20 each way, with a bit of bargaining – and has the additional advantage of giving you transport from place to place once you get to Bago. One-way taxis back from Bago to Yangon can be had for as low as K8000. To hire a taxi in Bago, enquire at any Bago hotel. Some drivers may feel that getting you to Bago and back, and to the two big attractions – the Shwemawdaw and the Shwethalyaung – is quite enough for one day. Don’t accept excuses that other sites are ‘too far off the road’, are down tracks ‘only fit for bullock carts’ or are simply ‘closed’. Choose a driver with reasonable Englishlanguage skills in Yangon.

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© Lonely Planet Publications 147

If you hire a taxi in Bago, be sure that your driver agrees to drop you in Yangon at your hotel. A guide and driver to Mt Kyaikto (for the Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock) stupa; p149) can be hired through any of the central Bago hotels for around US$25 return. The same tour booked in Yangon costs US$80. TRAIN

It is possible to visit Bago by breaking the Yangon to Mandalay train journey here. During the high season (November to February), it is wiser to do this coming down from Mandalay rather than going up from Yangon, because of the difficulties of getting a seat from Bago to Mandalay; from Bago to Yangon you could easily stand, or wait for another train or change to the bus. Trains from Yangon come through Bago for Mandalay at 6.50pm and 9pm (ordinary/ 1st class US$11/29, 14 hours). It’s possible to take either of these trains to Taungoo (ordinary/1st class US$4/8, four hours). From Yangon, there are about six trains a day from around 6am to 8pm (ordinary/ 1st class in express train US$2/5). Trains leave Bago for Yangon (ordinary/1st class US$2/5, two hours) at 5am and 8am. Southbound trains come through Bago on their way to Kyaiktiyo (ordinary/1st class US$3/6, four hours) and Mottama (the stop for Mawlamyine) at 6am and 8.45am (ordinary/1st class US$6/14, eight hours). These are not express trains and, as usual, the buses are faster.

Getting Around Trishaw is the main form of local transport in Bago. A one-way trip in the central area should cost no more than K300. If you’re going further afield – say from Shwethalyaung Buddha, at one end of town, to Shwemawdaw Paya, at the other – you might as well hire a trishaw for the day (about K2500 to K3000). Horse carts are another option (K4000 to K5000 for a day). It’s also possible to rent a motorcycle for the day (K7000), a much more liberating and convenient way of travelling between all of Bago’s far-flung sites. Ask at your guesthouse.

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Mandalay

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© Lonely Planet Publications 147

Southeastern Myanmar Apart from the world-famous Golden Rock, southeastern Myanmar – a long, narrow isthmus bordering the Andaman Sea that resembles the string of a kite – is virtually unknown, at least in part because of continued tension between government troops and armed opposition groups in some areas. Both sides have laid antipersonnel mines, often near villages, along the lengthy and mountainous porous border with Thailand.

In Kawthoung, though, there are a few long stretches of white-sand beaches and hundreds of unexplored islands of the Mergui Archipelago that rival those in southern Thailand in terms of sheer beauty. In fact, most of the handful of travel companies permitted by the government to navigate the watery maze of the archipelago is based in Thailand, though the Myanmar government has begun to eye the region with eagerness for its tourism potential. After all Dawei, another southern city that foreigners are allowed in, is only a few hours’ drive from Bangkok.

HIGHLIGHTS

Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock)

„ The views from the gravity-defying marvel

of Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock) (p149) are enough to inspire a religious conversion

Thanlwin River Mawlamyine

„ A vast archipelago where few foreigners

have gone before lies beyond Kawthoung (p167) – try your luck island hopping

Maungmagan

„ Floating up the Thanlwin River on the

Mawlamyine–Hpa-an ferry (p157) promises some rays and picturesque scenery „ The Win Sein Taw Ya (p158), one of the

worlds largest Buddhas, is relaxing in the countryside outside of Mawlamyine „ Maungmagan (p163) is a long, almost

deserted beach near Dawei

Kawthoung

S O U T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

However, the northern part of this region including the pilgrimage site of Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock), the countryside around leafy, decrepit Mawlamyine and the village of Hpa-an make for an interesting natural loop, unhindered by the restrictions further south. The boat trip between Mawlamyine and Hpa-an is a real treat. The southern no-go zones, combined with the usual poor transport infrastructure mean that foreign visitors rarely journey down to the border town of Kawthoung, the southernmost point in Myanmar.

148 M O N S TAT E

of Mon villagers; the result being that villagers from the southern Ye area have migrated across the border to Thailand as much in search of work to support their families.

KYAIKTIYO (GOLDEN ROCK)

Thaton

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KAYIN STATE

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Sittoung Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock) Bilin To Bago; Yangon Theinseik

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8 Paung Moktama

Mawlamyine Bilu Kyun Mudon Kyaikkami Setse

Mt Zwegabin (722m) Mae Sot Zathabyin 85 Myawadi Kawkareik Kyaikmaraw

Thanbyuzayat

Kalagok Kyun

Mae Sariang

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Gulf of Moktama (Martaban)

Payathonzu

Three Pagodas Pass Sangkhlaburi

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Dawe Kanbauk Heinze Kyun

8 River

Maungmagan Kyun Maungmagan

Dawei

Launglon Kyun

Thayetchaung Zalut

Dawei Point

Tanintha

ANDAMAN SEA

TANINTHARYI DIVISION

Palauk

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Taninthayi Kyun

Kadan Kyun

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Myeik

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Bokpyin

Owen Kyan Lampi Kyun

Maliwun Kawthoung Thahtay Kyun

River

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Ranong

Gulf of Thailand

The sublime balancing boulder stupa called Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock), is a major pilgrimage site for Burmese Buddhists and tourists alike. A visit shouldn’t be undertaken lightly as a day trip, which in theory could involve a taxi, long-distance bus, truck, human porters and your own foot power, but it’s well worth the hassles – as much for the inspiring views from the top as for the gravity-defying boulder itself. The manmade plaza around the Golden Rock is the typical Myanmar mix of religious iconography and commercial development, monks and laypeople meditating in front of golden Buddha statues while several metres away rosary beads and toy wooden rifles are for sale. All but the fittest will probably have to take a breather at one of the drink stands clinging to the cliffsides on the road from the truck stop to the stupa area. The small stupa, just 7.3m high, sits atop the Golden Rock, a massive, gold-leafed boulder delicately balanced on the edge of a cliff at the top of Mt Kyaikto. Like Shwedagon Paya in Yangon or Mahamuni Paya in Mandalay, the Kyaiktiyo stupa is one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in Myanmar. Legend states that the boulder maintains its precarious balance due to a precisely placed Buddha hair in the stupa. Apparently King Tissa received the Buddha hair in the 11th century from a hermit who had secreted the hair in his own topknot. The hermit instructed the king to search for a boulder whose shape resembled the hermit’s head, and then enshrine the hair in a stupa on top. The king, who inherited supernatural powers as a result of his birth to a zawgyi (an accomplished alchemist) father and naga (dragon serpent) princess, found the rock at the bottom of the sea. Upon its miraculous arrival on the mountain top, the boat used to transport the rock then turned to stone. This stone can be seen approximately 300m from the main boulder – it’s known as the Kyaukthanban (Stone Boat Stupa).

S O U T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

MON STATE Ye

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The homeland of the Mon ethnic group wraps around the east coast of the Gulf of Mottama (Martaban) from the mouth of the Sittoung (Sittang) River to the northern end of Tanintharyi Yoma (Tenasserim Range). Once native to a broad region stretching from southern Myanmar to Cambodia, the Mon have been absorbed – sometimes willingly, sometimes unwillingly – by the more powerful Bamar and Thai cultures in Myanmar and Thailand over the last 1000 years or so. The absorption has been so effective that their own history and culture have received little attention by scholars, even though vestiges of the Mon culture and language clearly survive in both countries. Though no-one knows for sure, the Mon may be descended from a group of Indian immigrants from Kalinga, an ancient kingdom overlapping the boundaries of the modern Indian states of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. They are responsible for much of the early maintenance and transmission of Theravada Buddhism in mainland Southeast Asia even though Sri Lankan monks may have initially introduced the Tripitaka (the ‘three baskets’; the classic Buddhist scriptures) and ordination lineage. In the case of Myanmar, the Bagan kingdom forcefully captured these elements, while in Thailand it was the peaceful interest of King Rama IV that led to the growth of Mon-styled Buddhism. Since 1949 the eastern hills of the state (as well as mountains further south in Tanintharyi Division) have been a refuge for the New Mon State Party (NMSP) and its tactical arm, the Mon National Liberation Front (MNLF), whose objective has been self-rule for Mon State. In addition to harassing the Myanmar government, the Mon have occasionally fought the Kayin over control of the remote border crossings along the Thai border. With growing government influence along this section of border – and following a string of Kayin defeats – the situation has cooled. In 1995 the NMSP signed a ceasefire with the Myanmar government. Still, as late as December 2004 there were reports of continuing fighting, instances of forced labour and harassment

ve

S O U T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

80 km 50 miles

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Myeik

From a foreign traveller’s perspective there are really two parts to southeastern Myanmar: the first is the northern part that includes Kyaiktiyo, Hpa-an, Mawlamyine and a few places a little further south. All of these destinations are accessible by a combination of boat, bus, car and train with no more than the usual number of hassles of travelling in Myanmar, which is to say a lot. The second part to the region – covering Dawei, Myeik, Kawthoung and the archipelago of islands off the coast – are a different story. Each form of overland transport cannot be used by foreigners. Therefore, to reach any of these places from within Myanmar, at some point you will have to fly and you will have to fly Myanma Airways (MA). It’s possible to travel south from Dawei to Kawthoung or north from Kawthoung to Dawei by boat. At first glance. Kawthoung might seem like a convenient entryway to the country from Thailand, but again it requires a flight to reach Yangon. Boat and flight fares in the south add up quickly, making it the most expensive part of the country to travel in.

0 0

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GETTING THERE & AWAY

SOUTHEASTERN MYANMAR

River

Foreigners are generally restricted from travelling by road south of Thanbyuzayat. The government attributes road attacks in this area to Mon or Kayin (Karen) insurgents, but the attacks don’t discriminate between government and private vehicles, and the motive always seems to be robbery. Regardless of claims on either side, it’s very unclear whether these assaults are politically motivated or whether the robbers are simple bandits. For political reasons, though, the government tends to lump both kinds of attacks together as ‘insurgent activity’.

M O N S TAT E • • K y a i k t i y o ( G o l d e n R o c k ) 149

n yi ng au Th lwi Than n

DANGERS & ANNOYANCES

MON STATE

ung River Sitto

Mon State in the north of the region has a longer rainy season (June to November) than other parts of the country; the cool season is December and January. Similar to southern Thailand, in Tanintharyi Division to the south, it rains for about nine to 10 months a year, with a dry period only occurring during December to April.

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Pag yan

CLIMATE

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150 M O N S TAT E • • K y a i k t i y o ( G o l d e n R o c k )

The atmosphere surrounding Kyaiktiyo during the height of the pilgrimage season (from November to March) is charged with magic and devotion, especially when the glinting boulder is bathed in the purple, sometimes misty, light of dawn. Pilgrims chant, light candles and meditate all through the night. Men are permitted to walk along a short causeway and over a bridge spanning a chasm to the boulder and affix gold-leaf squares on the rock’s surface. A new terrace allows devotees to view the boulder from below. There are several other stupas and shrines scattered on the ridge at the top of Mt Kyaikto, though none is as impressive as Kyaiktiyo. The intercon-

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necting trails, however, sometimes lead to unexpected views of the valleys below. Further behind the pagoda plaza area, down a stairway, there is a Potemkin village of restaurants, souvenir shops and guesthouses for Burmese.

Orientation & Information Too many towns with similar-sounding names make orientation confusing. Kyaiktiyo is the least important. This is the town along the highway between Bago and points further south. There is no reason to get out here or to stay here. Buses turn off the highway and end their journeys in Kinpun at the base of the mountain, about 9km from the

A trip to the Golden Rock requires planning, enormous patience, endurance and strong legs. There is a US$6 entrance fee, payable at the tourist office (h6am-6pm) at Yatetaung or at the checkpoint near the top, before the Kyaiktiyo Hotel. By the way, your ticket is valid for 30 days, so you may visit again without paying the government another US$6. In theory it is possible to reach the rock from Yangon, or Bago or elsewhere without ever setting one foot in front of the other: bus to truck to sedan chair and repeat in the other direction. But isn’t the whole point of a pilgrimage, for aesthetic, intellectual or religious reasons, at least in part about the effort to get there? We’re not advocating masochism, only that at some point you’re likely to want to walk up or down part of the way and the walking parts are very steep. Walking sticks are for sale but whether unaided or armed, it’s an aerobic workout. Take breaks and drink lots of fluids. These warnings aside, there are two ways to the rock from the base camp in Kinpun. The first is to hike all the way there. This is approximately 11km and takes between four to six hours. The trail begins past the bazaar of souvenir shops in Kinpun and there are numerous ‘rest camps’ along the way where weary pilgrims can snack and rehydrate. Not many people, even the true devotees, choose to hike all the way up and back. The way down takes from three to four hours and should not be attempted in the dark even with a torch; it’s too easy to stumble. The second way to the rock, which most people do both ways, is to ride one of the large trucks (lain-ka) up the winding road to the Yatetaung Bus Terminal, the end point for all vehicle traffic. No cars, taxis, pick-ups, or buses are allowed. The trucks’ beds are lined with wooden slats for benches (K500) and seat 35 or so people. Five or so are allowed in the much more comfortable front seats (per person K1000) but these are usually reserved in advance by groups or families. As an individual traveller it’s difficult to secure a front seat, while a group of five has a better chance. Regardless, you could be in for a wait of an hour or more as trucks don’t leave until they are completely packed to the brim. Some tour groups reserve entire trucks for K16,000. The ride to the top is 45 minutes or so and usually includes a stop around halfway up to allow trucks coming from the opposite direction to pass. The first truck in the morning is at 6am and the last truck down is around 7pm, though you should try to be at the Yatetaung Bus Terminal earlier to avoid the risk of being stranded for the night. From the terminal, nothing more than a dirt lot surrounded by snack and souvenir shops, it takes 45 minutes to an hour to hike up the remaining steep, paved switchback path. For those with royal fantasies or simply the aged or injured might want to be carried the rest of the way in a sedan chair (US$5 to US$7 one way), a canvas litter held aloft by four perspiring Burmese men. Walking or reclining, you pass through an array of vendors along the way to the stupa area at the top.

highway and Kyaiktiyo. Kinpun is where most of the accommodation for foreigners is – besides a few hotels near the top of the mountain itself – and the starting point for trips up the mountain to Kyaiktiyo Paya (Golden Rock). There is no Internet access anywhere in the area at the moment.

M O N S TAT E • • K y a i k t i y o ( G o l d e n R o c k ) 151

KYAIKTIYO (GOLDEN ROCK) 0 1 km & AROUND 0 0.5 miles Kyaiktiyo Galay Zedi

Hiking Several hikes originate from the Yatetaung Bus Terminal, which means that unless you choose to stay at the Golden Rock Hotel – which provides information to nonguests – you have to make your way here (see opposite). It’s around a 45-minute climb to the top of Ya-The Mountain, a 30-minute walk down to Mo-Baw waterfall and a 1½-hour walk to the Sa-ma-taung paya and kyaung (monastery).

Sleeping

Kyauk Htat Gyi Pagoda

Phar Paya; Naga Paya

Aung Theikdi Monastery

Kyauk-si-yo Pagoda

Mo-Baw Water Fall

Mok-so-taung Pagoda Koe-na-win Pagoda (Upper)

Helipads

Mt Kyaikto

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda Checkpoint Mountain Top Inn Kyaiktiyo & Restaurant Hotel Mya Zedi

Koe-na-win Monastery Koe-na-win Weik-zar Pagoda (Lower) Mountain Yatetaung (3681ft) Bus Terminal & Golden Rock Hotel Sa-ma Truck Terminal Mountain Yatetaung Camp Nagapat Camp Pon-nya Yathe Mountain Mountain Sa-khan Galay Camp Atwin Mya Sein Didok-myaung Mountain Monastery Apyin Mya Sein Mountain Shan-eik Mountain

Although the Golden Rock can be visited as a day trip from Bago and in theory Yangon, this isn’t recommended; the advantage of staying near the shrine is that you can catch sunset and sunrise – the most magical times for viewing the boulder shrine. Foreigners aren’t permitted to stay in one of the many zayat (rest shelters) for pilgrims at the top, nor are they permitted to camp in wooded areas on the mountain. In the town of Kyaiktiyo along the main road from Bago there are several guesthouses, none of them very appealing, and there really is no reason to stay here rather than Kinpun.

Shwe Son Taung Pagoda

Zin-gyan Mountain

Shew-son Mountain (3646ft)

View Point (4.625mi)

Sai-ta-mao Camp View Point

Nat (Spirit) Well Maha Myaing Pagoda Ye Myaung Gyi Camp Kya-swe Camp Taung Paing Bo Bo Gyi Shwe Yin Tha Camp

Dadu Pagoda

Hmyaw-daw-mu Pagoda

MOUNTAIN

Golden Rock Hotel (in Yangon %01-502 479; grtt@ goldenrock.com.mm; s US$38-45, d US$45-60; meals US$412; a) Even though it’s still a 40-minute

walk to the top, the Golden Rock Hotel, just a few minutes up from the Yatetaung Bus Terminal, is in an exceptionally beautiful spot, surrounded by lush vegetation and a sparkling mountain stream. Rooms in the combo concrete and stone buildings are spotless and cosy. The restaurant has set menus and there’s an attached balcony with spectacular views. Massages for your weary pilgrim bones are available. Mountain Top Inn & Restaurant (in Yangon %01502 479; s/d US$38/45) The one advantage the Mountain Top has over the Golden Rock, and it is potentially a big one, is location:

Pann Myo Thu Inn

Truck Terminal Golden Sunrise Hotel

Ye Myaung Galay Camp

Sea Sar Guest House; Sea Star Restaurant Kinpun Base Camp

Kinpun Creek

To Bago (128km); Yangon (208km) To Hpa-an; Kyaiktiyo Mawlamyine

the mountaintop. Some of the rooms in this inn, just before the foreigners’ registration office for the paya open out directly to mountain vistas. Rooms themselves have private bathrooms and are small and basic. Spa and massage services are offered. Travellers keen to avoid governmentowned hotels should stay well clear of the

S O U T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

S O U T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

THE REAL DEAL ON THE ROCK

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152 M O N S TAT E • • T h a t o n

Kyaiktiyo Hotel, along the ridge at the top of Mt Kyaikto. Sea Sar Guest House (s US$3-10, d US$6-20; a) You’ll no doubt be approached by touts from Sea Sar upon arrival, but they should be trusted; this guesthouse is the best value in town. Its prime asset is the spacious compound edged with large, shady trees. Small bungalows with private bathrooms, some concrete and some wooden, have private porches. A few along one side are very nice and large; the bathrooms themselves can sleep four. The cheapest rooms are austere cubicles. Staff here can provide advice on the rock. Pann Myo Thu Inn (s US$3-6, d US$6-12; a) A close second behind the Sea Sar, the rooms at this inn are tightly packed and the lack of elbow-room feels slightly claustrophobic. With that said, the midpriced rooms with large wood floors and furniture and air-con are especially good value. The most expensive rooms aren’t as nice, designed more with the tastes of local visitors who prefer concrete and a more ‘modern’ look, while the cheapest rooms are tiny and porous in terms of noise. Golden Sunrise Hotel (in Yangon%01-701 027; [email protected]; s/d U$20/25; a) A few minutes’ walk outside the centre of Kinpun village in the direction of the highway, the Golden Sunrise is the most upmarket choice in town. There are eight bamboo bungalows with private verandas, situated around a garden. The rooms have hot water and TV.

Eating Because Kinpun is the starting point for this popular Myanmar site, there are a number of good Chinese and Bamar restaurants up and down the town’s main street including the following: Sea Sar Restaurant (dishes K800) Mya Yeik Nyo (noodles with chicken K1000). In addition to the food stalls at the Kinpun base camp and all along the footpaths, there is a veritable food court of restaurants at the summit past the shrines and plaza area, down the steps where there are also loads of souvenir shops and guesthouses for Burmese.

Getting There & Away For individual travellers, Bago makes a better starting point for road trips to Kyaiktiyo than Yangon, as hotel staff members there are adept at arranging inexpensive alternatives. A guide and driver to Kyaiktiyo can be hired through any of the central Bago hotels for around US$25. The same tour booked in Yangon costs US$80. BUS & PICK-UP

Big air-conditioned buses that go straight from Yangon to Kinpun (K2500, 4½ hours) leave from Yangon’s Aung Mingalar (Highway) Bus Terminal every 30 minutes or so from 7am to 1pm; other air-conditioned buses leave from Pansodan St in Yangon in the evening for the same price. Buses from Kyaiktiyo to Yangon leave regularly from 7am to 1.30pm. Because the last bus of the day returns to Yangon so early, it’s virtually impossible to see the Golden Rock in one day on public transport from the capital. There are large buses (K1700) and pickups from Kyaiktiyo to Bago (K1000, three hours). Small pick-ups leave from Kinpun to Hpa-An and Mawlamyine (front/back seat K2500/1500, five hours) from 6am to 1pm. On the way to Mawlamyine there’s not much shade on the road in parts, which means it gets extremely hot. The front seat is well worth the extra kyat. TRAIN

A direct train from Bago to Kyaiktiyo (US$7) leaves daily at 4.30am, supposedly arriving three hours later, though many travellers report the trip can take six hours or more. The train from Mottama (Martaban) arrives in Kyaiktiyo around 5pm, sometimes later if the train is delayed.

THATON

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it reached its dynastic peak between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. Shin Aran, a monk from Thaton, carried Theravada Buddhism north to the Burmese kingdom of Bagan, and in 1057 Thaton was conquered by King Anawrahta of Bagan. Today Thaton sits on the main road and rail line that stretches from Bago to Mottama. Little of ancient Thaton is visible, as the modern town has been built over the old sites. The town's core is a leafy place, lining each side of the highway with colonial mansions and thatched-roof homes. A few older stupas dot the hillsides surrounding the town and a picturesque canal network irrigates rice paddies and fruit orchards.

MOTTAMA (MARTABAN) mutËm

The recent completion of a two-lane bridge over the Thanlwin River connecting the nondescript town of Mottama with Mawlamyine makes the double-decker passenger ferries obsolete except for the most devoted boat enthusiast. Despite the expected decrease in ridership, ferries are still scheduled to leave the Mottama landing every half hour from 7.15am to 6.45pm. The foreigner fare is US$1 and the trip takes 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the tides. If you don’t feel like waiting, there’s a much faster 25-seat outboard across the river for K200, or you can always charter a boat across the river for about K3000 to K5000. Less frequent vehicle ferries from Mottama to Mawlamyine depart depending on the tides; the last boat leaves just before sunset and the crossing takes about 30 minutes. See p157 for details on bus and rail transport to Mottama.

MAWLAMYINE (MOULMEIN)

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Long before the rise of Bagan, Thaton was an important centre for a Mon kingdom that stretched from the Ayeyarwady River delta to similar river deltas in Thailand, and possibly as far east as Cambodia. Early on, Thaton may have been known as Suvannabhumi, the ‘Golden Land’ – legend says Asoka, the great Indian Buddhist emperor, sent a mission here in the 3rd century BC. Later it was called Dvaravati when

The impression one has of Mawlamyine from Mottama, on the other side of the Thanlwin River, is of a big, busy city. But wander the streetlight-free streets after sunset and it seems quaint and startlingly undeveloped, especially for the country’s third-largest city. Completed only in 2004, a 3km bridge over the Thanlwin River – the longest in Myanmar – brings this leafy, tropical town, 45km from the sea, closer to the north.

M O N S TAT E • • M o t t a m a 153

With a ridge of stupa-capped hills on one side and the sea on the other, the stage is set for an attractive urban setting. Unfortunately, though, an unsightly row of modern Chinese-style buildings along the waterfront and a general air of decay – though this may seem atmospheric to colonial architecture buffs – makes the city seem neglected and forgotten. But it’s this very melancholy, so evident in the ornate and decrepit mosques that captivate visitors. One was George Orwell (author of Burmese Days), who was stationed here for a time in the 1920s during his service with the Indian Imperial Police. Mawlamyine (some maps may show it as Mawlamyaing) served as the capital of British Burma from 1827 to 1852, during which time it developed as a major teak port. A great deal of coastal shipping still goes on, although Pathein and Yangon have superseded it as Myanmar’s most important ports. The city is composed roughly of 75% Mon or some mixture of Mon, plus Kayin, Bamar, Indian, Chinese and other ethnic groups. A look around the old Christian cemetery gives a hint of how cosmopolitan Mawlamyine was during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Information A police station is located over the road from the government jetties. The post office is a couple of blocks further inland.

Sights & Activities

MON CULTURAL MUSEUM

mân'yw'ekY"múu¨ptiuk'

This two-storey museum (cnr Baho Rd – formerly Dalhousie St – & Dawei Jetty Rd; admission US$2) at the northeastern corner is dedicated to the Mon history of the region. Exhibits are displayed downstairs, while upstairs are reading rooms and toilets. The museum’s modest collection includes stellae with Mon inscriptions, 100-year-old wooden sculptures depicting old age and sickness (used as dhamma-teaching devices in monasteries), ceramics, silver betel boxes, royal funerary urns, Mon musical instruments and wooden Buddha altars. In front of the museum is a British cannon dated 1826, plus a huge Burmese gong. Some labels are printed in English though most are in Burmese only.

S O U T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

S O U T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

KINPUN

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154 M O N S TAT E • • M a w l a m y i n e

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MAWLAMYINE A

B

C

D

1 Gaungse Kyun (Shampoo Island)

12

Bridge

2

Vehicle Jetty to Mottama

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TRANSPORT Boats to Gaungse Kyun..............28 Dawei Jetty................................29 Government Jetty......................30 Government Jetty......................31 Hpa-an Jetty..............................32 Myanma Airways.......................33 Pedestrian Jetty to Mottama......34 Thaton Jetty.............................. 35

Thaton Tar Par St

4

SLEEPING Attran Hotel...............................18 Aurora Guest House.................. 19 Breeze Rest House.....................20 Ngwe Moe Hotel.......................21

SHOPPING Market.......................................25 B4 New Market...............................26 A3 Zeigyo (Central Market)............ 27 A4

Rd

9

35

C5 B6 B6 B6 A6 A3 C5 C4 A3 B6 B3 B1 C5 A4 B4 C5 C5

EATING Kentucky Chicken King..............22 A4 Mya Than Lwin Restaurant........23 A6 Ruby Restaurant........................24 A5

18

North

SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Aung Theikdi Zedi....................... 1 City Hall.......................................2 Ebenezer Baptist Church...............3 First Baptist Church......................4 Htyan Haw Chinese Temple.........5 Kaladan Mosque..........................6 Kyaikthanlan Paya........................7 Mahamuni Paya...........................8 Moghul Shiah Mosque.................9 Mon Cultural Museum...............10 Mosque......................................11 Sandawshin Paya........................12 Seindon Mibaya Kyaung............13 Soorti Sunni Jamai Mosque........14 Sports Stadium...........................15 U Khanti Paya............................16 U Zina Paya...............................17

t St

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22

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32 7 24

1 16 (Upper Main Rd )

5

20

Police Station 30 31

5

33

Post Office 2

3 10 Dawei Jetty Rd 21

17

To Hpa-an (64km)

Baho Rd

To Thanlwin Hotel (2.5km); Train Station (2.5km); 29 Kyaikmata (24km); Win Sein Taw Ya (Reclining Buddha; 24km); 23 Setse (64km); Thanbyuzayat (64km); Ye (145km)

r Main Rd) e Rd (Lowe South Bogyok

19

6

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Htet Rd Magyi

Strand Rd

Kyaikthan

13

4

To Bus Station (2.5km); Airport (2.5km); Mudon (29km); Kyaikhami Pagoda (86km);

RELIGIOUS MONUMENTS

In the city’s east, a hilly north–south ridge is topped with five separate monasteries and shrines. At the northern end is Mahamuni Paya, the largest temple complex in Mawlamyine. It’s built in the typical Mon style with covered brick walkways linking various square shrine buildings. The main image is a replica of its namesake in Mandalay (see p234) – without the thick gold leaf. Another difference is that women may enter the main Buddha chamber here. In the outer cloister several well-executed paintings depict local scenes from the 1920s and 1930s. Farther south along the ridge stands Kyaikthanlan Paya, the city’s tallest and most visible stupa. It was probably here that Rudyard Kipling’s poetic ‘Burma girl’ was ‘a-settin...’. in the opening lines of Mandalay: ‘By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin’ lazy at the sea…’ (never mind that it’s actually the Thanlwin River that’s visible from the paya – poetic licence). For a small donation you can take a lift to the main platform surrounding the 40m stupa, which offers fine views over the city and harbour. You can also see the plains to the east towards Kyaikmaraw and the coconut tree–shrouded islands in the mouth of the Thanlwin River. Below Kyaikthanlan is the 100-year-old Seindon Mibaya Kyaung, a monastery where King Mindon Min’s queen, Seindon, sought refuge after Myanmar’s last monarch, King Thibaw Min, took power. On the next rise south stands the isolated silver-and-goldplated Aung Theikdi Zedi. Further south, on the western side of the ridge, a view looks out over the city and is a favoured spot for watching sunsets and catching evening sea breezes. Just beyond the viewpoint stands U Khanti Paya, built to commemorate the hermit of Mandalay Hill fame; supposedly U Khanti spent some time on this hill as well. It’s a rustic, airy sort of place centred around a large Buddha image. Various bells and gongs are suspended by ropes from the steel supports of the sanctuary’s ceiling. U Zina Paya, on the southern spur of the ridge, was named after a former monk who dreamt of finding gems at this spot, then dug them up and used the proceeds to build a temple on the site. One of the shrine buildings contains a very curvy, sensuallooking reclining Buddha topped with a

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blinking electric halo; a second recliner in the same room has blinking lights all over its body. In the centre of town towards the waterfront, on South Bogyoke Rd, are three mosques built during the colonial era when many Indians arrived to work for the British. Since the Indian exodus of the 1970s Muslim congregations have declined substantially, but the survival of these grand old buildings makes a walk here a fleeting exercise in nostalgia. The most impressive building, Kaladan Mosque, is a green-and-turquoise structure designed by Sunni Muslims in the elaborate ‘wedding-cake style’ similar to that seen in Penang or Kuala Lumpur. Further south, on the same side of the street, is the smaller Moghul Shiah Mosque, a Shiite place of worship painted blue with austere Moorish arches. A couple of blocks further, south of the central market, the Sunni Soorti Sunni Jamai Mosque fills a similar space but presents a more brilliant turquoise-andwhite facade. Just up from Dawei jetty, on the eastern side of Strand Rd, the small but colourful Htyan Haw Chinese temple serves the local Chinese community. Of historic interest is the sturdy brick First Baptist Church, also known as the Judson Church, on the corner of Htet Lan Magyi and Dawei Jetty Rd; this was Myanmar’s first Baptist church. MARKETS

Mawlamyine’s zeigyo (central market) is a rambling area on the western side of South Bogyoke Rd, just north of the main pedestrian jetty for Mottama. This market specialises in dry goods, from inexpensive clothes to house wares. Much of the merchandise includes items that have ‘fallen off the boat’ on the way from Singapore to Yangon, such as untaxed cigarettes and liquor. A block north on the same side of the street is the New Market, a large shed built as ‘People’s Market No 2’ during Myanmar’s socialist era. Fresh fruits, vegetables and meats are the attraction here. A variety of street vendors set up shop along both sides of South Bogyoke Rd in the area of these two markets. The entire district is busiest in the early morning from 7am to 8am; by 9am business is considerably slower.

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GAUNGSE KYUN (SHAMPOO ISLAND)

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This picturesque little isle off Mawlamyine’s northwestern end is so named because, during the Ava period, the yearly royal hairwashing ceremony customarily used water taken from a spring on the island. You can hire a boat out to the island from in front of the Mawlamyine Hotel for K1000. Other than just walking around the nine acres and soaking up the ambience, you can visit Sandawshin Paya, a whitewash-andsilver zedi (stupa) said to contain hair relics, and a nearby Buddhist meditation centre. Among other islands in the river, there is the largest one – Bilu Kyun (Ogre Island). Most of the accommodation is only a short trishaw ride from the central market and ferry landing. BUDGET

Breeze Rest House (Lay Hnyin Tha, %21450; 6 Strand Rd; s US$4-8, d US$8-15; a) The rooms aren’t much but the Breeze, an attractive, blue colonial-style villa on Strand Rd is the best value in Mawlamyine. A 2nd-floor balcony with a river view is itself worth the price of admission. Yin Maung, the friendly owner, speaks English and is a wealth of information about the area. The cheapest rooms are nothing more than small windowless cubicles with shared bathroom. More expensive rooms that sleep up to three are quite spacious and have a large, modern bathroom with air-con. Aurora Guest House (%22785; 277 Lower Main Rd; s US$4-10, d US$8-20) Not as friendly or suited to foreign travellers, nevertheless the Aurora is the only other budget option. Around the corner from the Breeze, the lobby to this guesthouse is up a steep flight of stairs. The rooms are small and slightly musty – be sure to ask for one with a window – and the carpet needs a wash. More expensive rooms have private bathroom and air-con; others only have a fan and shared bathroom. Breakfast is not included. MIDRANGE

Thanlwin Hotel (%21976; South Bogyoke Rd; s US$1520, d US$20-30; a) A colonial-era place that must have been quite smart in its day, the Thanlwin has rested on its laurels, which

are many: wide stairways, open verandas, high ceilings, tile floors. Unfortunately, the atmospherics are at the expense of comfort and cleanliness. Furniture is mismatched and in need of repair, some rooms have private bathroom, others are shared and resemble a high-school locker room. Ngwe Moe Hotel (%24703; Strand Rd; s/d US$27/36; a) The only place in Mawlamyine to look and act like a standard hotel – this isn’t necessarily a good thing – the three-storey Ngwe Moe on Strand Rd is frequented by groups, more locals than foreigners, and the rooms have the standard amenities: air-con, IDD phone, fridge and satellite TVs. Attran Hotel (%25764; [email protected]; s/d US$25/35; ai) The large suites at the Attran, replete with wicker-furnished sitting room and satellite TV, are the most comfortable rooms in Mawlamyine. The hotel, a large compound directly on the river with lots of concrete, is a bunch of old, yellow bungalows in need of a paint job. Standard rooms with private bathrooms are nice, though not really good value. The hotel restaurant, on a deck by the river and lit up at night, is a nice place to eat. Travellers keen to avoid governmentowned hotels should stay clear of the Mawlamyine Hotel, in the northwestern corner of the city.

Eating For a city of this size, the eating options are scarce. The Attran Hotel and Ngwe Moe Hotel have restaurants that serve lunch and dinner. Your best bet is to walk from the Breeze Rest House south along Strand Rd. Mya Than Lwin Restaurant (Dawei jetty, Strand Rd; fish K2000) This restaurant, in what appears to be a former warehouse, is now a popular restaurant, hang-out and place for a cool bottle of beer. There’s an extensive menu with soups, pork, chicken, fish, eel and prawns. For the lobster roast, order a day in advance. Kentucky Chicken King (115 Strand Rd; chicken burgers K350) Like its more famous American namesake KFC, the little KCK, only a block from the central market, specialises in juicy fried poultry (two pieces of fried chicken cost K1100). Ruby Restaurant (Lower Main Road; dishes K1000) This restaurant, a short walk from the Breeze Rest House, is bare-bones decoration- and

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menu-wise. Basic Bamar and Chinese rice and curry dishes are served here. Chan Thar Restaurant (Strand Rd; dishes K1000) It is another place that serves fish.

Getting There & Away AIR

Myanma Airways (%21500; Thit Tor Yon St; h9am4pm) has once-weekly flights to/from Yangon that also connect with Myeik and Kawthoung. At the time of research these flights left Mawlamyine for Myeik (US$75) at 2pm on Wednesday but it’s not uncommon for both the days and times to change. For some reason these flights weren’t stopping in Dawei, so you have to go back to Yangon to fly to Dawei. The airport, a small, warehouselike structure, is 5km south of the city centre. Even though it’s a domestic flight, you will have to go through immigration and customs. BOAT

Double-decker ferries leave from the Hpa-an jetty in Mawlamyine at noon every other day for the trip up the Thanlwin River to Hpaan on the river’s eastern bank (US$2, five hours). It’s worth a trip to Hpa-an if only because this dirt-cheap riverboat cruise passes through stunning scenery of limestone mountains and sugarcane fields – definitely more scenic than the Mandalay–Bagan boat trip. It’s not usually crowded and there are a few sunchairs, perfect front-row seats for the river show. Bring your own food and drinks. There are two main jetties on the Mawlamyine side for ferries to/from Mottama: the vehicle jetty at the northern end of town and the pedestrian jetty just south of the central market off Strand Rd (see p153 for details on the ferries). Further south are two jetties reserved for government boats only, followed by the larger Dawei jetty for boats to Dawei and Myeik (Mergui). It’s quite difficult for foreigners to arrange passage on any of these boats. If you want to try your luck, it may pay to inquire in Yangon at the office of Myanma Five Star Line (MFSL; Map p98; in Yangon %01-295 279). BUS & PICK-UP

Before the two-lane bridge over the Thanlwin River was completed, coming from

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Yangon involved either taking a smaller, less comfortable bus to Mottama and then crossing by ferry or taking the larger, more comfortable buses from Yangon that took several hours longer because they had to go via Hpa-an. Now several overnight buses, including BTT buses leave Yangon for Mawlamyine (K3000, six to seven hours) in the evening. The ferry transfer is unnecessary and you can avoid the longer route through Hpa-an if you choose. Tickets should be reserved in advance; however, you can hop on near the central market rather than the bus station, a few kilometres outside town. Pick-ups to Hpa-an leave from around the central market every hour from 8am to 3pm (K300, two hours). Mawlamyine’s main bus station for southbound buses or pick-ups is at the southern end of town off the road to Ye, where public vehicles go to Thanbyuzayat, Kyaikkami, Setse, Dawei, or Payathonzu on the Thai border (opposite Three Pagodas Pass). The Thai border at Payathonzu is closed. To proceed south by road into Tanintharyi Division you’ll need luck, divine intervention and/or an official permit. At the time of research there were as many opinions regarding this subject as there are teashops in Yangon. The overwhelming consensus, however, is that it’s probably not possible and possibly not desirable due to the risk of robbery. This author was refused when trying to purchase a ticket at the Mawlamyine bus station. TRAIN

Two express trains run from Yangon to Mottama at 7am and 10pm daily. Both trains make brief stops in Bago and Thaton. When the trains are running on time the trip takes nine hours – slower than the bus. Still, the scenery from the train is, as usual, much more engaging. Foreigner price for an upper-class seat is US$17. Tickets can be purchased at the train station. In the reverse direction, one train leaves Mottama at 7pm and is scheduled to arrive in Yangon at 4.30am; another leaves at 10am and arrives in Yangon at 6pm. In Mawlamyine tickets may be purchased one day in advance at the Northern Railway Booking Office, which stands between Strand Rd and South Bogyoke Rd, just north of the Hpa-an jetty.

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A separate southern railway line begins at the southern end of the city and terminates at Ye. From Ye, another local train continues to Dawei. Foreigners have not been allowed to travel on these rail lines for some time, due to a lack of security further south. With the military presence surrounding a gas pipeline near Dawei, this situation is unlikely to change soon. Motorised thoun bein (three-wheelers) are the main form of public transport around the city. The highest concentration is on South Bogyoke Rd in front of the zeigyo. Because there are relatively few foreign visitors, local transport costs are low and the rates are probably not far off from what locals actually pay. The going rate is K200 for a short hop within the centre of town and as much as K500 for a ride up the ridge to Kyaikthanlan. You can also rent bicycles from one of the hotels.

AROUND MAWLAMYINE

Only 14km south of Mawlamyine is the PaAuk-Taw-Ya Monastery; at 400 acres it’s one of the largest meditation centres in Myanmar. Foreigners can visit for the night or several days; sleeping and eating is gratis, meditation may paid for by the sweat of your brow, but courses can be quite expensive (see p335). Buses (K100, 30 minutes) from Mawlamyine’s central market pass by the road junction to the monastery from where it’s a short walk. Just off the road between Mawlamyine and Mudon is Yadana Taung where local Buddhists have only recently finished constructing Win Sein Taw Ya, a huge reclining Buddha measuring around 170m in length, making it one of the largest such images in the world. Many other stupas and standing Buddhas dot the area, affording wonderful panoramas of both the sculptures and countryside. Nearby is Kyauktalon Taung, a flattopped limestone crag crowned with stupas. On the opposite side of the road is a similar but smaller outcropping surmounted by a Hindu temple. Pick-ups from Mawlamyine’s market (K300) take 45 minutes to the junction for the road to Win Sein Taw Ya. It’s another K100 for a horse-cart ride to the Buddha itself. There’s an interesting line-up of monk statues on the road.

Mudon, 29km south of the city, is an area of verdant mountains home to deer, snakes and other wild forest species – ‘jungle food’ for restaurants in Mudon. The town is also known for cotton weaving. Pick-ups from Mawlamyine’s market (K300) take around 45 minutes. Just north of Mudon is a turn-off east to Azin Dam, a water-storage and flood-control facility that’s also used to irrigate local rubber plantations. A tidy recreation area at Kandawgyi – a lake formed by the dam – is a favourite picnic spot; bring your own snacks or rely on the vendors who gather here on weekends and holidays. At the northern end of the lake stands the gilded stupa of Kandawgyi Paya.

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This small, charming town, site of an impressive temple, 24km southeast of Mawlamyine is accessible via a sealed road. For the most part, Kyaikmaraw is considered a pacified area, although insurgents or bandits have been known to rob rubber plantations along the road to Mawlamyine. Hugging the banks of the Ataran River, a branch of the Thanlwin River, the town consists of mostly wooden homes with thatched-palm or corrugated metal roofs. SIGHTS

Kyaikmaraw Paya

The pride of the town is this temple built by Queen Shin Saw Pu in 1455 in the late Mon regional style. Among the temple’s many outstanding features are multicoloured glass windows set in the outside walls of the main sanctuary, an inner colonnade decorated in mirrored tiles, and beautiful ceramic tile floors. Painted reliefs appear on the exterior of several auxiliary buildings. Covered brick walkways lead up to and around the main square sanctuary in typical 15th-century Mon style. The huge main Buddha image sits in a ‘European pose’, with the legs hanging down as if sitting on a chair rather than in the much more common cross-legged manner. A number of smaller cross-legged Buddhas surround the main image, and behind it are two reclining Buddhas, one with eyes open, one with eyes closed. Another impressive feature is the carved and painted wooden ceiling.

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A side room to the inner sanctuary contains sculptures depicting the Buddha in various stages of illness and death – other than the traditional parinibbana reclining posture, these are unusual motifs for Buddhist temples. Two images show the Buddha lying on his back with hands folded on his abdomen; another depicts an ill Buddha stooping over slightly with one hand clasped to his chest, the other hand against the wall as his disciples reach out to assist him. Next to the main sanctuary is a small museum with Buddha images, donated by the faithful, on the upper floor; other artefacts from the area are on the lower floor. Some of these objects are more than 500 years old. GETTING THERE & AWAY

Two kinds of trucks frequently ply the Kyaikmaraw road from Mawlamyine: green Chevy trucks with wooden door panels and wooden passenger compartments (K200, 45 minutes), and smaller, white Japanese pickups (K300, 30 minutes). Lined with toddy palms and rubber plantations, the road passes through eight villages before ending at the riverbank in Kyaikmaraw.

Thanbyuzayat o®¨f†jrp'

South of Mudon, little traffic is seen and the hills to the east are more densely forested. Thanbyuzayat (Tin Shelter), 64km south of Mawlamyine, was the western terminus

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of the infamous Burma–Siam Railway, dubbed the ‘Death Railway’ by the over 16,000 Allied prisoners of war (POWs) and Asian coolies who were forced by the Japanese military to build it. It was here that the Japanese broke into Myanmar after marching over the rugged mountain range separating British Burma from Tak in Thailand via Three Pagodas Pass. A clock tower in the centre of Thanbyuzayat stands at a road junction; the road south leads to Ye while the road west goes to Kyaikkami and Setse. About 1.5km south of the clock tower, a locomotive and piece of track commemorating the Burma–Siam Railway are on display. A kilometre west of the clock tower towards Kyaikkami, on the southern side of the road, lies the Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, which contains 3771 graves of Allied POWs who died building the railway. Most of those buried were British, but there are also markers for American, Dutch and Australian soldiers. The site is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. GETTING THERE & AWAY

Thanbyuzayat is easily reached by public pick-up (K600, two hours) from the Mawlamyine central market area; there are six departures, all before noon. As there is no legal lodging in Thanbyuzayat, start early so you can catch the last pick-up back to Mawlamyine at around 4pm.

THE DEATH RAILWAY The strategic objective of the Burma–Siam Railway’ was to secure an alternative supply route for the Japanese conquest of Myanmar and other Asian countries to the west. Construction on the railway began on 16 September 1942 at existing terminals in Thanbyuzayat and Nong Pladuk, Thailand. At the time, Japanese engineers estimated that it would take five years to link Thailand and Burma by rail, but the Japanese army forced the POWs to complete the 415km, 1m-gauge railway, of which roughly two-thirds ran through Thailand, in 16 months. Much of the railway was built in difficult terrain that required high bridges and deep mountain cuttings. The rails were finally joined 37km south of the town of Payathonzu (Three Pagodas Pass); a Japanese brothel train inaugurated the line. The railway was in use for 20 months before the Allies bombed it in 1945. An estimated 16,000 POWs died as a result of brutal treatment by their captors, a story chronicled by Pierre Boulle’s book Bridge on the River Kwai and popularised by a movie based on the book. The notorious bridge itself still stands in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Only one POW is known to have escaped, a Briton who took refuge among pro-British Kayin guerrillas. Although the statistics of the number of POWs who died during the Japanese occupation are horrifying, the figures for the labourers, many from Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, are even worse. It is thought that 90,000 to 100,000 coolies died in the area.

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Kyaikkami Located 9km northwest of Thanbyuzayat, Kyaikkami was a small coastal resort and missionary centre known as Amherst during the British era. Adoniram Judson (1788–1850), an American missionary and linguist who has practically attained sainthood among Burmese Baptists, was sailing to India with his wife when their ship was blown off course, forcing them to land at Kyaikkami. Judson stayed on and established his first mission here; the original site is now a Catholic school on a small lane off the main road. Among other accomplishments, Judson developed the first Burmese–English dictionary in 1849 and was the first person to translate the Bible into Burmese. He was imprisoned along with his wife by the Burmese during the first Anglo-Burmese war and served as the official translator to the Burmese court during the negotiations of the treaty that ended the war. Judson died in 1850 and was buried at sea, but the grave of his wife, Anne Judson, who died soon after their release from prison in 1826, can still be seen in Kyaikkami, about 200m off the main road near the school. However, the main focus of Kyaikkami is Yele Paya, a metal-roofed Buddhist shrine complex perched over the sea and reached via a long two-level causeway; the lower level is submerged during high tide. Along with 11 Buddha hair relics, the shrine chamber beneath Yele Paya reportedly contains a Buddha image that supposedly floated here on a raft from Sri Lanka in ancient times (see Thiho-shin Phondaw-pyi on p132 for more details on this legend). A display of 21 Mandalay-style Buddha statues sits over the spot where the Sinhalese image is supposedly buried. GETTING THERE & AWAY

During the early half of the day there are occasional pick-ups to Kyaikkami from Thanbyuzayat for K150 per person. You can also charter a taxi in Mawlamyine for around K4000. From Mawlamyine it’s takes approximately 2½ hours to get here.

Setse ck'cE

This low-key Gulf of Martaban beach lies about halfway between Kyaikkami and

Thanbyuzayat. Setse is a very wide, brownsand beach that tends towards tidal flats when the shallow surf-line recedes at low tide. The beach is lined by waving casuarina trees and has been a popular spot for outings since colonial times. You can stay at the privately owned Ngwe Moe Guesthouse (s/d US$10/18). It’s on the beach, along with several bungalows for Burmese citizens. Rooms are basic and electricity is scarce. A few modest restaurants offer fresh seafood. For direct pick-up transport to Setse from Mawlamyine – read at least one long stop in Kyaikkami – tickets (K300, 2½ hours) should be reserved a day in advance. Buses run south but you may have to change once in Thanbyuzayat and once in Kyaikkami.

KAYIN STATE kr='¨p–'ny'

Many districts in Kayin State and Tanintharyi Division (which both share borders with Thailand) are very much off-limits to foreign visitors travelling from Yangon, but things are changing. Kayin State, homeland to around a million Kayin, has probably received more foreign visitors who have crossed over – unofficially – from Thailand than from any other place. Many international volunteers have ventured into the frontier area to assist with refugee concerns. Ever since Myanmar attained independence from the British in 1948, the Kayin have been embroiled in a fight for autonomy. The main insurgent body, the Karen National Union (KNU), controls much of the northern and eastern parts of the state, although recent Yangon military victories have left the KNU and its military component, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), without a permanent headquarters. A split between Christian and Buddhist factions has also weakened the KNU, which had become the de facto centre of the Democratic Alliance of Burma (DAB), an alliance of a dozen rebel groups fighting for regional autonomy. The KNU headquarters was also the seat of the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), a ‘parallel government’ established by a group of National League for Democracy (NLD) members who won

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parliamentary seats in the ill-fated May 1990 national elections, but were denied office by the military. Much of the state remains a potential battleground as sporadic fighting between Burmese troops and the KNLA continues.

HPA-AN .;"a®

Hpa-an is a small but busy commercial centre that, in itself, doesn’t necessarily warrant a trip. However, the beautiful river cruise between here and Mawlamyine and a few off-the-beaten-track excursions make it worth the while of the intrepid traveller. Away from the jetty, which is crowded with trucks and motorcycles, it still has something of the village atmosphere; farmers come to town in their horse carts, or trishaws stacked with baskets or mats to sell in the market. The townspeople are a mixture of Mon, Bamar and Muslim. Burmese is the primary language, but Kayin is spoken by many. The mosque seems to be the town hub and there are numerous teashops around town, along with pick-ups to Thaton and on to Kyaiktiyo. You can reach Hpa-an, capital of Kayin State, by road from Yangon across a bridge over the Thanlwin River, west of the town, or by river ferry from Mawlamyine. Another new bridge across the Gyaing River at Zathabyin, east of Mawlamyine, links Hpaan with Mawlamyine by road. The trip by car takes an hour. From Hpa-an a rutted, unsurfaced road heads 143km southeast to Myawadi, a town controlled by the Tatmadaw (armed forces) on the western bank of the Thaungyin River (known as Moei River to the Thais) opposite the northern Thai town of Mae Sot. A large number of Kayin refugees fleeing KNLA–Tatmadaw battles are encamped on the Thai side of the border in this area.

Sights & Activities There are several interesting excursions from Hpa-an and while all are accessible by public transport, it requires some long waits and unreliable connections. It’s best to try to hire a motorbike, with or without a driver, for US$10 or so from one of the guesthouses. Hpa-an is famous among Burmese for the Buddhist village at Thamanyat Kuang and

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where the highly respected monk U Winaya, whose solid support of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is well known throughout Myanmar, resided. U Winaya passed away several years ago. Thamanyat monastery is about 40km southeast of Hpaan, and there is a daily flow of small buses to this busy religious site. The bus fare from Hpa-an is K220. Eleven kilometres south of Hpa-an is Mt Zwegabin, which is both a sacred and tall mountain; the best kind. At 722m high it affords panoramic views of the surrounding countryside from the summit. To get to the mountain, take a pick-up in the direction of Thamanya and get off at the Zwegabin junction; it’s a 15-minute walk from here through a village to the base of the mountain on the west side past thousands of identical Buddha statues lined up in row after row. The path up isn’t exactly picturesque – it’s nothing more than hundreds and hundreds of concrete steps, but once up the top, the two-hour effort is rewarded. If you arrive before noon at the small monastery at the top you can take advantage of a complimentary lunch (rice, orange and tea) and the 11am monkey feeding – different primates, different menus. It’s possible to overnight here, which means you can also appreciate the fantastic sunsets. The descent down the east side of the mountain takes around 45 minutes, and from the bottom it’s another 3km to the main road from where you can catch a pick-up back to town. Hiring your own transport – someone to drop you off on one side and pick you up on the other – makes everything run smoother. Bring a good torch to explore Saddar Cave. It’s a good 10- to 15-minute journey through the cave to the other side, which exits onto a lake. Thousands of miniature clay and stone carved Buddhas covered in gold and bronze line the walls of Kawgun Cave, near Kawgun village. If those weren’t enough, Yathaypyan Cave has more Buddha statues though not as many as Kawgun. Cross a long footbridge to get to the Water Lake Monastery, built in the middle of an artificial lake, from where there are good views of the surrounding countryside, obscured only by the birds and butterflies fluttering nearby.

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After the leisurely boat ride up from Mawlamyine, the choice of accommodation in Hpa-an is a disappointment. There are only two places that accept foreigners; neither offers breakfast. Soe Brothers Guesthouse (%058-21372; 46 Thitsa Rd; s/d US$4/6) Rooms here have some character and more importantly windows, though no mosquito nets and a shared bathroom. The staff can help with excursions and can provide a map of the town and surrounding area. Parami Hotel (r per person US$5, with bathroom & TV US$22) Just around the corner from Soe Brothers, the Parami’s rooms are smaller though they do have mosquito nets. There are a few rooms with a private bathroom and the staff members here are helpful and friendly as well. There’s a nameless but good teahouse next to the Soe Brothers Guesthouse that also serves fresh food including tasty fried potato and onion fritters. Near the guesthouses, Lucky Restaurant has beer on tap and is deservedly popular. The following eating options are also near the guesthouses: Khit-Thit Restaurant (New Age Restaurant) San Ma Tu Restaurant (Bogyoke St) A good place for vegetarians.

Getting There & Away BOAT

See p157 for information on the doubledecker ferries that travel the scenic route between Hpa-an and Mawlamyine. Boats leave Hpa-an at 7am every other day (US$2, two hours). BUS & PICK-UP

Buses to Hpa-an (K2000), run by the Shwe Chin The company, depart from Yangon’s Aung Mingalar (Highway) Bus Terminal at 8pm and arrive at about 7am. From Hpaan buses to Yangon leave every evening at 6pm and take from 10 to 11 hours. Buses and pick-ups to Mawlamyine (K300, two hours) leave every hour from 8am to 3pm. Pick-ups from Hpa-an to Kyaiktiyo (K800 for front seat) depart from the front of the green mosque. Pick-ups to/from Thaton cost about K500. Buses depart from near the Parami Hotel at about 6pm for Kyaiktiyo and Bago.

TANINTHARYI (TENASSERIM) DIVISION tno™;rItui='"

Known to the outside world as Tenasserim until 1989, Tanintharyi has a long history of trade with India (especially Coromandel) and the Middle East. Because it’s joined with Thailand to a relatively slender length of land separating the Andaman Sea/Indian Ocean from the Gulf of Thailand, this trade link included Siam and other nations east of Myanmar’s eastern mountain ranges. Routes through Dawei and Myeik were especially important, and for many years, before the arrival of the British in the late 19th century, the Siamese either controlled the state or received annual tributes from its inhabitants. Most of the people living in the division are of Bamar ethnicity, although splitting hairs one can easily identify Dawei and Myeik subgroups of the Bamar who enjoy their own dialect, cuisine and so on. Large numbers of Mon also live in the division, and in or near the larger towns you’ll find Kayin (often Christian) and Indian (often Muslim) residents, as well as Thais and the sea gypsies or Salon who inhabit the islands of the coast. Pearl farms on islands in the area, established by the Ministry of Mines were expected to produce more than 200,000 pearls in 2004.

DAWEI ( TAVOY ) q;"vy' %036

Despite the presence of a university, Dawei is still a sleepy, tropical seaside town. Only recently connected to the rest of Myanmar by road and rail, it’s still only accessible to foreigners by air, so hardly any tourists visit. Areas to the west and north of town are planted in rice, while to the east lie patches of jungle. Some of the architecture in town is quite impressive, with many old wooden houses, more modest thatchroofed bungalows and a few colonial-style brick-and-stucco mansions. Throw in a few Eastern-bloc aesthetic touches and you have an interesting architectural mix. Tall, slender sugar palms, coco palms, banana and other fruit trees, along with lots of

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hanging orchids, are interspersed throughout – it’s a very green town due to the abundant annual rain that falls on the southern half of Tanintharyi Division. In spite of its remote location – or perhaps because of it – Dawei has become a significant Burmese Buddhist centre. Hundreds of Tanintharyi Division residents fled to Thailand rather than work on the 100 mile-long (160km) Ye to Dawei railway completed for the most part in 1998. According to Amnesty International, refugees reported conditions approaching those described in chronicles of the Japanese army’s ‘Death Railway’ though the government asserts the work was done by army personnel. Dawei is also near the starting point of the massive 700km Yadana gas pipeline, which carries natural gas from fields in the Gulf of Mottama to Ratchaburi Province in Thailand. About 400km of its length runs through Mon State and Tanintharyi Division, the remainder through Thailand. Reportedly, the Myanmar government relocated villages originally in the pipeline’s path with little or no compensation for the villagers. There have also been charges that forced labour was used in building the pipeline. Because of the pipeline’s perceived strategic importance, there is a fairly heavy military presence around Dawei. Also because of its proximity to Bangkok, only a few hours by road, there’s talk of developing the beaches around Dawei, which some claim rival Ngwe Saung and Ngapali in the west of the country, for foreign tourism. However, as long as the area remains politically unstable this won’t happen.

Sights & Activities

THEINWA KYAUNG (PAYAGYI)

sim'vekY;='" (.ur;"äkI")

The main Buddhist monastery in town, usually referred to simply as Payagyi (Big Pagoda), contains a complex of sizeable Mon-style vihara (glittering cubes of reflective mosaics filled with gilded Buddhas). The best time to visit Theinwa Kyaung is in the early evening, just after sunset, when hordes of local residents come to make offerings and to meditate for an hour or two. To find it, head northwest along Yodaya Rd, past the Royal Guest House on your right, until you come to a large fork in the

road. Bear right at the fork, follow the road another 200m and you’ll come to the paya on your right. SHWETHALYAUNG DAW MU

erás;elY;='" etÉmu

Completed in 1931, one of the largest reclining Buddhas in the country – 74m long, 21m high – is at the edge of town (about 5km from the central Strand Rd market). SHINMOKHTI PAYA

rH='mutIÏ".ur;"

About 5km beyond Shwethalyaung Daw Mu on the same road, this paya is the most sacred of local religious monuments. Reportedly constructed in 1438, it’s one of four shrines in the country housing a Sinhalese Buddha image supposedly made with a composite of cement and pieces of the original Bodhi Tree. During religious festivals this is one of the liveliest spots in the district. KAREN BAPTIST CHURCH

The American Baptists had a long and active history in Dawei, beginning in 1828. The Karen Baptist Church, founded by an American evangelist in 1957, is still in use in the Shan Malei Swe Quarter; foreign visitors are welcome. BEACHES & ISLANDS

Few foreigners have been permitted to visit the coastal areas around Dawei, so details are still sketchy. The best local beach, Maungmagan (also spelt Maungmakan), is around 18km west of Dawei via a narrow, winding, patched blacktop road over a high ridge and through rubber plantations. A very wide sand beach stretches 8km to 10km along a large, pretty bay. Near the road a few outdoor vendors offer snacks and beverages in the shade of casuarina trees and palms. On weekends and holidays this end of the beach draws a crowd, but if you walk 500m or so up the beach you’re likely to have it all to yourself, save for the occasional fisherman. The surf at Maungmagan is fairly tame, even during the southwest monsoon, and the water is very clean, better than around Myeik, so it’s a good beach for swimming. Opposite Maungmagan is a collection of three pretty island groups that were named the Middle Moscos Islands by the British – they are now known as Maungmagan, Hienze

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direct flights per week from Yangon to Dawei costing US$70 per person. The flight time is one hour and 10 minutes. Flights with YA continue to Myeik and Kawthoung before turning around and hitting the same three stops on the way back to Yangon. The YA fare is US$50 between Myeik and Dawei and the ride takes less than an hour. Between Dawei and Kawthoung the fare is US$70.

by fire; the rebuilding effort has largely sacrificed style for utility. The British occupied the region following the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1826, so that along with Sittwe, Myeik became one of the first cities in Myanmar to become part of British India. The Japanese invaded in 1941, but by 1945 Myeik was back in British hands, until independence was achieved in 1948.

Festivals & Events

BOAT

Sights & Activities

During the annual Thingyan festival in April, Dawei’s male residents don huge, 4m bamboo-frame effigies and dance down the streets to the beat of the kalakodaun, an Indian long drum.

MFSL sails between Yangon, Dawei, Myeik and Kawthoung several times a month, but travel is slow and there is no fixed schedule. It takes two days and two nights between Yangon and Dawei, and possibly up to a week in the rainy season. Fortune Express (%51718) and HiFi Express (%51500) run daily trips to/from Myeik (US$20, 6½ hours). If Fortune leaves one day, HiFi leaves the next; both depart at around 4am. For some more information see p168.

The city’s most venerated Buddhist temple, Theindawgyi Paya, sits on a ridge overlooking the city and harbour. A tall gilded stupa stands on a broad platform with excellent views of the city below and islands in the distance. Pataw Padet Island, a five-minute boat ride (per person K1000) from the harbour, is named after two prominent hills at either end of the island. Several religious buildings, stupas and sculptures have been constructed on the island. A large, hollow reclining 66m-long Buddha, Atula Shwethalyaung, lies at the foot of rocky, junglecovered Padet Hill to the south. Unusually, it’s a hollow cement form with an interior walkway lined with comic-strip-like Jataka (stories of the Buddha’s past lives) scenes as yet unfinished. The harbourfront is worth a stroll to watch stevedores loading and offloading cargo from ships big and small. Not far from Theindawgyi Paya there’s a Muslim quarter with two mosques and lots of teashops. There are seven other mosques in the city. Near the harbour, Sibinthaya Zei (Municipal Market; h6am-5pm Mon-Sat, closed holidays), is a very large and colourful collection of enclosed stalls covering a city block.

Most visitors to Dawei come on business – traders involved in oil, marine products, rubber, wolfram, tin or cashews – so the guesthouses are not used to tourists. Ekari Guest House (%21980, 21780; 52 Ye Yeiqtha Rd; r US$10-25) This is a two-storey wooden guesthouse in a relatively quiet neighbourhood. It’s the cleanest place in town. The more expensive rooms have private bathrooms. Electricity is available only in the early evening. Royal Guest House (Yodaya Rd; r per person US$10) The Royal is located in a corner of one of the main four-way intersections in the centre of town. Rooms are not well-kept compared to Ekari and street noise is a factor when trying to sleep. Taungoo Rest House (%21951; r US$10) Right across the street from the Royal is another big, two-storey colonial building. There is a café downstairs serving inexpensive Bamar–Muslim food. Tharaphu Hotel (r US$10) A similar option to the Taungoo. Along Yodaya Rd, one of the main thoroughfares through town, are several small rice- and teashops. Supereye (Strand Rd) offers an extensive English-language menu of Chinese and Bamar cuisine, much of it seafood-based. The food is good, if a little expensive by Myanmar standards.

Getting There & Away AIR

Yangon Airways (YA) and the governmentowned Myanma Airways (MA) field three

BUS

Various private bus companies now operate buses from Yangon’s Highway bus terminal all the way to Dawei, although foreign travellers aren’t usually allowed to take the bus. At the time of writing, flying was the only sure way to get to Dawei from Yangon. If you were allowed to take a bus from Yangon to Dawei, the trip would take about 17 hours. The situation may change so it’s always a good idea to ask at the bus station or consult a travel agent in Yangon.

MYEIK (MERGUI) ¨mit' %021

Myeik doesn’t receive many foreign visitors; rightly so as there’s not much of interest. Those who do venture here by boat or plane, though, will attract loads of friendly attention. Until recently Myeik – which sits on a peninsula that juts out into the Andaman Sea – was a fairly picturesque coastal city with a wide range of architectural styles lining the streets. Increased cash flow due to the export of seafood to Thailand caused a miniboom in building during the 1990s, and many old buildings were replaced by modern ones. Then in 2001, a large portion of the remaining old architecture was razed

ISLANDS

Boats to the nearby islands of the Mergui Archipelago can in theory be chartered for US$60 per day from Myeik’s harbour. However, the water around Myeik is less clear than the water around Kawthoung and there are no reputable travel agencies in Myeik either to facilitate a trip. If interested in the visiting this offshore wonderland, it makes sense to travel from Kawthoung (see p167) or to arrange a trip from Ranong or Phuket in Thailand (p333).

Sleeping Accommodation in Myeik represents some of the worst value in the country. The few foreigners who make it here are generally business travellers and so there are only a few overpriced hotels and guesthouses with no character. Dolphin Hotel (%41523; 139 Kanphyar Rd; s/d US$25/40) Owned as a joint venture with the Myanmar Fisheries Industry, the modern Dolphin is easily the nicest place in town though staff members aren’t especially friendly or helpful. Rooms in this two-storey building are dark wood with modern and clean bathrooms. It’s on the road from the airport into town. Pale Mon Hotel (%41841; s/d US$20/30; a) Down the road from the airport and adjacent to the Myeik Golf Club, the Pale Mon has large, poorly furnished plain rooms, with intermittent air-con, TVs with two channels, and private bathrooms with coldwater showers. The basic breakfast makes the rooms, in comparison, seem luxurious. Ban Gaba Guest House (r US$10) Near the jetty south of the market, this two-storey place has bare, concrete rooms. There’s a balcony on the 2nd floor. Other similar low-quality places charging around US$10 per room are the Ahyoneoo Guest House, Seikantha Hotel and Shwekanenari Guest House. Travellers who wish to avoid Myanmar’s government-owned hotels should stay clear of the Annawa Guest House, high on a ridge near Theindawgyi Paya.

Eating Seafood is abundant and inexpensive. One local speciality is kat gyi kai (scissor-cut noodles): wheat noodles that have been cut into short strips and stir-fried with seafood and various spices. It’s a delicious meal, usually eaten for breakfast or lunch. Meik Set (U Myat Lay Rd, Kan Paya Quarter; h6am5pm) An old wood-and-thatch teashop and restaurant with a dirt floor, this is one of the best places to try kat gyi kai. Other treats available here include k’auk hnyìn kin (sticky rice steamed with coconut milk in little banana-leaf packets). Sakura Food & Drinks (U Myat Lay Rd, Kan Paya Quarter; chicken dishes K2500) On the same street as Meik Set, Sakura has an extensive menu, though relatively pricey, of Southeast Asian

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and Launglon (or collectively as the Maungmagan Islands). Due to a natural profusion of wild boar, barking deer, sambar and swiftlets (sea swallows), these islands are part of a marine sanctuary, originally established by the British in 1927. Local taxi trucks from the Strand Rd market go to the beach at Maungmagan or to Zalut for about K800 and K1500 per person.

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seafood dishes, Thai soups, burgers, omelettes and sandwiches. It’s very popular with locals. Shwe Mon Family Restaurant (h7am-8pm) For traditional Bamar cuisine with local flair, try this place near the waterfront in the Seik Nge Quarter. Point Restaurant (h7am-9pm) On the same street as the Shwe Mon, closer to the harbour, this restaurant is not a bad place to down a beer or two and eat appetisers.

Getting There & Away AIR

(Municipal Market). Myanma Airways (U Myat Lay Rd) flies from Yangon to Myeik daily for US$100 (one hour and 10 minutes). There are three flights a week between Mawlamyine and Myeik, and Myeik and Kawthoung that cost US$70 for each leg. The MA office is next door to Sakura Food & Drinks. BOAT

Both Fortune Express (%51718) and HiFi Express (%51500) have trips at 11am daily to Dawei (US$20, 6½ hours) and at 8am daily to Kawthoung (US$25, 6½ hours). For more details see p168. MFSL sails, on average, twice a month between Yangon, Dawei, Myeik and Kawthoung, but travel is very slow and tickets hard to get. BUS & PICK-UPS

There are daily buses and pick-ups from Dawei, 249km north, but it’s highly unlikely foreigners will be permitted to travel by bus to Myeik. Foreigners are similarly prohibited from travelling by road south to Kawthoung, though at the time of research road work was proceeding apace to link the two towns.

KAWTHOUNG ek;¾eo;='"

If coming here from within Myanmar, you’re likely be startled by the wacky sight of foreigners in bathing shorts and bikinis, daytrippers on visa runs from Ranong, Thailand. Travelling between the two countries at this point in time feels like teleporting 50 years. At the southernmost tip of main-

land Myanmar – 800km from Yangon and 2000km from the country’s northern tip – Kawthoung is only separated from Thailand by a broad estuary in the Pagyan River. The main business in town is trade with Thailand, followed by fishing, rubber and cashews. Among the Burmese, Kawthoung is best known for producing some of the country’s outstanding kickboxers. Most Kawthoung residents are bilingual in Thai and Burmese. Many residents born and raised in Kawthoung, especially members of the large Muslim community, also speak Pashu, a dialect that mixes the Thai, Malay and Burmese languages. A few enterprising businesses hope to use Kawthoung as a base for boat trips to the hundreds of islands in the nearby Mergui archipelago. Although it’s not far north of the region of Thailand devastated by the December 2004 tsunami, Kawthoung came away relatively unscathed; that is except for the tragic death of 20 people who were washed away after they gathered on a bridge to watch the wave come in. Any downturn in tourism to southern Thailand will undoubtedly impact on Kawthoung.

Sights & Activities Kawthoung’s bustling waterfront is lined with teashops, moneychangers and shops selling Thai construction materials. Touts stroll up and down the pier area, arranging boat charters to Thailand for visitors and traders. Along one side of the harbour lies Cape Bayinnaung (Victoria Point) named after King Bayinnaung, a Bamar monarch who invaded Thailand several times between 1548 and 1569. A bronze statue of Bayinnaung outfitted in full battle gear and brandishing a sword pointed at Thailand – not exactly a welcoming sight for visiting Thais – stands at the crest of a hill on the cape. At the top of the hill overlooking the harbour is the Pyi Taw Aye Paya. Unlike many other temples, you can walk inside and under the main stupa originally built in 1949 to a height of only 5m; it was later raised to its current stature of 21m. There are eight meditation niches that represent the eight days of the Buddhist week, and 14 Buddha images representing the styles seen in other Asian countries. A banyan tree brought from Sri Lanka provides the only shade.

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About 5km north of town, the fishing village of Thirimyaing Lan is known for its hilltop Third Mile Pagoda, with good sea and island views. Thirimyaing Lanalso boasts good local seafood restaurants along its waterfront. Another 11km on is Paker Beach, reportedly the best nearby mainland beach. Locals cool off in the waters flowing from the surrounding mountains at the Ma Li Won rock pools. To reach this bathing site involves a 38km drive through the beautiful Ma Li Won Valley north of Kawthoung, dotted with plantations of sugar cane, palm oil, betel and cashew nut, rubber and coconuts. MERGUI (MYEIK) ARCHIPELAGO

¨mit'kâÆn'"cu

Far beyond the value of any local product – rubber, marine products or swiftlets’ nests – is the Mergui Archipelago’s huge, almost completely untapped potential in the beachgoing and ecotourism market. The locals say there are over 4000 islands in the archipelago, though British surveyors recognised only 804. Most are uninhabited, though a few are home to ‘sea gypsies’, a nomadic seafaring people who sail from island to island, stopping off to repair their boats or fishing nets. Known as Salon to the Burmese, chao náam to the Thais, orang laut or orang basin to the Malays and Moken or Maw Ken (seadrowned) among themselves, this may have been the first ethnic group to have lived in what is today Myanmar. With stones tied to their waists as ballast, Moken divers can reportedly descend to a depth of 60m while breathing through an air hose held above the water’s surface. There’s an ongoing dolphin research program in the islands, though tourists aren’t allowed to visit. The government is building a bridge between Palau Ton Ton Island and the mainland. During low tide it’s possible to swim or kayak into an enormous cave on Kyet Mauk Island where you see reef fish and snakes. On Lon Khuet Island, over 80 people live farming birds’ nests from inside a huge cavern; a hole in the top of the cave lets in some sunlight, making for a breathtaking scene. A sea-gypsy festival is held during the second week of February at Ma-Kyon-Galet village on a small island near Lampi. There is no regular transport to any of these islands, except to the closest ones,

and boat charters are expensive. However, Moby Dick offers boat trips to Sa Lon and Palau Ton Ton Island (per person US$32 including lunch). Opposite Kawthoung’s harbourfront the southernmost island in the Mergui Archipelago, Mwedaw Kyun, is mounted by two gilded zedi. LAMPI KYUN

Further offshore, Lampi Kyun, possibly one of the least disturbed island habitats in Southeast Asia, has been designated as a national park. Extending about 90km long and 8km wide, this rugged landmass features a forested, mountainous interior and two year-round rivers that flow into the sea from the island’s western shore. Wildlife on the island includes white-bellied sea eagles, Brahminy kites, parakeets, hornbills, gibbons, crab-eating macaques, flying lemurs, civets, tigers, leopard cats, boar, barking deer, sea otters, crocodiles and fruit bats. Some naturalists speculate that the interior of Lampi might harbour hithertoundiscovered animal species, or species thought to be extinct elsewhere in Southeast Asia, such as the Sumatran rhinoceros or kouprey. A few Phuket-based tour companies operate hiking and river excursions on Lampi – see p333 for a list of outfitters.

Tours Moby Dick Tours (in Yangon %01-441 0129, 01-202 064; www.mobydick-myanmar.com) This full-service travel agency is in an office attached to the restaurant of the same name on the jetty (see p168). Moby Dick rents bicycles, arranges overnight boat trips to offshore islands, day trips to the Malewon Valley, and importantly can assist with immigration matters. Showers are available for 20B. MT&K Tourism (in Yangon%01-663 161; www.travel tomyanmar.com; 19 Yodaya Lane, Yangon) The MT&K company runs seven-day sea-kayaking trips out of Kawthoung.

Sleeping There are only three places in Kawthoung approved to accept foreigners, and none are especially good value. Note that Thai baht, kyat and US dollars are readily accepted. The electricity supply can be erratic. Kawthoung Motel (%51046; cnr Bogyoke Rd & Bosonpat St; r 800B; a) A 500m or so uphill

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In Myeik, the YA representative (%21160; 115 Bogyoke Rd) has an office near Sibinthaya Zei

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walk from the jetty, the four-storey Kawthoung Motel is the classier of the slim lot. Simple, comfortable, carpeted, double rooms have private cold-water shower and satellite TV. Breakfast in the attached nightclub is rudimentary. Honey Bear Hotel (%21352; r 800B; a) This hulking four-storey building takes up a good deal of the waterfront about 150m from the main jetty. Rooms are only passable, not especially uplifting, and the noisy generator can be a nuisance. Tanintharyi Guest House (%51784; Garden St; r K400; a) You get what you pay for at the Tanintharyi, the least expensive of Kawthoung accommodation options. On a street off Bogyoke Rd, an uphill walk from the jetty, this guesthouse has several large if bare all-concrete rooms with private bathroom. Less expensive rooms have fans. Andaman Club Resort (in Ranong %077-830 463, in Bangkok % 026-798 389; www.andamanclub.com; r US$125-450) On nearby 700-hectare Thahtay

Kyun, is a huge five-star hotel complex that sports a casino, duty-free shops and a Jack Nicklaus–designed 18-hole golf course. You can catch a five-minute boat ride out to the island from the jetty in Kawthoung for 200B.

Eating There are several teashops and restaurants along the waterfront and the block directly behind the Moby Dick Restaurant. Moby Dick Restaurant (in Yangon%01-441 0129; Strand Rd; dishes 50B; h10am-11pm) Dominating the waterfront skyline, looking more like an ancient temple than a modern restaurant and travel agency, the Moby Dick rightfully draws in travellers who are in Myanmar for only a few minutes and locals relaxing with a cold beer. There’s a few outdoor tables plus a bunch inside the modern and attractive dining room. The menu includes Thai, Chinese, Bamar and a good selection of seafood; the prawns are especially good. Smile Restaurant (%51691; Bogyoke Rd) This Chinese-run place is up the hill from the jetty near Kawthoung Motel. An Englishlanguage menu offers several seafood dishes, including a delicious crab curry. Li Li Flower Restaurant (Bogyoke Rd) Attached to the Honey Bear Hotel is a place with aircon that serves Thai, Bamar and Chinese food along with well-chilled beer.

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Shopping A huge duty-free market, built in a pseudoBamar style in 1997, sits right next to Kawthoung’s harbour. Just under the hill are Super Market Cherry (%51067; 253 Pagoda Rd) and Acme Fabric Centre (AFC; %21193; 252 Pagoda Rd), two good shops to pick up high-quality handicrafts and lacquerware, though prices are higher than in Yangon.

Getting There & Away & Around It is now legal to travel between Dawei and Kawthoung by plane or boat, or between Yangon and Kawthoung by plane. Road travel to Kawthoung, though, is forbidden. AIR

Flights between Yangon and Kawthoung cost US$145 on MA. All flights stop in Myeik and some in Mawlamyine as well. It’s not unusual for flights to be cancelled because of bad weather. The airport is 11km from town.

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KAWTHOUNG BORDER CROSSING This is an open border. Boats to Kawthoung (250B, 40 minutes) from Thailand leave the Saphan Pla pier in Ranong almost 10km away regularly from around 8am till 6pm. After getting your passport stamped by Thai immigration, board one of the boats near the immigration office and you’ll be taken to the Myanmar immigration office. At this point you must inform immigration authorities whether you’re a day visitor – in which case you must pay a fee of US$5 for a permit. Apparently, this ‘day pass’ actually allows you to stay a total of two nights and three days in Myanmar, although most ‘visitors’ spend only a few minutes to an hour before heading back to Thailand with a new Thai visa. If you have a valid Myanmar visa in your passport (e-visas aren’t recognized at this border), you’ll be permitted to stay up to 28 days. It’s slightly more complicated if leaving Myanmar from Kawthoung. If you did not originally enter the country from Kawthoung and have not arranged a permit through a travel agency or immigration officials in Yangon, odds are you’ll be asked to pay a visit to the local Myanmar Travels & Tours (MTT) office and pay a US$25 fee. Apparently approval can only be granted with the Yangon office’s permission, so expect the process to take 24 hours, requiring an overnight stay. Ironically, if you have an expired visa authorities are even less enthusiastic about facilitating your speedy departure. The staff at Moby Dick Tours can help but the process is a headache involving multiple trips to the MTT office, a fee of US$35, a complete itinerary of your travel in the country, and a signed statement attesting to the fact you are a tourist and not a political agitator. Boats from Kawthoung can be hired for 150B from around 6am to 4.30pm, the time the Myanmar immigration office at the jetty closes.

BICYCLE

Moby Dick rents bicycles for 50B per hour. BOAT

Both Fortune Express (%51718) and HiFi Express (%51500) run daily trips to/from Myeik (US$25, 6½ hours). If Fortune leaves one day, HiFi leaves the next. From the outside the long and sleek boats appear very comfortable but, unfortunately, like most transport options in Myanmar the maximum seating capacity is used only as a suggested minimum. If you’re only one or two you may be offered a spot in the pilot house. Otherwise you’ll have to cram yourself into the packed cabin. Movies and videos are played throughout the journey. Bring your own food and water. Boats leave Kawthoung around 5.30am. MFSL sails, on average, twice a month between Yangon, Dawei, Myeik and Kawthoung, but travel is very slow and unreliable. The boats carry up to 400 passengers and take a minimum of two days to reach Kawthoung from Yangon (cabin US$150). BUS

In 1993 the government began constructing a new Myeik–Kawthoung road that passes through Tanintharyi and Bokpyin. The

486km road passes through some beautiful scenery, including over 300 rivers and streams. The first 60 or so kilometres of this road north from Kawthoung is possibly the best road you’ll find in all of Myanmar and passes palm, rubber, cashew and durian plantations.

Buses run between Kawthoung and Myeik, but while road conditions are improving, robbery is not uncommon, hence foreigners are unlikely to be permitted to travel this route. At the time of research there was one bus every Tuesday (US$10, eight hours) that left Kawthoung for Myeik.

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Northeastern Myanmar

N O R T H E A S T E R N MYA N MA R • • C l i m a t e 171

CLIMATE

TIBET

ng Kumo

KACHIN STATE Myit-son

Hpakan Myitkyina Moegaung

Indawgyi Lake

Imphal Moehnyin

Naba Shwegu

Paungbyin

r

36

Mu-se Namkham

Charming colonial architecture in cool climes awaits visitors to Pyin U Lwin (p204)

Lashio

Mogok Gokteik Hsipaw Viaduct Kyaukme Naunghkio Gokteik

Shwebo

Monywa

445

3 Pyin U Lwin

Mandalay

Dulao Mong La

Kyaukse

Myingyan Pakokku

Ayeyarwardy River

Ye-Ngan

Bagan

MAGWE DIVISION Namhsan Hsipaw

Meiktila

1

2

Pyin U Lwin

Padah-Lin Cave

Kengtung (Kyaingtong)

4

Pindaya Pindaya Caves Thazi Shwenyaung Heho Taunggyi Kalaw Aungban Nyaungshwe (Yaunghwe)

MANDALAY Inle DIVISION Lake

Magwe

44

Mong Yaung

Loi-Mwe

4

Nam Manyang

r Rive

N O R T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

SAGAING DIVISION

Hsenwi

Namtu Namhsan Kin-u

Kakku

LAOS

Tachileik Mong Tong

Xieng Kok Mae Sai

in

Kengtung

Taungdwingyi

2

Kalaw Inle Lake Myayde

RAKHAING STATE

Pyinmana

Myohla Taungoo

Pyay

Thanlw

5

BAGO

Chiang Rai

Loikaw Lawpita

KAYAH STATE KAYIN STATE

5

Mae Hong Son

Chiang Mai

THAILAND

iver

gR

kon

Me

Mong Hpayak

N O R T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

Ye-U

CHINA

3

SHAN STATE

iver

Overnight stays and morning walks in and around remote villages near Hsipaw (p209), Namhsan (p213) or even remoter Kengtung (p200)

River hweli

Kalewa

Luxi (Mangshi)

Bhamo Ruili

Katha

ng R Meko

Drift down the heart of the north on the Ayeyarwady River (p217) as the country glides by

River

River

Tanai

SAGAING DIVISION

S

People live, work and sell things around Inle Lake (p181), a mountain-framed watery oasis

a ykh

H u V ka al un le g y

Mon

31

You can hike around the trekking centre of Kalaw (p176) and anywhere else you so desire – anywhere, that is, that’s not off limits

Ma

ka lih Ma Putao

Jorhat

Mawlaik

HIGHLIGHTS

CHINA

Ayeyarwady Rive

The best way to visit the multitude of ethnic groups is on foot, and the region abounds with fantastic trekking destinations – Kalaw, Inle Lake, Hsipaw, Namhsan, Kengtung and Putao just for starters.

Dibrugarh

200 km 120 miles

Hkakabo Razi (5889m)

INDIA

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Large swaths of this territory, extending from Tibet in the north to Thailand in the south, and encompassing Shan, Kachin and Kayah states, remain unexplored by foreigners, as they’re officially off limits or simply too demanding to access for many. For the most part, people live in the valleys formed by the Ayeyarwady and Thanlwin Rivers and their tributaries, which divide Kachin and Shan States down the middle. Because the northeast is home to so many different ethnic groups, including the Bamar, Shan and Kachin, with significant populations of Wa, Padaung, Kokang, Atsi, Jinphaw, Lahsi, Lisu and dozens of smaller minorities, travelling here is special just for the opportunity to socialise with your fellow passengers on those slow-moving boats, buses and trains crawling through the interior of Myanmar.

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NORTHEASTERN MYANMAR

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From the muddy crawl of the Ayeyarwady River to the rapids rolling down from the Himalaya, and then on to the watery vision of Inle Lake and the switchback roads that carve through mountain passes, revealing hills and rice paddies on the other side, this geographically and culturally diverse landlocked region is a world unto itself.

and more bearable the higher up you go; this also makes the region favourable for opium cultivation. In the far north it gets downright cold at night – the snowcapped mountains are a dead giveaway for frigid temperatures. Temperatures can also drop to near zero at night in the highlands around Inle Lake during December and January.

Parts of this region have the most pleasant climate in the country, attested to by the fact that the British built several hill stations in the area so that the colonial authorities could escape from the oppressive heat of the lowlands. Even during the hot season (March to June) daytime temperatures become more

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DANGERS & ANNOYANCES Although there is active insurgency from national groups in the region, primarily in southern Shan State, foreigners are generally prevented from visiting these areas.

GETTING THERE & AWAY Most travellers pick only one, or at the most two, of the routes in the northeast because travel in these parts is time intensive. A few areas of the northeast are completely off limits to foreign travellers, including the land route between Taunggyi and Kengtung, all of Kayah State and the southern Shan territory. Most of the towns are linked by both trains and buses, and while the former may be more appealing they are also undoubtedly slower. Many travellers enter the area by flying into Heho, the gateway to the Inle Lake region. Taking a flight is the only way to get to the Kengtung area. Flying is the only way to get to the Kengtung area. Last but certainly not least, the Ayeyarwady River cuts down the centre of the entire region and provides a good opportunity to test out Myanmar’s local ferry industry.

topography looks tame and organised, a patchwork of farmland and unspoiled forests, whereas from the road to Kalaw (coming from Thazi or Inle Lake) this Shan State territory is formidably mountainous and rugged. It is perhaps the area in Myanmar in which foreign tourists have the most freedom and flexibility to tailor their itineraries – after all, it’s feasible to hike between all the primary destinations. Once you arrive in the area, public transportation is fairly convenient, but extra time is necessary to truly appreciate everything, from the hill-tribe villages to the pastoral highlands and the watery oasis of Inle Lake.

restaurant and rest house are run by the friendly Htun family. There are simple rooms with two beds, mosquito nets and shared shower and toilet, and two larger rooms with air-con and attached shower. The dining room downstairs serves good Chinese, Bamar and Indian Muslim food, including fresh yogurt. The proprietors also invite travellers to bathe and rest upstairs while waiting for onward passage, and can arrange bus and train tickets. If you arrive by train and are carrying heavy baggage, it’s worth taking a horse cart or hiring a porter, as the rest house is about 1km from the station.

The Thazi–Taungoo and Thazi–Mandalay routes both take from five to six hours; ordinary-/1st-class seats cost US$5/15. Departure times for Taungoo are the same as for Yangon. Trains go from Thazi to Kalaw at 9am daily and take five hours to inch their way through the mountain passes. There’s a US$1 fee to use the waiting room at the Thazi train station at nighttime, whereas during the day it’s free. For information on the train to Shwenyaung, the junction for Inle Lake, see p181.

THAZI

Getting There & Away BUS

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Many visitors begin or end their journey in Shan territory in this rail-junction town about 65km west of the Shan State border in the Mandalay Division. It’s little more than a place where people embark or disembark from the train when travelling to/from Bagan or Inle Lake. On the other hand, it’s easy to bypass Thazi altogether by travelling on express buses from Bagan to destinations in Shan State and Yangon or simply by flying to Heho.

Sleeping & Eating Moon-Light Rest House (Thazi–Taunggyi Hwy; r with fan US$3, s/d with air-con US$8/15; a) On the top floor of the Red Star Restaurant (dishes K700), this is Thazi’s only licensed lodging. Both the 0 0

THAZI-TAUNGGYI CORRIDOR

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To Mandalay (145km)

20 km 12 miles

To Lawksawk (38km)

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This geographically diverse narrow corridor is probably the most popular tourist route to Mandalay after Bagan. From the air the

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To Loikaw (112km)

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Kyauk Ta Lone To Sankar

The Thazi bus stop is a couple of hundred metres from the train station – just an empty building and a patch of dirt. Buses to Kalaw and Taunggyi cost K2500 (three hours) and K3500 (six hours) respectively; there are usually several departures from 7am to 11am daily. It’s possible to skip Meiktila when travelling between Thazi and Mandalay, but there are more buses to Mandalay that go through Meiktila. The simple solution is to get to Meiktila by pick-up, then wait for a bus to Mandalay (see p289 for information on buses to Mandalay). If you reserve a seat you can wait for a Taunggyi–Mandalay bus to come through Thazi; otherwise, the odds are that there won’t be any seats. A pick-up between Meiktila and Thazi costs around K300. CAR

Pick-ups leave for Kalaw (K2500) regularly throughout the day and into the early evening. It’s a windy, steep road, so for those with low comfort thresholds it’s worth paying extra to sit in the front. Pick-ups all the way to Shwenyaung – the junction for Nyaungshwe (Yaunghwe) and Inle Lake – and Taunggyi are infrequent. It’s possible to hire taxis in Thazi to take you to Kalaw (US$30), Nyaungshwe (US$45) or Bagan (US$40). TRAIN

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Ordinary-/1st-class seats from Thazi to Yangon cost US$9/32. There are four evening trains (6pm, 7.15pm, 8.15pm and 9.40pm); the earliest two are express and take 11 hours or more.

KALAW One of the few places in Myanmar to project a backpacker vibe, Kalaw is 70km west of Taunggyi, about halfway between it and Thazi. The town sits high on the western edge of the Shan Plateau, at an altitude of 1320m. Once a popular hill station in British colonial days, Kalaw’s population of Shan, Indians, Muslims, Bamar and Nepalis (Gurkhas retired from British military service) rubs shoulders with fatigue-wearing soldiers and foreign tourists drawn by the cool climate and rugged mountain scenery. As recently as the 1970s there were American missionaries teaching in the local schools. Because of the British colonial and missionary heritage, many locals speak English. About 20,000 people live in and around Kalaw. The size and breadth of the town is deceptive since it sprawls up and over a number of hills – only a portion of it is visible from the market area. A large military base outside the town is an incongruous presence in this sylvan setting of gnarled pines and bamboo groves. The surrounding mountains cater to all tastes and fitness levels, from low-intensity half-day hikes to four- or five-day trips to minority hill-tribe communities. The villages never really feel remote, which isn’t necessarily a negative, but you may be surprised by the relatively high level of development. You’ll no doubt be shown warm hospitality and offered tea and fruit harvested from the plantations that cover the town’s steep slopes.

Sights & Activities There are a few interesting temples to see in town. Perched on the hill overlooking

N O R T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

N O R T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

THAZI TO INLE VIA KALAW

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KALAW To Thazi (93km); Meiktila (115km)

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400 m 0.2 miles

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21 To Inle Lake (63km); Taunggyi (70km)

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2

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12

38 Aung Thabye Rd

8

10 Merchant Rd 49 36 35 34

14

2

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Station Rd

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Zeigyo Rd

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Nat Sein Rd

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22

31

Zatila Rd

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Thirimingalar Rd

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48 42

28 26

13 18

17

Approximate Scale

To Nee Paya (Bamboo Buddha; 500m)

Bamasakya Rd

Train Station

1

3

20

30

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6

INFORMATION Army Hospital..............................1 Hospital........................................2 Police Station...............................3 Post Office....................................4 Trunk Call Station (Telephone Office)................. 5

5

ENTERTAINMENT Cinema......................................47 C1 TRANSPORT Buses to Bagan, Yangon & Mandalay...............................48 C1 Buses to Taunggyi......................49 C2

27

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Rd

C2 C2 C2 B1 C2 B1 C1

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EATING Everest Nepali Food Centre........34 Golden Wing Restaurant............35 Htin Yu Myaing Restaurant........36 Myanmar Flowers Restaurant.....37 Sam’s Family Restaurant............38 Thirigayhar Restaurant................39 Thu Maung Restaurant..............40

Because of its natural appeal to the backpacker set, Kalaw is one of the few places in Myanmar with guesthouses to suit them. There are also several more modern hotels catering to tour groups on or close to the main road, and several more on the outskirts of town. The main road goes by several names, including Union Rd (Pyidaungsu Rd) and Thazi–Taunggyi Hwy. Air-con is superfluous in the cool mountain air. During the low season (May to October) discounts are widely available. BUDGET

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B2 B1 B2 B1 B5 B1 C1 B4 C1 B4 C1

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SLEEPING Dream Villa Motel Kalaw...........23 Eastern Paradise Motel................24 Golden Kalaw Inn.......................25 Golden Lilly Guest House............26 Kalaw Hotel................................27 New Shine Hotel.........................28 Parami Motel..............................29 Pine Hill Resort Hotel.................30 Pine Land Inn.............................31 Pine View Inn.............................32 Winner Hotel Kalaw...................33

Sleeping

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SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Anglican Church..........................6 B4 Aung Chan Naung Zedi................7 B1 Aung Chang Tha Zedi..................8 C1 Baptist Church..............................9 B2 Central Market...........................10 C1 Christ the King Church.............. 11 D6 Dhamma Yon.............................12 C2 Hsu Taung Pye Paya................(see 14) Mosque.....................................13 C2 Myoma Kyaung.........................14 C2 Royal Tribal Development Society Shop.........................15 C1 Sam Trekking Guide...................16 C1 School........................................17 A2 School........................................18 C2 School....................................... 19 C6 Sports Field................................20 C3 Thein Taung Paya......................21 C1 Top Trekking Guide....................22 C1

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6

32

B3 C1 C2 B1

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the Thazi–Taunggyi road is Thein Taung Paya. In the town centre is a glittering stupa (Buddhist religious monument), covered in gold-coloured mosaics, called Aung Chang Tha Zedi. Nearby is the dilapidated Dhamma Yon, a two-storey temple; it’s not particularly interesting in itself, but from upstairs you can get fair views of the town, Dhamma Yanthi Paya (another temple) and the ruins of Hsu Taung Pye Paya, now a field of crumbling stupas behind the Dhamma Yon. Just west of town, Nee Paya (also called Hnin Paya) features a goldlacquered bamboo Buddha. It’s about 20 minutes away by car. The 300-year-old Shwe Oo Min Paya and Cave (h8am-8pm; admission free), containing Buddha statues, is a 30-minute walk southwest of town. The monastery on the grounds is an especially scenic spot. Less than 1km southeast of the Kalaw Hotel is Christ the King Church, a Catholic church under the supervision of Father Paul. (Until he passed away in 2000, Father Angelo Di Meo also supervised the church; he was based in Myanmar from 1931.) A stone grotto built behind the church is reputed to have curative powers. Mass is held daily at 6.30am; and also at 8am and 4pm on Sunday.

19

11

Golden Lilly Guest House (%50108; goldenlilly@ myanmar.com.mm; 5/88 Nat Sein Rd; s/d US$3/6; i) Family owned and operated, this guesthouse is the best value in town. It has cosy and warm wood-finished rooms, each with private bathroom. The owner’s brother, Robin, is a gentle and knowledgeable guide who can explain the medicinal and nutritional value of every berry, insect and leaf

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around. There is Internet access, but server speed is extremely slow. Golden Kalaw Inn (%50311; 66 Nat Sein Rd; s/d US$4/6) The two-storey home next to the Golden Lilly is the Golden Kalaw, a friendly hotel offering small, rather worn rooms with a nice 2nd-floor balcony. Eddie, the owner, leads informative treks. Eastern Paradise Motel (%50087; 5 Thirimingalar Rd; s US$3-15, d US$6-20) This friendly motel on a quiet street has clean rooms. More expensive rooms have private bathrooms; some have satellite TVs and baths. Parami Motel (%50027; Merchant Rd; s US$3-6, d US$6-10) A block from both the main road and the market, Parami’s cheapest rooms are in an attached two-storey annexe. More expensive rooms have private bathrooms, though these aren’t especially inviting either. Pine Land Inn (%50026; Union Rd; r without/with bathroom per person US$2/3) Without doubt, this is the shabbiest place in town. That said, this two-storey guesthouse right on the main road through Kalaw does have one nice wood-floored room with private bathroom on the 2nd floor. Others with shared bathroom are very basic. The bare concrete entrance serves as both lobby and uninspiring breakfast nook. MIDRANGE

New Shine Hotel (%50028; [email protected] .mm; 21 Union Rd; s US$18-24, d US$24-36) These two modern buildings have a mix of rooms – some motel-style, some with more character; some wicker, some tile. All rooms have private bathroom, while more expensive rooms have satellite TV and bathtub as well. There’s a nice brick-walled basement breakfast room, too. Winner Hotel Kalaw (%50025; Union Rd; s/d US$10/20; i) On the main road, the Winner, a three-storey Chinese-style hotel, has clean, no-frills rooms. The top-floor breakfast room has good views of town, and the owner can help organise treks to villages in the area. Pine View Inn (%50185; Tekkatho Rd; s/d US$10/15) Overlooking a quiet street outside town, near the Kalaw Hotel, this inn has a row of spacious rooms with hot-water shower, desk and plenty of light. A tasty Bamar or Western breakfast is included, along with a good view. Dream Villa Motel Kalaw (%50144; 5 Zatila Rd; s/d US$20/24, larger s/d US$30/36) A bit overpriced

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4

DRINKING Hi Snack & Drink........................41 Lachme Tea House.....................42 Mi Thazu...................................43 Myint Myat Café.......................44 Royal Tea Garden.......................45 Tet Nay Win Teahouse...............46

Te

N O R T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

To Shwe Oo Min Paya & Cave

Sit U See Thakka Tho (Military Staff College Rd Rd)

R Oo Min

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KALAW AREA TREKKING ROUTES

3 km 2 miles To Inle Lake

Taung Pe

Ah Lai Gone

Shwe Min Bon

Shwe Min Bon Paya

To Aungban (8km); Shwenyaung (43km)

To Thazi (75km)

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Yar Thait (Palaung) Tayaw (Palaung)

Viewpoint

Hin Kha Gone (Palaung)

Kalaw Reservoir

Myin Saing Gone Myin Daik (Danu)

Myin Daik Train Station

Pan Tin Gone Approximate Scale

Inn Gaung

for Kalaw, the Dream Villa is nevertheless an attractive building, a few blocks from the main thoroughfare. There’s a small, elegant lobby with satellite TV, and the carpeted rooms are maintained with care. Pine Hill Resort Hotel (%50078; fax 579 640; 151 Oo Min Rd; bungalows s/d/tr US$36/42/67) This resort around 1km from the town centre has 32 bungalow-style wood-panelled rooms with TVs and private bathrooms. The prefabricated look of the place is a bit of a shame, as the location overlooking the surrounding hills is lovely. The hotel restaurant serves very good Bamar and Indian dishes. Those wishing to avoid any governmentowned hotel should bypass the Kalaw Hotel, which is set well behind the town.

Eating For a town this size, Kalaw has an inordinate number of interesting eating options, some with an Indian or Nepali flavour, and several teashops. Sam’s Family Restaurant (vegetable dishes K500) We were lucky enough to experience Sam’s inaugural meal. An assortment of inexpen-

sive and tasty fried-vegetable dishes and standard Chinese and Bamar meat dishes were on offer, though the menu was in an experimental phase. Service was extremely attentive, to the point that an involuntary flinch by one of the diners invariably brought a waiter to the table. Candlelight and white tablecloths gave the place a romantic and elegant vibe. Thirigayhar Restaurant (Seven Sisters; %50216; Union Rd; dishes K2000; h till 10pm) The most charming place to eat in Kalaw, this ShanChinese-Indian restaurant is in a distinctive cottage on the main road. It serves a few Western dishes, but the soups are especially tasty. It often caters to package-tour groups, which explains the relatively high prices. Everest Nepali Food Centre (Aung Chantha Rd; dishes K1000) Two blocks from the main road and just across from Sam’s, Everest is a favourite as much for its backpacker feel as for its tasty and reasonably priced curries, fresh juices and chapatis. Service tends to be slow, but a book and a shake help pass the time. Thu Maung Restaurant (Union Rd; dishes K1500) The Thu Maung, in a two-storey building on

N O R T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

Whether it’s a short day hike or a five-day journey, trekking is the main reason to come to Kalaw. The range of territory open to foreigners seems to be expanding, and local guides are willing to tailor itineraries to particular demands. With that said, certain routes get a fair bit of traffic during the tourist high season and it’s not unusual to find yourself following in the well-trod footsteps of another group. The plateau near Kalaw is inhabited by people of the Palaung and Pa-O (Black Karen) tribes. Intha, Shan, Taungthu, Taung-yo, Danu, Kayah, Danaw and Bamar people occupy the mountains to the north and east. Development in the form of running water and electricity is coming slowly but sporadically to villages in the area, and living conditions on the whole are not as primitive as some might expect, thanks to UN- and government-sponsored projects. Continued exposure to foreigners walking the mountain footpaths or sleeping in village homes has introduced a small element of the consumer economy in the form of children selling hats, longyi (sarong-style lower garments) and bags, most made locally but some imported strictly for the tourist trade. Quality health care is a concern, but it’s better to give small cash gifts to the village health fund rather than handing out medicines. Your guide will know what’s appropriate and what’s not. Balloons, pencils, paper notebooks and ballpoint pens are also welcome. Usually the sayadaw (chief abbot) of the village monastery, or the village head man, handles such donations. Village elders prefer that any gifts intended for children be given to an adult rather than directly to the children, as (like children everywhere) they are sharing challenged. Tribespeople come into town on Kalaw’s market day, which comes around every five days. Several nearby villages, such as Yar Thait and Tayaw, can be visited in half-day or whole-day hikes. By and large the terrain isn’t difficult – mostly it’s a well-trodden dirt path over gentle slopes. Some guides lead multiday trips; the two- to three-day trip (the duration depends on how much you want to exert yourself ) to Inle Lake is easily the most popular. It's become standard to have your heavy baggage transported to a hotel in Nyaungshwe for no extra charge, so you need only carry very little. These trips commonly end in the hot springs near Kaung Daing on the western shore of Inle Lake, before a boat transports the group to Nyaungshwe. Another popular multiday hike is from Kalaw to Pindaya, with car transport back. Licensed guides in Kalaw generally charge US$4 to US$6 for a day hike, and US$5 to US$8 per day for overnight treks. The cost generally includes food and lodging. Expect to hike for at least six hours a day and cover about 15km. One advantage of overnight treks is that by evening people are back home in the village after spending a day tending the fields. Lodging is usually in long houses and occasionally in kyaung (Burmese Buddhist monasteries). Be prepared for the lingering smoke of long-house cooking fires. On the plus side, it keeps mosquitoes to a minimum. Although it’s not part of the public record, perhaps because it’s not officially approved, it may be possible to stay overnight at the Viewpoint, a guesthouse beside a beautifully scenic spot atop a mountain. Most groups on day hikes stop here for lunch. Owned and operated by a Nepali family, Viewpoint’s accommodation is bare bones – no electricity, no running water – but it’s extremely peaceful. The owner, Motie, also cooks up fantastic meals (assorted vegetable curries and rice). If you can arrange it, for around K1500 per person per day you get a foam bed with plenty of blankets, and three meals. All the licensed trekking guides in Kalaw can provide sleeping bags and mosquito nets. Hikers need to be prepared with good shoes and warm clothing for the cool evenings. Trekking goes on year round, but expect muddy conditions during the rainy season (May/June to November). Staff at many of the hotels (eg Robin from the Golden Lilly, Eddie from the Golden Kalaw Inn) and restaurants (eg the Everest Nepali Food Centre) can act as guides; a good number of Yangonbased travel agencies can also arrange guides. It’s quite easy, though, to simply show up in Kalaw and make all the arrangements to leave the next day. Several reliable trekking-guide services operate from small offices along the main road through Kalaw, just north of the market.

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ga N

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TREKKING AROUND KALAW

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Magwe Chaung

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the main road, looks more established than other places in town – maybe it’s the air of authority given off by its many officiallooking patrons. It does an above-average chicken and cashews. Myanmar Flowers Restaurant (chicken dishes K1500) This restaurant, near the Aung Chang Naung Zedi, four blocks west of the market, has a rock-and-roll flavour inside – well, guitars decorate the walls and there’s a small stage – and outdoor seating in good weather. It offers Bamar, Chinese, Indian and Western set menus (K2500), and does excellent spring rolls. Also recommended are Htin Yu Myaing (Pineland) Restaurant (dishes K1000), a block south of the central market, which serves good Chinese and Bamar fare; and the Golden Wing Restaurant, just south of Merchant Rd, which grills up meats for locals. Hi Snack & Drink (htill late) Down a bottle of beer with the locals in this narrow little allwood bar a block west of the market. Impromptu guitar concerts are not uncommon. Myint Myat Café (Zeigyo Rd) Next to the police station, on the road leading south from town, this café is popular with students and soldiers from the nearby base. Most teashops in town are Nepali operated, and serve chapati, tea and raksi (Nepali-style home-made liquor). Teashops near the market: Lachme Teahouse (Merchant Rd) Mi Thazu (Merchant Rd) Royal Tea Garden (Station Rd) Tet Nay Win Teahouse (Zeigyo Rd)

Getting There & Away Daily buses from Yangon to Kalaw (K7000, 15 hours) leave from Yangon’s Highway bus terminal. Yangon-bound buses departing from Taunggyi pass through Kalaw in the evening. Buses for Kalaw (around K2500) leave Thazi in the morning. Taunggyi-bound buses from either Meiktila or Bagan pass through Kalaw, though you may have to pay the full fare to the final destination. Travel time is about three hours. A bus from Shwenyaung (the junction for Inle Lake) to Kalaw takes three hours and costs K3000. To charter a vehicle to either Thazi or Shwenyaung will cost US$20

to US$25. For information on travel to Aungban and Pindaya, see p180. It’s possible to take the train from Thazi or Shwenyaung to Kalaw; it takes around 4½ hours from either. The fare is US$3. Either way, it’s a scenic, if slow, trip. Three trains leave Kalaw for Shwenyaung at 8.30am, 10.45am and 3pm daily. To return to Yangon, Mandalay or Bagan it’s possible to book a seat on one of the Taunggyi express buses with air-con (about K5000 for each destination). There’s also the usual Mandalay–Yangon train connection via Thazi (see p366 and p367).

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This small highway town is a transport junction for cargo and passengers travelling between Thazi and Taunggyi, north to Pindaya or south to Loikaw, the capital of Kayah State. As such, Aungban’s main function is to feed and fuel; among Shan State truck drivers it’s also infamous for its brothels. As elsewhere in Myanmar, AIDS is a serious concern. There is little of substance to the town itself, except when the market is held (every five days). For seekers of Buddhist wisdom, the Taungpulu Meditation Monastery is a little east of town off the highway.

Getting There & Away See p180 for information on transport from Pindaya and Kalaw to Aungban. If you’re heading east to Nyaungshwe, it’s possible to catch one of the many rickety minibuses that pass through Aungban on their way to Taunggyi (K1500).

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The road north from Aungban to Pindaya passes through a bucolic pastoral setting that’s like a Whistler landscape – the perfect middle American or European countryside. You’ll pass groups of Myanmar people wearing wide-brimmed sun hats and hunched over rice and potato fields, and the small Pa-O and Danu villages of Pwehla and Ji-Chanzi. Easily visited from Kalaw on a day trip, Pindaya is best known for its Buddha-filled limestone caves, its picturesque Boutalake Lake and one of the

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region’s more interesting markets, which sells everything from pancake-like snacks to gnarled fish and cooked snakes. Pindaya itself is a centre for the Burmesespeaking Taung-yo people. The town’s symbol is a pin-gu (spider). According to legend, seven princesses bathing in the lake took refuge in the caves during a storm, and were imprisoned by a giant spider. Lucky for them, a prince strolling nearby heard their pleas for help, killed the spider and freed them from the cave. Local handicrafts include Shan paper and parasols made from mulberry bark. There are two paper- and umbrella-making workshops a few minutes’ drive from the cave entrance. One of these workshops, Nam Cherry, demonstrates the step-by-step process and sells hand-painted umbrellas (US$1) among other interesting objects. Try your hand at a small pottery workshop down a side road near the Pindaya Inle Inn for US$3. Day and overnight treks to surrounding Danu, Pa-O, Palaung and Taung-yo villages can be organised at the Golden Cave (p180) or Conqueror Hotel (p180) for about US$10 per person per day.

Sights PINDAYA CAVES

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A strange and somewhat kitschy mix of the artificial and natural and the commercial and holy, the Pindaya Caves, in a limestone ridge overlooking the lake, are announced for miles around by the templelike structures covering the ramp and lift to the entrance. Once inside it’s difficult not to succumb to Buddha fatigue, as over 8000 Buddha images – made from alabaster, teak, marble, brick, lacquer and cement – have been arranged over the centuries to form a sea of serene faces in the labyrinthine cave chambers. Small plaques below most advertise the names and nationalities of the donors. Some of the smaller side chambers are accessible only on hands and knees, and you may come across people practising meditation. Although many areas within the caves are illuminated by electric lights, take care on the slippery paths. In one corner of the cave stand three ‘perspiring Buddhas’ – sitting images that stay wet because of condensation in the damp cave.

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It’s a long walk from the lake to the foot of the cliff containing the caves; if you’ve chartered a jeep or car from Kalaw or Taunggyi, make sure that you’re driven all the way up to the cliff. Travel from town to the foot of the cliffs costs K1000 by horse cart. A 200-step stairway leads to the cave entrance, or you can take the new lift to the entrance for K100. From a temple complex built along the front of the ridge you can view nearby Boutalake Lake and the ruins of Shwe Oo Min Paya, a cluster of low stupas just below the ridge. PADAH-LIN CAVES

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Northwest of Pindaya, near the village of Ye-Ngan, is the most important prehistoric site in Myanmar: the Padah-Lin Caves (also known as Badalin, or Badut Hlaing – Chameleon Cave). The interior of one of the caves is decorated with the remains of very old paintings – estimates extend to 11,000 years – of animal and human subjects, not unlike Neolithic cave paintings in Europe. Some visitors reckon that these caves, which were discovered in 1969, are more atmospheric than the heavily touristed Pindaya Caves. To get here you’ll have to charter a 4WD from the direction of Mandalay or from southern Shan State. Coming from the south, a visit to the caves can be added to a Pindaya trip from Kalaw or Taunggyi for about an extra K5000 per vehicle. From YeNgan a rough track leads several kilometres southwest to Yebok village. The two caves are a little over 1km west of Yebok on a footpath. If coming from Mandalay, take the turn-off 81km south of Mandalay near the town of Kume on the Yangon–Mandalay Hwy. Drive east for around 35km until you reach the Kinda Dam. After a short boat ride to the other side of the dam, you’ll approach the caves along a jungle trail.

Festivals & Events Beginning on the full moon of Tabaung (February/March), Pindaya hosts a colourful paya pwe (pagoda festival) at Shwe Oo Min.

Sleeping There are several nice places to stay in Pindaya, though accommodation in both

N O R T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

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Drinking

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180 T HA Z I T O I N L E V I A K A L A W • • H e h o

Kalaw and Nyaungshwe is less expensive and generally better value. Golden Cave Hotel (%40227; s US$15-25, d US$2030) Extremely friendly and warm, the Golden Cave’s modest reception and breakfast area belies the charm of the wooden rooms in the two-storey annexe. All rooms have private balconies, some with views of the cave entrance. More expensive rooms have a TV and a fridge. This is the best place to arrange treks to nearby villages. Pindaya Inle Inn (%448 1311, in Yangon %01211 226; Mahabandoola Rd; s/d US$35/40, chalets US$70; i) The first hotel you see when you enter

Pindaya from the south, this inn isn’t as conveniently located as the other hotels, but its posh brick-and-stone little chalets, with fireplaces, desks, satellite TV and large bathrooms, are delightful. Each has a quaint porch arranged around a small garden. It’s owned and operated by Inle Princess Resort on Inle Lake. Conqueror Hotel (%448 1211, in Yangon %01satellite TV and private porches are laid out in attractive, landscaped grounds. Some bungalows have cave views. The large pavilion building houses a restaurant serving Chinese and Bamar cuisine. In the Singong Quarter of town, the hotel caters largely to tour groups. Treks can be arranged here. Myit Phyar Zaw Gji Hotel (in Taunggyi%22158; 317 Zaytan Quarter; s/d US$12/20) Conveniently located next to the market, this modern-looking but rather nondescript three-storey hotel has 16 standard rooms with attached hot-water bathroom, and five larger superior rooms with fridge. Some have good views of Boutalake Lake right across the street. The dining room serves mostly Chinese food.

Eating In addition to the restaurants mentioned below, you can fill up on snacks, both exotic and mundane, in the market. Just across the street from the market, Kyan Lite Restaurant (dishes K1000) has long banquetstyle tables and an English menu featuring good Chinese fare. Not far from the market, on the road leading to the cave, is the surprisingly modern Happy Tea House, which has snacks, tea and coffee. Other restaurants serving inexpensive Bamar and Shan food within a few blocks of

the market are U Aseik, Tip Top Restaurant and Teik Sein Restaurant.

Getting There & Away From Kalaw it costs K150 to get to Aungban and another K550 to get to Pindaya by public transport. It can be difficult to find buses or pick-ups later in the day, especially between Aungban and Pindaya, so leave early in the morning and allow a whole day for the trip. The first pick-up from Pindaya to Aungban leaves from the market area at 6am. There’s one bus per day from Taunggyi to Pindaya (K1500), at noon; the same bus travels in the opposite direction at 8am the next day. It’s much more convenient to hire a car and driver in Kalaw for about US$15 to US$20 to make the day trip to Pindaya. You can also hire a car to take you from Kalaw to Pindaya, have it wait for a couple of hours while you take in the caves and have lunch in town, and then continue on to Nyaungshwe and Inle Lake. This should cost about US$30 or the kyat equivalent for the whole day. It’s also possible to do the trip in the reverse direction or as a long day trip out of Nyaungshwe. The actual road time is about 1½ hours from Kalaw to Pindaya, and three hours or more from Pindaya to Nyaungshwe. Add waiting time (which can be considerable) in Aungban and Shwenyaung if you go by public transport.

HEHO hEhui"

The airstrip north of Heho is the gateway for many to the Inle Lake and Kalaw area. About halfway between Aungban and Shwenyaung, which is the junction for the road south to Nyaungshwe and Inle Lake, Heho itself is just another highway town. Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways and Myanma Airways fly regularly between Yangon, Mandalay and Heho; newcomer Bagan Air offers direct flights from Bagan (p187). Heho has a dusty market area just off the highway that hosts the largest of the five-day markets in the southern area of Shan State.

SHWENYAUNG er¯e–;='

Shwenyaung is the transfer point for those leaving Nyaungshwe to catch a bus to Kalaw, Mandalay, Bagan or Yangon. It’s also where most travellers heading to Nyaungshwe must

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hop off their Taunggyi-bound bus or pickup in order to catch a taxi to Nyaungshwe. There’s no longer any accommodation in Shwenyaung for foreigners, but then again there’s no reason to spend the night here. The Pan Za Lat Teashop, situated right at the Heho-Nyaungshwe-Taunggyi junction, is a convenient place to wait for transport, sip some tea and sort out your next move away from the touts, who’ll descend upon you as soon as you alight from the bus.

Getting There & Away CAR, PICK-UP & TAXI

Taxis ply the 11km road between Shwenyaung and Nyaungshwe (K4000). If it’s late – after 6pm – drivers in Shwenyaung charge relatively extortionate prices. It’s possible to find a freelancer on a motorcycle for a cheaper rate (though no helmets are provided). From Nyaungshwe, one option is to wait by the side of the road near the monument just north of the market. Some empty taxis on their way to collect passengers with reservations in Shwenyaung are willing to pick up foreign tourists for only K500 because it’s just extra money – they’re already going in your direction. Pick-ups ferry passengers back and forth between Shwenyaung and Nyaungshwe (K300) from 5am to around 4pm, though they leave only when full. TRAIN

You can get all the way to Shwenyaung by train, but it’s time-consuming. From Yangon or Mandalay the programme would be to take one of the Yangon–Mandalay express trains and disembark at Thazi. See p367 for timetable details. The train from Thazi to Shwenyaung (ordinary/1st class US$4/9, eight to nine hours) is rather slow, but the route is very picturesque, and having the run of a carriage can be more comfortable than sitting in the back of a cramped pick-up, especially on mountain curves. It’s a spectacular journey through the Shan Mountains and local villages, on a partially zigzagging railway line. A train leaves Thazi at 9am and arrives in Shwenyaung between 5pm and 6pm. Three trains leave Shwenyaung (at 8.30am, 10.30am and 2pm; US$4) and arrive in Thazi around nine hours later. You can also disembark in Kalaw from any of these trains.

I N L E L A K E 181

INLE LAKE a='"el"aui='

Inle Lake is 22km long, roughly 11km wide, 875m above sea level and a complete mirage. Facts notwithstanding, when you first encounter the lake – its placid flatness in stark contrast to the peaks on either side – it seems like a real-life Atlantis where the plug has been partially pulled and you must hop in a boat to gossip with a neighbour only a few metres away. The lakeshore and lake islands are home to 17 villages on stilts, which are mostly inhabited by the Intha people. The lake doesn’t really have a shoreline – you can’t walk directly around it. The water gets shallower and the tangled hyacinths and marsh paddies get denser until the obstacle course becomes unnavigable and you reach solid land. Like the Shan, Mon and Bamar, the Intha are Buddhist; there are around 100 Buddhist kyaung around the lake and perhaps 1000 stupas. The Inle style of religious architecture and Buddhist sculpture is strongly Shan-influenced. The hard-working Intha are famous for propelling their flat-bottomed boats by standing at the stern on one leg and wrapping the other leg around the oar. This strange leg-rowing technique offers relief to the arms – which are also used for rowing – during the long paddles from one end of the lake to another. It also enables the rower to better see the kyun myaw (floating islands) and beda (water hyacinth). It’s sometimes necessary to stand up to plot a path around the obstacles – and to spot fish. Although diesel motors are becoming more and more common, leg rowers, fully aware of their tourist-poster appeal, will immediately switch from conventional rowing to the leg-power method upon sighting a boatload of camera-carrying foreigners. The entire lake region is contained in the municipal area of Nyaungshwe and supports a population of 130,000 comprising Intha, Shan, Pa-O (Taungthu), Taung-yo, Danu, Kayah, Danaw and Bamar people. The township of the same name sits north of the lake and is accessed by road from Shwenyaung or from the lake via a long, narrow channel. Around 70,000 people live on the shores and islands of the lake.

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256 623; www.conquerorhotel.com; s/d US$50/60; is) These large bamboo bungalows with

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182 I N L E L A K E • • H i s t o r y & C u l t u re

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The industrious villagers inhabiting the lake region support themselves by growing a wide variety of flowers, vegetables and fruit year round. They also grow rice, especially at the northern end of the lake around Nyaungshwe. Many of these crops are cultivated on floating islands, where marsh, soil and water hyacinths have combined to form incredibly fertile solid masses that are staked to the lake bottom with bamboo poles. Among the islands and peninsulas thus formed is a network of canals that provide the main avenues of transportation for the Intha. Using cone-shaped nets stretched tautly over wood and bamboo frames, Intha fishermen harvest nga-hpein (a type of carp) and other kinds of fish. Women in the vil-

lages (especially Ywama and Heya at the southern end of Inle Lake) weave Shan-style shoulder bags and silk Zinme (Chiang Maistyle) longyi on wooden hand looms. Using raw silk from China, these weavers produce more silk garments than anywhere in the country apart from Amarapura. When they aren’t busy fishing or farming, the men of Inle produce silver and brassware as well as pottery and lacquerware. During January and February the nights and mornings in the lake area are cold, so bring socks and a sweater.

HISTORY & CULTURE Both culturally and linguistically separate from their Shan neighbours, the Intha are 0 0

INLE LAKE To Taunggyi (30km)

Nyaungshwe Kyaukhpyugyi Paya

Nanthe Taung Bo Gyi

Trekking Route

Na Baung

Nat Shrine

Paung Pane

Nyaung Wan

Kaung Daing

Kanywa

Loi Kaw Tehe

Pon Tae Loilem

Trail

Walking

Thandaung

Naung Lee

Thitseinbin

Ham Pho

Kela

Ham Se

Nyaung Win

Indein Kyibawkon Shwe Inn Thein U Daung Kyaung & Meditation Centre

Dag Daw Oo

Shwe Inn Tha Floating Resort

Ywama (Floating Market)

Ka Taung

Ingyingon

Tha Lay

Nam Hu

Phaung Daw Oo Paya Nam Pan

Yetha

Jay Paw Khone

Maing Pyo

Dat Gyi Kon Lon Kan Ta Pan

Kyaung Hto Ti Htat

Hti Nè

Naung Kae Naung Ya Sein

Hti Plun

Magyizeik

Chaing Kham

To Sankar; Kyauk Taung

Kyauk Ta Lone Saug Pho

September and October are among the best times of the year to visit Inle Lake. The ceremonial Phaung Daw Oo (see p190), in which four golden Buddha images are ferried around the lake in a royal barge, lasts for almost three weeks in late September or early October. It’s closely followed by Thadingyut, when the Intha and the Shan dress in new clothes and fervently celebrate the end of Waso (Buddhist Lent). They are so religious that it’s not unusual for families to spend all of their meagre savings during this one annual event.

NYAUNGSHWE e–;='er¯

Mai Law

Naung Taw

Hsisone

Taung Tho Kyaung

Moe Kaung

Ma Gyi Gone

Golden Island Cottages 1

In Paw Kone (Silk Weavers)

Helon

Kan Tan

Tha Le Oo

Nga Hpe Chaung

Zayatkyi

Nyaung Ohak

Wong ya

Ine Ne Tha Pye Gone

Pebin Inywa

Golden Island Cottages 2

Tone Lè

Pon Swe Pan

e

Pwe Sar Kone

Inle Lake

Approximate Scale

ang

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Inleh Bo Teh

Shanywa

Naung Ka

Inle Princess Resort

Maing Thauk

Kyay Sar Kone

Naung Kham

nR tai un Mo

Lin Kin

You pay the compulsory entry fee (US$3) to enter the Inle Lake zone at Myanmar Travels & Tours (MTT; Chaung Rd, Nyaungshwe; h7am-4pm) or at one of the hotels or guesthouses around town.

FESTIVALS & EVENTS

Kyauk Daing

In Oo

Hupin Hotel Inle Khaung Daing Village Resort

Trekking Route

INFORMATION

Hti Han Swe

Sizon

Hot Spring

To Kalaw (50km)

thought to have migrated to this area from Dawei on the Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) peninsula in southern Myanmar. According to one story, two brothers from Dawei came to Nyaungshwe in 1359 to serve a Nyaungshwe sao pha (‘sky lord’, a hereditary chieftain of the Shan people). The latter was so pleased with the hardworking demeanour of the Dawei brothers that he asked them to invite 36 more families from Dawei; purportedly, all the Intha around Inle Lake are descended from these migrant families. Another theory says that the Intha migrated from the Mon region in the 18th century to avoid wars between the Thais and the Bamar.

Kakku

Laid-back Nyaungshwe’s choice accommodation and diverse activities – from leisurely boat rides to strenuous hikes – combine to throw off the itineraries of many travellers who extend their stays here. During the tourist high season, Nyaungshwe (Golden Banyan Tree, also called Yaungwhe), which is 3.5km from the northern end of the lake, can seem overrun with foreigners. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the many locals who profit from their presence. Besides Kalaw, this town is one of the few places in the country to exude a backpacker vibe, evidenced by the number of inexpensive but

I N L E L A K E • • I n f o r m a t i o n 183

comfortable guesthouses and restaurants specialising in spaghetti and pancakes.

Information Yangon Airways and Air Mandalay have a small office on Yone Gyi Rd, and virtually every guesthouse can help arrange flights and bus tickets. Apart from the options listed below, several hotels offer Internet access to guests. Century Ticket Retail & Wholesale Centre (%29061; Yone Gyi Rd) This recommended, friendly place can arrange boating excursions, hikes and trips to other destinations, as well as onward transportation. Comet Travel & Internet Café (%29126; inlay [email protected]; Yone Gyi Rd). An alternative to Century Ticket and also recommended. Has a few computers with reliable Internet connections.

Inle Blooms Global Online Information Bar (Phaungdaw Seiq Rd; per hr K3000; h9am-midnight) A veritable oasis for the email starved. There are five computers, a nice coffee shop and occasional Hotmail access. Myanmar Travels & Tours (MTT; Chaung (Strand) Rd) The same office that collects tourists’ dollars (US$3) for the lake also provides maps of the area and sometimes the final word regarding flight schedules and fares.

Sights & Activities MUSEUM OF SHAN CHIEFS

Housed in a large teak-and-brick mansion in the northeastern part of town, this museum (Yaunghwe Haw Museum; Third St; admission US$2; h9.30am-3.30pm Tue-Sun) was the haw (palace) of the 33rd and last Shan sao pha, Sao Shwe Thaike. Thaike, who became the first president of Myanmar in 1948, was imprisoned when Ne Win came to power (see p42) and died in jail. The museum is the best surviving example of a Shan-style palace since the 1991 demolition of the haw sao pha (Shan lord’s palace) in Kengtung. Many of the rooms contain displays of Shan furniture and royal costumes. Most impressive is the huge teak-floored throne-and-audience hall in the north wing, behind the front building. SHRINES, MONASTERIES & STUPAS

The oldest temple in town, Yadana Man Aung Paya, is worth visiting for its unique stepspired stupa. Look for the ‘you will be old’ and ‘you will be sick’ figures in glass cases in one of the shrine buildings. There are several good-sized monasteries in the central and southeastern parts of town, including Kan Gyi Kyaung, Shwe Gu Kyaung and

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ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ ὅὅὅὅὅὅὅ

To Shwenyaung (11km)

Bawrithat

Shwe Yan Pyay

To Heho (8km); Kalaw (50km); Pindaya (68km); Thazi (142km)

4 km 2 miles

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184 I N L E L A K E • • N y a u n g s h w e

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NYAUNGSHWE A

B

Kyauktein Rd

64

63

(Strand Rd)

(Main Canal) Nan Chaung

10

Chaung Rd

To Inle Lake (3.5km)

Sports Field 39

6

5

24

25

8 57 37

50

20

Middle School 13

BOAT TRIPS

Nyaungshwe is the place where most visitors arrange boat trips around the lake. For more details, see p191.

15

19

Sleeping

41 4

A3 C2 A2 C2 B1 C3 B2 B1 D1 D3 C2 A2

Mingal

a Rd

Sri Jagdish Hindu Temple......................22 Stupa....................................................23 Stupas..................................................24 Stupas..................................................25 Township Office.................................. 26 Yadana Man Aung Paya.......................27 Yangon Kyaung...................................28 SLEEPING Aquarius Inn.........................................29 Bright Hotel..........................................30 Four Sisters Inn.....................................31 Gypsy Inn.............................................32 Hu Pin Hotel Nyaungshwe..................................33 Inle Inn.................................................34 Joy Hotel..............................................35 May Guest House.................................36 Mingalar Hotel......................................37 Nanda Wunn Hotel..............................38 Nawng Kham/Little Inn........................39 Paradise Hotel & Restaurant.................40 Primrose Hotel......................................41 Remember Inn......................................42 Teak Wood Guest House.....................43 Viewpoint Hotel...................................44

Yangon Kyaung. On the southeastern outskirts of town, the ruin of an old Shan monastery called Nigyon Taungyon Kyaung – originally built by the Nyaungshwe sao pha – features a set of slender whitewashed Shan stupas and some very old plinths. The complex has been transformed into a kammahtan kyaung (meditation monastery).

C1 C1 B2 B2 D2 B2 C2

A3 A2 A3 A2 B1 D2 A1 C2 B3 D2 A3 C1 B3 C1 A2 A2

EATING Aroma Restaurant................................ 45 Big Drum Restaurant............................46 Eden Teashop.......................................47 Full Moon Restaurant...........................48 Golden Kite Restaurant.........................49 Htoo Htoo Aung Chinese & Shan Food..50 Hu Pin Restaurant.................................51 La Libellude Restaurant........................52 Miss Nyaungshwe Restaurant...............53 Pancake Kingdom.................................54 Shanland Restaurant.............................55 Shwe Inlay Bakery.................................56 Shwe Pye Soe Restaurant.....................57 Smiling Moon Restaurant.....................58 Unique Superb Food House..................59

A2 A2 C1 A2 C2 B3 B1 A2 A2 A2 B1 B1 B2 C2 C1

ENTERTAINMENT Puppet Theatre.....................................60 C2 TRANSPORT Boat Landing........................................61 Boat Landing........................................62 Bus/Pick-up Stop..................................63 Pick-ups to Shwenyaung.......................64 Pick-ups to Taunggyi............................65

A2 A2 B1 B1 A2

Less than 1km north of the town entrance, an old 18th- or 19th-century monastery called Shwe Yaunghwe Kyaung features a venerable wooden thein (ordination hall) with unique oval windows. A long, low, rectangular brick-and-stucco pahto (shrine) on the premises has Buddha images of various ages inside.

Many of the budget and midrange guesthouses in Nyaungshwe are family owned and operated. Most offer low-season discounts, but at any time of year most rates are open to negotiation because of the fairly intense competition. All room rates include breakfast. In addition, most hotels and guesthouses act as travel agents. They’re able to book bus tickets and flights, and arrange boat trips, hikes and even a traditional Myanmar massage (US$2 to US$4 per hour). Temperatures are mild to cool at night, making air-con unnecessary. BUDGET

Aquarius Inn (%29352; 2 Phaung Daw Pyan Rd; s/d US$6/12) The excellent-value Aquarius has several cosy and warm all-wood rooms. In a small compound directly across the street from the Little Inn, it is quiet and friendly and serves an excellent breakfast in its little restaurant. It also has a good collection of foreign-language books on loan for guests. May Guest House (%29417; 85 Myawady Rd; s/d US$6/12) Look for the small yellow building opposite Hlaing Gu Kyaung monastery, down a quiet side street. Snug rooms at this guesthouse are squeaky clean and very good value. Each has a hot-water shower and a small veranda. An excellent breakfast is included.

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WARNING It’s not unusual for taxi drivers and other self-appointed guides to direct you away from the hotel you request and take you to the hotel where they receive a commission. In order to convince you that they only have your happiness in mind, they’ll try some common excuses: the owner died, the hotel closed, it has a new owner and is now dirty etc. Be firm, and whatever you do, check in yourself. Otherwise you’ll probably be paying a few extra bucks for commission.

Teakwood Guest House (%29250; teakwoodhtl@ myanmar.com.mm; s US$4-10, d US$9-20; i) This guesthouse three blocks east of the canal has some of the most attractive rooms in the area. The five or so in the new annexe have comfortable beds and wooden furnishings, but the real draw is the bathrooms, which are covered in small stones. Economy rooms in the old building are as basic as they come. There are two open-air lounge and dining areas – one for the old building and another very beautiful teak one for the newer, more expensive rooms. The woman who owns and runs the Teakwood with her family’s help is an assertive saleswoman; it’s best to shop around in terms of trips offered through here. Primrose Hotel (%29150; 40 Mingala Rd; s/d US$10/ 15) From the outside, this hotel in the southern part of town near the Mong Li Canal appears slightly worn, with a corrugated iron roof and peeling paint, but the interior is a different story. The large all-wood rooms, each with their own private bathroom and porch, are nicer than you’d expect for the money. Inle Inn (%29016; Yone Gyi Rd; s/d US$8/12) This inn on the eastern side of town, one of the oldest privately owned inns in the country, is well managed and quiet. Spick-and-span rooms in the bamboo bungalows are first rate. There’s a pleasant sitting area in the garden out the back. A Shan dinner and puppet show is available on request. Viewpoint Hotel (%29062; s/d US$7/14) This hotel’s unique location just over the bridge on the other side of the canal is a mixed blessing. While it’s fun to sleep in a bungalow over the water, early-morning boat traffic can be an annoyance. The thatched bamboo bungalows aren’t especially well

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INFORMATION Air Mandalay Office.............................(see 9) Bank........................................................1 B1 Comet Travel & Internet Café.................2 B2 Golden Island Cottages Office................3 A2 Hospital..................................................4 B3 Inle Blooms Global Online Information Bar...................... 5 A3 Moe Moe's Boat & Bicycle......................6 A3 MTT Office............................................7 A2 Telephone Office....................................8 B2 Yangon Airways Office..........................9 C2 SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Handicrafts...........................................10 Hlaing Gu Kyaung................................11 Independence Monument....................12 Kan Gyi Kyaung...................................13 Mingala Market....................................14 Monastery............................................15 Monastery............................................16 Monument............................................17 Museum of Shan Chiefs........................18 Nigyon Taungyon Kyaung....................19 Shwe Gu Kyaung.................................20 Shwe Zali Paya.....................................21

36

Phaungdawpyan Rd Middle School

To Nanthe; Kyaukhpyugyi Paya 31

N O R T H E A S T E R N M YA N M A R

27

21

29

26

Myawady Rd

12

32

38

28

16

The main municipal zei (market), near the town’s northern entrance, is busiest in the morning, when vendors congregate to sell their wares. In addition to mountains of fresh produce, Shan noodles and other local products, there are a few stalls selling pottery and textiles.

34

Phaungdaw Seiq Rd

53

3

7

3

School

43

58

49

11

30

62

YWA THA

60

2

l

48

46 52

MINGALA MARKET

22

9 Yone Gyi Rd

Li C ana

2

23

Mo ng

54

High School

14

55

65

45

56

33

59

51

Rd

61

18 Third St

42

1

Ὀ 35

44

D

47

Canal

To Hot Springs

0.1 miles

Main

1

A short walk south of town along the eastern side of the main channel leads to the small but atmospheric ruins of Kyaukhpyugyi Paya, next to the Intha village of Nanthe. Surrounded by brick-and-stucco devas (celestial beings), chinthe (half-lion, half-dragon guardian deities) and stupas is a huge sitting Buddha, said to be 700 years old.

100 m

To Shwe Yaunghwe C Kyaung (1km); Shwenyaung (11km); Taunggyi (31km); Heho (35km); Airport (35km); Kalaw (64km); Kakku (73km) 17 40

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maintained, and the water pressure is unreliable, but after an afternoon on your own small balcony you’ll easily forgive these hassles. An excellent breakfast is served on the roof of an attached building, where there are even better views of town. Bright Hotel (%29137; 53 Phaungdaw Seiq Rd; s/d US$5/8) Though the rooms at the Bright Hotel are large, the mismatched furniture means it’s unlikely to win any awards in interior design. It’s a fairly modern house with several wings, one of which contains a large family room that sleeps at least four. Nawng Kham (Little Inn; %29195; Phaung Daw Pyan Rd; s/d US$5/10) Opposite Shwe Zali Paya, this inn has seven basic carpeted rooms arranged around a pleasant garden with atmospheric views of the nearby stupa. Joy Hotel (%29083; Jetty Rd; s/d US$5/9) On a narrow, quiet canal west of the market, the Joy Hotel feels pleasantly isolated – at least from the other guesthouses. A small sitting area overlooking the canal makes up for the fairly basic (but clean) rooms. There are cheaper rooms with shared bathroom in the two-storey house. A few of the larger rooms have a hot-water shower and a toilet. Gypsy Inn (Chaung Rd; s US$5-8, d US$10-15) More modern and motel-like than other places in this catego