OTHER CITIES

AMARAPURA

Amarapura is an old royal capital, only 20 minutes’ drive from Mandalay. King Bodaw-paya moved his capital from Innwa to Amara-pura in 1883.

Amarapura is just 11 kilometres south of Mandalay, on the road to Sagaing. So tourists can seek overnight accommodation in Manda-lay to visit Amarapura.

Amarapura has several sites to attract the tourists. U Pein Bridge claims to be the world’s longest teak bridge (1 – 2 kilometres) set up on 1,186 teak pillars. Below it is Taung Thaman Lake where you can hire a rowboat. Amarapura Handicraft Centre and Restaurant offers a pleasant view over the Lake. Noteworthy pagodas are Kyauktawgyi and Nagayon. A visit to Mahagandhayon Monastery will show how Myanmar monks practise the Buddha’s Teach-ing for liberation.

U Pein Bridge

Amarapura is famous for silk weaving. Both silk and cotton longyis are available. Along the main street are still seen lovely old brick buildings built in colonial British style.
Must buy: Fabrics weaved on looms.

Alaung Taw Kassapa

580 miles (928 km) from Yangon, located in Sagaing Division, the National Park sprawls out into Yinnmabin Township, Kani Township and Minking Township. It is accessible from Yangon via Mandalay, Monywa and Yinnmabin by car, train and air.

Where to Stay
Yinn-ma-bin Guest House and Ka-pine Guest House with accommodating capacity of 30 persons. Besides, log cabin and hill-side guest house.

Why so special
Founded in 1989, the National Park is 620.35 sq miles in area. You can study several types of natural forests. And also observe wild animals in their habitats, 60 species of residen-tial birds and 50 species of butterflies. Good for enjoying natural scenic beauty and out camping.

Bagan

About 430 miles from Yangon; the main tourist attraction in Myanmar, on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River; capital of the first Myanmar Empire; its area of 42 sq km has over 2,000 well-preserved pagodas and temples of the 11th -13th centuries.

How to get there
Daily flight between Yangon and Bagan; flight to Bagan takes an hour and ten minutes. Also regular Express local service from Yangon and Mandalay; from Mandalay and Heho it is only 20 minutes’ flight; express trains from Yangon and Mandalay stop at Thazi, from where it is only a three hours’ drive to Bagan. Also double decker steamer service between Mandalay and Bagan and a luxury cruise “Road to Manda-lay”.

Where to stay
Hotels, guest houses and motels with modern facilities at reasonable prices.

What to see
Shwezigon Pagoda, the first Buddhist building built in Myanmar style; Ananda Temple has four huge Buddha Images in standing position and reliefs depicting the Buddha from his Birth to his Enlightenment; That-byinnyu, the highest white stucco building in Bagan; Dhammayangyi, Bagan’s most massive pagoda; left unfinished, it displays the foremost brickwork; they are but a few of pagodas in Bagan, practically all of them built by Kings.

The Bagan Museum houses artifacts of histo-rical and cultural interest.

Must eat : Oil-sprinkled cooked rice; small dishes of Myanmar fare like tenderized beef in ponye (thick brown sauce made from horse gram), pork in ponye, and pork with pickled, shredded mango, ponyegyi; tamarind products; jaggery of all kinds.

Must buy : Good quality lacquerware; ponye; tamarind flakes; small sheets of pounded, cured jujube fruit; laequerware; sand paintings; sandstone art.

Overview of Bagan Pagodas

Bago

Capital of 15th century Mon kingdom of Hanthawaddy, Bago sprouts with a lot of memorable sites of its own. It is only 80 km by road from Yangon so it could well be made an extension of a Yangon visit.

Bago is a road and rail junction on Yangon- Mandalay and Yangon-Mawlamyaing routes. It is 1½hours by car or 2 hours by train from Yangon.

Bago has good guest houses but no accommodation should be needed for a foreign tourist as it is close to Yangon. For food there are several restaurants including Shwe Ohndaw just outside the town.

The leading pagoda of Bago is Shwe- maw- daw, more or less the size and shape of the Shwedagon. Places of interest also include: Shwe-tha-lyaung Reclining Buddha (55 m long), Kalyani Sima (Ordination Hall), 28 m high Buddha Image of Kyaikpun Pagoda, and the Palace of King Bayintnaung (being restored as Kambawzathadi Palace).

Chaung Tha

Chaung Tha Beach-only 246 km from Yangon- is the nearest beach resort located in the Ayeyarwaddy Region. Along the 5 hours’ drive to the beach, one can feast one’s eyes on the vast stretches of lush green paddy fields.

How to get there
Only 5 hours’ drive from Yangon.

Where to stay and where to dine
There are bungalow-type hotels facing the sea. Ambo Resort Hotel, Chaung Tha Beach Hotel, Shwe Dove Hotel and guesthouses in the nearby Chaung Tha village are at your service. Seafood is fresh and a plenty at the restaurants there.

Why so special
En route to Chanug Tha, one visits Pathein, the capital of the Ayeyarwaddy Region, and try Pathein Halawar, its speciality. Pathein umbrella is the symbol of the Region.

Reaching the beach, one can enjoy the salubrious breeze crossing the long stretching sea and the horizon. Surfing over the white-crested waves is an unforgettable experience. Pokala Island and Thebyu Island – 5 minutes’ and 20 minutes’ drive by motorboat respectively- boast their beautiful, white sand beaches.It takes exactly one hour to Ngwe Saung Beach, the latest beach resort of Myanmar.

Must Eat : Seafood; barbecued shrimp and fish
Must Buy : Articles made out of mother of pearl

Innlay Lake

Inlay Lake

Location
750 km north of Yangon, and in the southern Shan State.

How to get there
From Yangon or Mandalay, you take a regular flight to Heho and from there motor down to Inlè lake. Or you can travel by car uphill and along the winding road over the Shan Plateau savouring the sights all round. Or you can take the train via Thazi junction to Heho and Shwenyaung, the nearest station to the Lake.

Where to stay and where to dine
Inle Resort, Golden Island Cottage, Inlè Princess, Lake View Resort, and Ann’s Restaurant. At Nyaung Shwe, which is the gateway to Inlè lake, modern-style Hotel like Hu Pin, Gold Star, Aquarius Inn, Nan Da Wunn Hotel, and Primrose.

Why so special
Next to Indawgyi Lake in the Kachin State, the Inlè (Inlay) Lake is the largest lake in Myanmar, 22 km long and 10 km across. The population in and around the lake number some 150,000 many of whom live on floating islands of vegetation. Natural and unpolluted, Inlè Lake is the main tourist attraction in Myanmar for its scenic beauty and the unique way the native lake dwellers row their boats (for which the lake is also known as “the lake of the leg-rowers”).

Hpaung Daw U Pagoda

Innwa

Shwe Gu Gyi Pagoda

Innwa is a peaceful, pleasant, small town, easily reached by car or bus from Mandalay. As it is on an island visitors should cross over on ferries the Myitnge River or the main Ayeyawaddy River from Sagaing. The shortest route is to go by road from Mandalay ten miles towards Sagaing and about a mile before reaching the Innwa (Ava) Bridge to take a beautiful tree-lined avenue to the left. After about half a mile the road ends at the small ferry point. Cars can also be ferried across. But the most delightful way to see Innwa is to cross by the boat ferry and take a pony cart in Innwa.

The old palaces and residential buildings are all gone, but massive brick walls and tranquil moats remain. See the Gaung Say Daga near the Ayeyawaddy: from there you have scenic views of Innwa Bridge and the Sagaing Hills.

Visitors should not miss seeing the famous Maha Aung Mye Bonzan monastery, built by Queen Me Nu, the Chief Queen of King Bagyidaw, in 1818 for the famous Nyaung-gan Sayadaw, U Po and later the learned U Bok. Incidentally this queen was the grandmother of our last Chief Queen Supayalat. Unlike many of the old monasteries of Myanmar, this monastery is not built of teak wood, but is a stucco decorated brick building.

Near this monastery is the Htilaing-shin Pagoda, built by King Kyansittha of the Bagan Dynasty. There are several other famous pagodas like the Lawka-tharaphu and Laydat-gyi Pagodas in the southern part of the city. Like Bagan only the pagodas and the monasteries remain. Old wooden carvings at Bagaya Monastery are very beautiful.

The only building left from the old palace buildings complex is a brick and teak watch tower called Nanmyin Watch Tower, 27 metres (or 89 feet) tall. At one time it was popularly known as the “Leaning Tower of Innwa” because an earthquake of 1838 tilted it to one side, but in recent years the tower has been renovated and straigthened out. The Department of Archaeology has carried out numerous restoration works at Innwa in recent years.

Queen “Mai Nu’s” Monastery at Innwa

Unlike Mandalay and some of the other royal cities of Myanmar, Innwa’s city walls do not form a square or rectangle, of regular shape. As the city was a capital for a long time and as various Kings enlarged its area, the city walls form an irregular shape which some people have compared to that of a Chinthe, the mythical lion statues that are found in front of Myanmar pagodas.

The classical name of Innwa is Ratanapura, “the city of gems”. Even though the grand palaces and the powerful kings are no more, Innwa is still a precious place, a place renowned in Myanmar history and one that will provide a rewarding memorable visit.

Kalaw

Location
70 km west of Taunggyi, 410 km from Yangon. 1,400 metres above sea-level. Kalaw is a beautiful hill station surrounded by pine trees. By air up to Heho; thence by car to Kalaw.

Where to stay and dine
Pine View Inn, Honey Moon Villa, Eastern Paradise Motel, Pine Hill Resort, Dream Villa and Kalaw Hotel are recommended. Also guest-houses and restaurants.

Why so special
Kalaw still has many Tudor-style houses and English gardens of colonial days. You can go trekking to ethnic villages nearby.

Must eat : Green tomato salad; stuffed fish (Nga Dukkha, Lit. fish of misery); pickled pork; curry packet, all to be placed on a daunglan, ie big circular tray with a stand for serving. Should order a Shan daunglan set to try.

Must buy : Silver articles; products come from weaving of lotus fibers on the Loom; Shan-style baggy trousers, and shirts, especially of the type used by Inle fishermen; green tea; Lotus-related products; antiques; mollusk shells.

Kyaik Htee Yo

Kyaik Htee Yo Pagoda

Kyaik Htee Yo Pagoda is the single biggest tourist attraction, at least for Myanmars. It is a gilt boulder, topped with a small pagoda, precariously perched on the edge of a hill about 160 km from Yangon.

Kyaik Htee Yo Hill in Kyaik-hto township is 1,100 km above sea-level. By car, it is about 4 hour’s drive from Yangon to the Kinpun Base Camp, from which it is an 11 kilometre uphill climb to the pagoda. You may take the train to Kyaikhto, and proceed by car. It is a 45 minutes drive from the base camp to Yathedaung Hill, thence the visitors go on foot for seven furlongs.

It is customary for the pilgrims to stay overnight at the pagoda. The rate of hotels close to the pagoda is around US$ 80.

There is a popular belief that a person gains in wealth every time he/she climbs the Kyaik-Hti-Yoe Hill. Women are not allowed to cross the small bridge leading to the surface of the rock supporting the sacred boulder. It is taboo to make harsh or off-colour remarks while going over the rolling hills.

Kyaing Tong

Maha Myat Muni Pagoda

Kyaing Tong, the capital city of the Golden Triangle Region, is served by daily flights from Yangon, taking about one hour. You can go there by car but it will be rough riding most of the way.

Formerly off-limits to foreigners, Kyaing Tong is a border town with good hotels and restaurants including Kyaing Tong Hotel. The area is perfect for trekking, leading to villages of 13 nationalities including Ahku, Ahka, Palaung, Eng, or Lahu races. They retain their traditional costumes and way of life. Kyaing Tong is a mixture of old and new; local guides are available.

Visitors cannot stay overnight at the villages of the national race. Giving presents is not allowed, except for some medicines such as anti-malaria ones. Foreigners need to get Border Passes through arrangement with tour agencies. A trip to Kyaing Tong can be recommended in the dry season since the rainy season is very heavy in this area.

Must Eat : Shan-style foods

Must Buy : Shan lacquerware, most with simple designs; small lanterns to be used during Festival of lights; hats, bracelets, belts of Akha and Palaung ethnic groups.

Naung Tone Lake (Kyaing Tong)

Mandalay

Mya Nan San Kyaw Golden Palace

Mandalay, the last capital of Myanmar kings, 668 km north of Yangon. Built in 1857 by King Mindon; now the second largest city, rich in cultural heritage.

How to get there
Just over an hour’s daily flight from Yangon to Mandalay International Airport. About 14 hours by train, 12 hours by express or by car.

Where to stay and where to dine
Hotel Queen, Mann Myanmar Inn, Mandalay City Hotel, Mandalay Royal Hotel, Sein Sein Hotel, Silver Swan Hotel, Nadi Myanmar Hotel, Sedona Hotel, Mandalay Hill Resort, A little bit of Mandalay Restaurant. Meals: Chinese food, Thai food, Shan food and Myanmar food.

Why so special
Mandalay Hill, 230 metres in elevation, com-mands a panoramic view of the city: Mandalay Palace with its brick walls, gates and moat; Shwenan-daw Monastery, a magnificent build-ing dating back to 1879; Mahamuni Pagoda built by King Bodawphaya in 1784 which has the Great Buddha Image; Kuthodaw Pagoda (built in 1868)

where there is the “World’s Biggest Book” in 729 marble slabs with the Buddha’s Teachings inscribed on them.

Mandalay Museum, Zegyo Market and Silk Weaving Cottage Industry are among other places worth visiting.

Must Eat : Thick noodle salad; Kho-taung thick noodles; steamed glutinous rice; htoemon pudding; have a cup of tea (stirred with condensed milk and creamer) and some snacks at ubiquitous tea shops.

Must buy: Puppet; marionette; wood carving; gold leaf; silk garments.

Mandalay Hill

Mingun

Location
Situated about 11 km upriver from Mandalay and on the western bank of Ayeyarwaddy River.

How to get there
15 minutes’ drive from Mandalay.

Why so special
You can see the world’s biggest ringing bell there — 90-ton Mingun Bell. Good to look at the bell and try ringing it. Good luck!

Where to stay and where to dine
You can just put up in Mandalay, lunch and dine there, and motor north to try your hand at the world’s biggest bell, OK?

Must eat : Fritters
Must buy : Paintings; frithers, roasted peanut; local-made fars; garments.

Monywa

Than-Bok-De Pagoda

136 km west of Mandalay. A commercial centre of Chindwin Valley. 16 hours’ drive from Yangon. About 2 hours from Mandalay by car or train.

Where to stay and where to dine
Chinese foods available at Chinese restaurants. 1,200 Kyats per head at Monywa Hotel.

Why so special
Among interesting sites to see in Monywa is Than-bok-de Pagoda. It has more than 500,000 Buddha Images. Another place worth visiting is Ledi Kyaungtaik monastery. There you can see or study Buddhist scriptures inscribed on 806 stone slabs. Yet another place of interest is Kyaukka village well-known for the unique style of its lacquerware, things you can buy for souvenirs.

Po-win-taung and Shwe-ba-taung Hills on the other side of the Chindwin river is reachable by jeep or Hilux in about 45 minutes. Fares depend on types of car, ranging from 3,000 kyats to 8,000 kyats. Po-Win-taung has Buddha Images belonging to the 3rd century. The round trip from Monywa to the Hills might take about 5 hours.

Myitkyina

Location
Covering an area of 34,379 sq miles and with a population of over 1.2 million, Myit-kyina is in the northernmost state in the Union of Myanmar.
As its name (Myitkyi means “big river” and na means “near”), Myitkyina is on the western bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River.

How to get there
Total flying time: 185 mins from Yan-gon to Myitkyina.
By Malikha–Mandalar Train from Man-dalay to Myitkyina—it takes 25 hrs pass-ing through towns such as Shwebo, Indaw, Mohnyin and Mogaung.
Regular boat trip between Mandalay and Bhamo takes about 33 hrs.

Where to stay and where to dine
Popa Hotel (Railway Station, Myit-kyina) YMCA, Manaw Guest House. some of the best Shan noodles are to be found at a stall at the corner of Bogyoke Aung San and Zawgyi Streets.

Why so special
Myitkyina is the capital of Kachin State where giant fruits abound: apples, grape fruits, limes, pineapples, and assortment of oranges including the giant “Washingtons”, avocados, apricots.
On the bank of the Ayeyarwaddy River and in Myitkyina are Thetkya Marazein Andaw-shin Pagoda with a number of monasteries within its precints; Lawka Man Aung Hsè Taung-pyi Zaydidaw, built in AD 1118 by King Alaung Sithu, overlooking the Ayeyawaddy River.

Myitkyina also boasts a gurkha temple (Shree Shara Swathi Temple) and a Chinese temple.
And six miles from Myitkyina is the Kareinnaw Yeiktha, amidst rocks and mountains where there are restaurants and stalls.

About 300 km to the north of Myitkyina stands Mt. Hkakaborazi, the highest peak in south-east Asia (5,882 m.)
About 150 km to the southwest of Myitkyina is located Indawgyi, the largest lake in Myanmar. And Myit-hson (confluence) of Maykha and Malikha to form the great Aye-yawaddy River.

Must Eat : Traditional Kachin fare at the shops of their own operation. A little hot, but tolerable enough to delight. Noodles with pickled bamboo shoots.

Must Buy : Traditional costumes made from fabrics produced on the backstrap loom.

Poppa Mountain Park

Poppa Mountain

Located in Kyaukpadaung Township, Mandalay Division Poppa Mountain Park is 410 miles (656 km) from Yangon by car or train, via Nyaung-oo to Poppa 35 miles (56 km).

Accommodation
Forest Department ‘s guest house; Yay-nge guest house; Poppa Mountain Resort.

Ecosystem and Recreation
Founded in 1983, Poppa Mountain Park covers 29.63 sq miles. You can study dry zone ecosystem, natural hill forest and scenic beauty; geomorphological features, extinct volcano and volcanic plug; observe native traditional culture and worships; study wild fauna such as leopard, barking deer, dusky leaf monkey and 175 species of residential bird, 30 species of butterfly; observe plantation of medicinal plants; visit to the Environmental Education Centre.

Pyay

258 km northwest of Yangon; On the eastern banks of the Ayeyarwady.

How to get there
8 hours by train; 4 hours by car.

Where to stay and where to dine
Pyay Strand Hotel, Mingalar Garden Hotel. Also Chinese restaurants.

Why so special
A few kilometers northeast of the town is Thaye Khittaya (Sri Khestra), an archaeological site of the ancient Pyu capital (5th to 9th century). Shwesandaw Pagoda, Hsehtatkyi Pagoda are among places of interest. 45 minutes by boat to Akauktaung, a hillock engraved with many Buddha’s images on its steep wall of rock.

Pyin Oo Lwin

Pyin Oo Lwin lies only 69 km east of Mandalay, but at over 1,000 m above sea-level, it enjoys cool and pleasant weather the year round. This with other attractions make Pyin Oo Lwin a favorite extension of a Mandalay visit.

Pyin Oo Lwin can be reached by rail but most people prefer the three-hour-drive, as a day trip. Suited also for R & R, Pyin Oo Lwin boasts quite a number of hotels: Aureum Palace Hotels & Resorts, April Inn, Kan-dawgyi Lodge, Thiri Myanmar Hotel, Dahlia Motel, Gandama Myaing, Golden Dream Hotel, Mya Nandar Hotel, etc., etc.

Pyin Oo Lwin is well-known for its colonial-style houses with large compound and pine trees, eucalyptus and silver oak abound in town. In and around the town are 175 hectare National Kandawgyi Gardens, Pwe Kauk and Anisakhan waterfalls, and Peik Chin Myaung Caves. It is also a virtual showcase of Myanmar’s forest resources.

Sagaing

Kaunghmudaw Pagoda

A town 21 km to the southwest of Mandalay, and on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River; 30 minutes’ drive from Mandalay. The Sagaing Hills, a retreat for some 6,000 monks and nuns, are dotted with white-washed pagodas and have more than 500 monasteries. Soon-U-Ponya Shin Pagoda, Kaung-mudaw Pagoda and Ywah-taung Village (home of the silversmiths’ guilds) are there for sightseeing.

Shwe Sattaw

Wildlife

WILDLIFE SANCTUARY Located in Minbu District, Magwe Division. You can motor there from Yangon 400 miles (640 km).

Accommodation
Guest House (Dept 1) and Guest House (FREDA-1) 20 persons; with electricity and water.

Ecosystem and Recreation
Founded in 1941, the Sanctuary covers 213.4 sq miles. You can observe and study brow-antlered deer, star tortoise and other wild animals, such as 51 species of native birds and 40 species of butterflies; you can also observe dry zone ecosystem and Thandahat forests; and recreation.

Must Buy : Chin Blanket, Chin Shawl.

Guest house alongside the river & Shwe Sattaw

Taungdwingyi

It is also possible to go by car or bus from Yangon to Taungdwingyi. From Taungdwingyi it is only a few hours north to Bagan by car or railway. From Yangon to Taungdwingyi it is 280 miles by road.

Why so special
Taungdwingyi is a place to visit for those who are interested in Myanmar lierature, culture and history. Visitors can stay in Taungdwingyi and visit Beikthano nearby, or can stop over on their way to Bagan. It is still unspoilt and typically Myanmar, a tranquil town of traditional beauty, art and culture and friendly people.

Where to visit
The secular buildings in Taungdwingyi are mainly of this century, and only the religious edifices like pagodas and monasteries date back to the early years.

Shwe Inn Daung Pagoda is well worth visiting as it has a unique shape, a stupa with five terraces. Shwe means “Golden”, inn in Myanmar means a “lake” and daung (actually taung) means “hill”, so the name of the pagoda means the “Golden Pagoda on a Hill in a Lake,” which aptly describes its location.Leading up to the pagoda is a long tazung whose pillars are decorated with Myanmar glass mosaic of beautiful traditional patterns.The old stone stairways on all four sides of this pagoda constructed without any cement, the stone fitting perfectly.

An “Arakanese” pagoda called Rak-khine Hpayagyi, build on a small hill by King Min Pyaung in A.D. 996.

Other pagodas in this town are Shwe Bon-tha Pagoda, Shwe-Maw-daw,Le-Kyun Aung-Mye, Mwe Daw Shin, Gu Gyi, Gu Phyu, Gu Toke, Yadana-Beikman, Atwin-Sigon, Phaung -daw-oo and several others which have traditio-nal Myanmar architectural styles and motifs.

Taunggyi

The capital of Shan State. About 726 Km from Yangon. A hill station, over 1,430 metres above sea-level.

How to get there
By car all the way in 16 hrs. By train up to Nyaung Shwe and thence to Taunggyi by car. Air service up to Heho, then by car. From Taunggyi it is about an hour’s drive to Inlè Lake.

Where to stay
Taunggyi International Hotel, Duwun Motel,Hotel Empire, Paradise, and Golden Island Cottages Hotel.

What to see
Taunggyi is cool and pleasant all the year round. The market on every fifth day is crowded with ethnic minorities in their traditional dresses. Taunggyi Museum is worth visiting.

Yangon

Founded by King Alaungpaya in 1,755, over 350 sq km in area, with a population of about 5 million.

How to get there
Daily flights from Bangkok and Singapore Malaysia and Kunming. The domestic airlines Myanmar Airways, Yangon Airways, Air Bagan and Air Mandalay have regular flights to Man-dalay, Bagan, Kawthaung and other tourist destinations.

Sule Pagoda

Where to stay and dine
A wide choice of accommodations ranging from 4-star deluxe hotels to economy class hotels and motels.

How to go about
Limousine service at Yangon Inter-national Airport, free airport transfer by major hotels, taxis easily available in town.

Why so special
Shwedagon Pagoda where the relics of four Buddhas were enshrined, built over 2,500 years ago.

Kaba Aye Pagoda where in 1954 the Sixth Buddhist Synod was held in the Great Stone Cave.

National Museum houses the last Myanmar king’s Lion Throne, royal regalia, manuscripts, etc.

Must eat : Head to Feel Myanmar shop in Pyayhtaungsu Street for Myanmar food; or to Lucky Seven, the would-be McDonald’s of Myanmar, for tea and snacks. Good Myanmar foods available at Green Elephant and Paduma. Then the rice gruel at 20th Street downtown and mohinga (rice noodles with gravy) of Feel are well famed. Coloonial style? Monsoon restau-rant will do; Classic style, LePlenteur. Try Shan foods, dried prawn, jellyfish, shark’s fin, edible air sac of fish, and dried squid.

Must buy : Shop at Bogyoke Market (Mon-days closed) for gemstones, silver articles, gold embroidery, T-shirts with prints of Myanmar alphabet, monk’s umbrellas, and paintings. Lotus collections are preferable.

TODAY