Lonely Planet Myanmar (Burma) (Country Travel Guide)

88 Getting There & Away 299 Hidden here and there are dozens of tiny At the time of writing, foreigners were not buddha statues and the odd brick-and-stucco allowed to enter or exit Bhamo by bus. lion. The whole scene is made even more photogenic by a series of pyatthat (stepped IWT ferries leave from a jetty 2½ miles south towers) that flanks the monastery’s central of town. Fast boats leave from a pier on the golden-tipped stupa. And the island setting, central riverfront. with its tree-shaded village of wooden stilt houses, makes for a wonderfully peaceful The airport is a 10-minute ride from the centre environment. There’s a big local festival of town. Immigration police will register you on here in the week leading up to full moon of arrival. Tabaung. 88 Getting Around Old Shwegu AREA Motorcycle/three-wheeler taxis cost K1000/ (ေရဂႊ ူအေဟာငး္ ) Around 400m west of the 2000 to the airport, or K2000/3000 to the IWT central jetty is a stretch of relatively old ferry dock. wooden houses. Further inland is an area of tree-shaded footpaths and alleys that Intervillage pick-ups (called ‘Hilux’ after the forms an intriguing pottery district. Here, in vehicle model name) devote the rear section to household compounds, Shwebo’s archetypal N o rth e rn M ya nm a r SUGehptpwteeirgnuAgyTehyear ewa&dAyway goods and fix seats high on the roof as though for a safari. Dangerously top-heavy. tau ye-u (drinking water pots) and subu (football-sized piggy banks) are formed and Shwegu ေရႊကူ fired in kilns of carefully heaped rice-husks. POP C 18,894 / % 074 Every year only a handful of travellers jump An Daw Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE ship at historic Shwegu, a long ribbon of (အေံ တာဘ္ ရု ား) This eye-catching ornate pa- township that stretches for 3 miles along goda lies in a rural mainland field, directly across the river from Shwe Baw Kyune and the Ayeyarwady’s southern bank. It’s best around 2 miles east of central Shwegu. Mo- known for its elegantly unfussy pottery and for the fabled Shwe Baw Kyune monastery torcycles charge K1000 to get there, but finding one to come back can be tricky. on mid-river Kyundaw (‘Royal’) Island. Few locals speak English. 4 Sleeping & Eating 1 Sights There’s only one place in Shwegu that ac- Shwe Baw Kyune BUDDHIST MONASTERY cepts foreigners, and it is very basic. (ေရေႊ ဘာက္ ြၽနး္ ) At first glance this monas- There are teahouses and simple restau- tery looks 20th-century. Historians, though, rants clustered near the jetty. say it was built in the 13th century, while Sag Guesthouse GUESTHOUSE $ monastic fables suggest it was founded two millennia ago when an Indian prince turned (%074-52647; s K16,000, without bathroom K6000) The only place that accepts foreign- up with seven holy bone fragments of the ers, Sag Guesthouse is opposite where the Buddha. These are now encased within small buddha statuettes decorated over the Bhamo–Mandalay buses stop and behind the Mingala Monastery. The rooms are centuries with layers of gold leaf. small, with hard beds and cold showers, but While they form the monastery’s priceless main treasure (dattaw), for non-Buddhists this is the only option. It’s a 10-minute mo- torbike ride (K1000) from the jetty. the monastery is far more interesting for its extraordinary array of over 7000 closely packed stupas, ancient and modern, which 88 Getting There & Around fill the eastern end of the island. Some are whitewashed, others gilded and many more IWT ferries leave Monday, Wednesday and Friday are mere piles of antique bricks with just for Katha (US$5). Foreigners are technically traces of former stucco detail. Most appear barred from the fast boats that leave daily to have been suffocated for years by foliage, between 11am and noon (K7000), but you may Angkor Wat style. The bushes were recently be allowed on here. An afternoon bus to Man- cut back to reveal the spectacle, but getting dalay via Katha leaves at 2pm but won’t take to the outlying stupas is very uncomfortable foreigners. barefoot given all the stubble and thorns (carry your sandals). From a logging jetty 300m west of An Daw Paya, an open longboat ferries passengers across to Shwe Baw Kyune (K500/4000 per person/boat, five minutes). A much more

300 missioner’s house, which is still used as convenient option is to charter your own boat such, so it’s not advisable to knock on the directly from Shwegu’s central jetty, taking door. Directly northwest, the Orwell-era St around 15 minutes each way. A K10,000 return Paul’s Anglican Church collapsed in 2007 charter should include several hours’ wait while and has been replaced by a new church you explore the island. part-sponsored by troops from the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment in appreciation of Katha ကသာ the hospitality they received in Katha during POP C 26,732 / % 074 Christmas 1944. Literature lovers and boat bums will enjoy 4 Sleeping the small but lively Ayeyarwady port town of Katha, the setting for George Orwell’s Only three places in Katha accept foreigners, Burmese Days. It makes a pleasant break including a riverfront budget guesthouse, a from the IWT ferry, and there’s a rail link to guesthouse-restaurant in the centre and a Mandalay if you’re fed up with going with smart boutique hotel. the flow. Budget guesthouses, a couple of lo- cal restaurants and various boat ticket sales booths are close together along three short Eden Guesthouse GUESTHOUSE $ (%074-25429; Shwe Phone Shein St; s/d N o rth e rn M ya nm a r SUK iapgpthehtrasAy e ya r wa d y central blocks of Strand Rd, the attractive K15,000/25,000; aW) This guesthouse has curving riverside road. small air-con rooms with attached bath- room, but they are showing their age. 1 Sights Downstairs are a lively restaurant and beer In 1926 and 1927 Katha was home to Brit- garden, which draw a local crowd. It’s close ish colonial police officer Eric Blair, better to the cluster of George Orwell–related sites. known by his pen name George Orwell. Much of Burmese Days is based on Orwell’s Ayarwady Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ time here, and several buildings that feature (%074-25140; Strand Rd; r per person K9000, in the book are still standing. None, though, without bathroom K7000; a) This riverfront are marked as such or are commercial tour- guesthouse is good value for solo travellers, ist attractions (although the Katha Hotel offering solid air-conditioned rooms with has a helpful brochure with key buildings attached bathroom. The rooms with shared identified), so ask politely before trying to bathroom are fairly primitive by compar- barge in. The half-timbered former British ison. The owners speaks good English and Club, now used as an association office (and are a useful source of travel advice. much rebuilt since Orwell’s time), is tucked away 100m behind the 1924 Tennis Club on oHotel Katha BOUTIQUE HOTEL $$ a street appropriately called Klablan (Club (%075-25390; www.hotelkatha.com; 4 Landamaw St). A block north, the 1928 DC’s House was St; r incl breakfast US$18-43; naW) This classy actually completed just after Orwell’s stay, new budget boutique hotel is the best lodg- but its unmistakable style would fit McGre- ing in town and is set in a building redolent gor. Three families now live there and Daw of Orwell’s Burmese Days. Rooms are well Wei Wei Dwin sometimes shows visitors appointed with flat-screen TV, fridge and into the original (much decayed) drawing hot-water showers. The main difference room. Two blocks south, Orwell would have between standard, superior and deluxe is lived at the comfy, two-storey police com- the room size. Breakfast is included in the KATHA TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS DESTINATION IWT FERRY EXPRESS BOAT TRAIN Bhamo N/A N/A deck/cabin US$5/30; 16hr; Tue, Fri Kyaukmyaung & Sun 9pm N/A N/A Mandalay K25,000; 14hr; K2550-6950; 12hr; 4 US$5; 12hr; Mon, Wed & Fri 5pm 5am daily Myitkyina (via Naba) N/A K1600-4900; 9hr; 4 daily Shwegu deck/cabin US$9/45; 24-40hr depend- N/A N/A ing on the season; Mon, Wed & Fri 5pm N/A US$5; 6hr; Mon, Wed & Fri 5pm

301 attached restaurant, which has an extensive IRRAWADDY DOLPHINS Asian menu (mains K3000 to K10,000). The Irrawaddy dolphin is one of Myan- 5 Eating mar’s most endangered animals. This small cetacean has a short, rounded Shwe Sisa BURMESE $ snout like a beluga whale and hunts in (Strand Rd; mains K2000-6000; h9am-10pm) For lakes and rivers using sonar. In the past, a brew with a view, try this riverside restau- dolphins and humans were able to coex- rant perched over the Ayeyarwady. The loca- ist quite peacefully, and there are even tion makes Shwe Sisa good for a sunset beer. reports of dolphins deliberately herding Also try the fresh barbecued ‘Slavia’ fish. fish into nets, but the use of gill nets and the poisonous run-off from gold mining Sein Family Restaurant CHINESE $ has driven the dolphin onto the critically (Strand Rd; mains K2000-5000; h7am-8pm; E) endangered list. Only an estimated 50 Run by the descendants of Chinese immi- to 75 remain in the river for which they grants, this river-facing restaurant serves are named. Yet sightings do still occur, consistently good Chinese fare, including and a 45-mile stretch of river south of sweet-and-sour dishes and steaming noodles. Kyaukmyaung has been designated as a dolphin-protection zone. 88 Getting There & Away N o rth e rn M ya nm a r EKUayptapieunkrgmAyaeuyanrgwa d y shelter as many as 60 potters working at IWT ferry tickets are only available an hour be- hand- or foot-turned wheels. Visitors are fore departure and can be bought from opposite welcome to nose around and you’ll also see the main jetty. Buy tickets for the Katha–Manda- kilns, drying yards and piles of rough clay lay express boat from the office on the riverfront being chopped. a day before departure. The boat leaves from the office. Beyond Letyway Kyaunggyi monastery you’ll see almost every open space filled with The nearest train station on the Mandalay–­ large amphorae waiting to be shipped on riv- Myitkyina line is at Naba, 16 miles west of er barges. Homes, many of them old wooden Katha. The most convenient option is to take affairs with distinctive portal-arches, double a three-wheeler into town, which costs about as shopfronts selling vases, jugs and mustard K10,000 to charter or K1000 to share. There pots (from K200). While some are vivid green are two afternoon buses to Naba (K1000, 2pm (notably big owl-figure vases), archetypal and 5pm). A daily train connects Naba to Katha Kyaukmyaung designs are usually glazed a (K200, 6.30am), returning to Naba at 3pm. rich glossy brown that’s casually daubed with swirls of beige-yellow, the latter apparently Bus travel is now permitted to and from Katha, taking its colour from old batteries. but it is advisable to take a night bus (K10,000, 10 hours) given the long journey time. 4 Sleeping & Eating Kyaukmyaung Kyaukmyaung has one ultra simple guest- ေက်ာက္ေျမာင္း house (r per person K1500), but it isn’t licensed for foreigners, so you’re normally expected POP C 10,703 / % 075 to sleep in nearby Shwebo, 18 miles west. However, the local police will usually make The last major IWT ferry stop before Man- exceptions if your ferry arrives at a late hour. dalay is Kyaukmyaung (pronounced ‘Chao- The guesthouse, unmarked in English, is miao’), famous for its distinctive glazed down an alley just inland from the river. pottery. The pottery is produced in the de- lightful Ngwe Nyein district, a 20-minute Almost at the ferry jetty, the restaurant stroll south along the riverside from central marked with a diamond graphic is run by Kyaukmyaung’s attractive triple-s­ tupa, Non- local character Sein Win who speaks some do Zedi. Traffic en route is mainly a proces- English. sion of ox carts carrying firewood or rice husks for pot-firing. 88 Getting There & Away 1 Sights Southbound Katha–Mandalay express boats usually arrive around 2pm, docking at a central Pottery Workshops WORKSHOP The pottery district stretches a mile south of town beyond the Ayeyarwady bridge site. A block or two inland, several ‘factories’ are housed in bamboo-thatched barns, which

302 N o rth e rn M ya nm a r US ihpgpwheetrbsoAy e ya r wa d y HANLIN An almost imperceptible rise means that the attractive village of Hanlin (Halingyi, Halin, Halim) sits very slightly above the pan-flat surrounding plains. For centuries this geo- graphical advantage was deeply significant and the site was home to a large city over 1600 years ago. The few visitors who brave seriously rough roads to get here come to explore the area’s various archaeological remains (ဟန္လင္းေရွးေဟာင္းသုေတသနျပတုိက)္ . But unless you’re an enthusiast, the archaeological site is a disappointment. Luckily Hanlin village is a magical place in its own right. Unpaved ox-cart tracks link an incredible plethora of decaying old stupas that create the feeling of an untouched mini-Bagan. It’s best appreciated when the area is viewed from behind Maung San Monastery with its obvious golden zedi. Near the market is a collection of inscribed steles and stone slabs in now-­ forgotten Pyu script. Within the Nyaung Kobe Monastery, a museum room displays various ancient, but unlabelled, archaeological finds. Another minor attraction is the little hot spring area, where villagers collect water from circular concrete-sided well-pools and bathe in two bigger basin-pools. Hanlin is about 12 miles southeast of Shwebo. There are two routes here. One follows the canal beside the bus station for 6 miles to Bo Tè village. From there, turn left (across the canal) on the first significant road. This soon degenerates into a bumpy ox-cart track. Fork left at the only other junction. The other, quicker route takes you south of the bus station, before turning left and travelling for 6 miles down an unsealed rocky track that leads to Site 29 and the village. Going either way by car or three-wheeler would be excruciatingly uncomfortable. It’s better by motorcycle: with a driver you’ll pay at least K10,000 return from Shwebo. jetty three minutes’ walk north of Nondo Zedi. for snakes and thanakha (p303) and some IWT river ferries stop here mid-afternoon too visitors consider it good luck to take home and cost US$5 for a deck ticket to Mandalay some earth from ‘Victory Land’, as Shwebo or Katha. Pick-ups meet the boats and charge has been known since Alaungpaya’s time. K500 for the 45-minute ride to Shwebo, where buses leave for Mandalay hourly (K2000, three 1 Sights hours). Most of the sights in Shwebo are related to Shwebo ေရႊဘို its prominence as a former royal capital, POP C 69,036 / % 075 including the reconstructed palace and a handful of gleaming payas. Nearby Hanlin Between 1752 and 1755, the leader of little Archaeological Zone is an active excavation Moksobo village, Aung Zeya, revived Bur- site in what was an important Pyu-era city mese prestige by fighting off both Manipuri from the 4th to 9th centuries. and Bago-Mon armies. Rebranding himself Shwebon Yadana PALACE King Alaungpaya (or Alaungmintayagyi), his short reign transformed formerly obscure (ေရဘႊ ုရံ တနာ; admission incl Hanlin US$5; h7.30am-5pm) The city’s most striking build- Moksobo into glittering Shwebo (‘Golden ings are a pair of towering gold-painted Leader’), which became, until his death in 1760, the capital of a newly reunified Burma. wooden throne rooms, nine tiers high, once part of King Alaungpaya’s 1753 palace. What These days, Shwebo makes relatively little you see today, though, are reconstructed, of its royal history and few foreign tourists bother making a special excursion to see empty structures and the exhibits formerly on display are now in the National Museum its reconstructed palace. However, if you’re in Nay Pyi Taw. Come here to pick up a ticket jumping off an Ayeyarwady ferry at Kyauk- myaung, Shwebo makes a pleasant enough for Hanlin. staging point from which to reach Bagan Shwe Daza Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE (via Monywa and Pakokku) without return- (ေရတႊ န္ဆာဘရု ား) F As you approach ing to Mandalay. Shwebo is locally famed from the south, central Shwebo’s skyline is

303 given an alluring dazzle by a collection of Shwebo e# 0 400 m golden pagoda spires. These cluster around 0 0.2 miles the extensive, 500-year-old Shwe Daza Paya. 66Mahalpandula Close up, however, the complex feels a little Old City D Yan Gyi anticlimactic. Moat (1mi)DRd Aung Park Naungdawgyi Rd Sann Tinn Hotel (1mi); Kyaukmyaung (18mi) Old City Moat AREA Yan Gyi Aung St During its 18th-century heyday, the palace 66#ú Shwe Paing was at the heart of an enormous walled city. ñ# The walls are now almost entirely gone, but Eden Culinary N o rth e rn M ya nm a r US hlpepweeeprbionAyge ya r wa d y some parts of the wide moat are well pre- Garden served. The most attractive is the section ú# TDhhuakmamSat Moat around 2 miles north of town near Maw Letwei ThoBnudsaeras Stot #› Daw Myin Tha Paya, a pagoda built by Kyaukmyaung Mayawady St Alaungpaya and guarded by giant chinthe (half lion, half dragon deity). 4 66 Sleeping Ticket Office # AlaungZPeaigyyaoSt (Central Market) î# #V Shwebon Ben Shwe Thi St Yadana Pyi Shwe Theingha Hotel HOTEL $ Shwe Daza Paya St Aung Zeya St Hospital (%075-22949; Shwe Daza Paya St; r US$22-44; naW) Conveniently located opposite the Ú# Chanthaya Paya bus station, this is the best hotel in town – Pyi Shwe Theingha Hotel (450m); 66although there’s not a lot of competition. ›# (650m) Rooms are large and comfortable if a tad musty, and include TV, fridge and hot-water Shwe DPaayzaaÚ# bathrooms. D Sann Tinn Hotel HOTEL $ sprinkling of restaurants along Aung Zeya (%075-22128; Yan Gyi Aung St; r K25,000-35,000; St, with many beer stations in the northern aW) Located in the north of town on the quarter and along Yan Gyi Aung St. road to Kyaukmyaung, this cheap hotel has basic but comfortable rooms with attached bathroom. K35,000 will secure a bathtub, Shwe Paing BURMESE, CHINESE $ (Yan Gyi Aung St; mains K1500-4000; h6am-9pm) although whether there is enough hot water An airy, neighbourhood Chinese joint with to fill the bath is debatable. a Burmese flavour to the generous dishes, 5 Eating which come with soup and salad. It’s located on the main drag through town, but there is Open-air food stalls set up shop around no English sign or menu. the market, especially after dusk. There’s a Eden Culinary Garden CHINESE $ (Aung Zeya St; dishes K2000-4000; h6am-9pm; vE) The staff fall over themselves at the sight of a foreigner here, and the spacious SHWEBO THANAKHA garden setting is pleasant if a little ram- shackle as its renovated and extended. The Wherever you go in Myanmar you’ll predominantly Chinese menu is fine, with find hawkers selling thanakha, the some good vegetarian options. Draught My- sandalwood-like logs that are ground anmar Beer is K800 a cup. to a paste and smeared on the skin as sunblock. Shwebo’s thanakha is con- 88 Getting There & Away sidered the country’s sweetest-smelling and forms the subject of a famous folk The main bus station is a mile south of the town song, so if you want a gift to delight centre with connections to Mandalay, Monywa guesthouse grandmas elsewhere in and Kyaukmyaung. The train station is in the Myanmar, you won’t do better. It’s sold west of town with connections to Mandalay, on the southern approach cloister to Myitkyina, Naba (for Katha) and Hopin (for In- Shwe Daza Paya. dawgyi Lake).

304 SHWEBO TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS DESTINATION TRAIN BUS PICK-UP TRUCK Mandalay K800-1700; 4hr; 4 daily N/A K2000; 3hr; every Myitkyina K6700-13,400; 18-20hr; 30min 5am-3pm N/A 4 daily Monywa (for Bagan) N/A N/A Kyaukmyaung N/A K1500; 3hr; every 30min N/A 5am-3pm K500; 45min; regular K500; 45min; frequent until 4pm N o rth e rn M ya nm a r GTPehutettaFioanrg NAorrotuhn d 88 Getting Around WWII military outpost, Fort Hertz, but there is no actual fortress to visit. A trishaw or motorbike ride from either the bus or train station to the centre costs around The area around Putao is home to sparse K1000. Hotel staff may be able to arrange infor- populations of Rawang, Lisu, Kachin, Shan mal bicycle hire. and the last remaining Taron on earth, the only known pygmy group in Asia. The popu- THE FAR NORTH lation is heavily Christian and most villages have more churches than temples. Myanmar’s far northern range of Hima- layan ‘Ice Mountains’ is one of the world’s The best time to visit for trekking is from least-known ‘last frontiers’. Hkakabo Razi October to April, when daytime tempera- (19,295ft), the nation’s loftiest summit, was tures are quite pleasant and nights are cool. not conquered until 1996, but that’s not Conversely the mountaineering season for surprising given the trek to reach its base conquering Hkakabo Razi is August and camp takes several weeks. The surrounding September when there is minimal snow on Hkakabo Razi National Park is considered the route to the summit. a treasure trove of biodiversity. Landscapes here include steep forests, ridges of peaks 1 Sights bursting through the snowline and deep val- leys carved by fast-flowing mountain rivers. Central Market MARKET It is no longer necessary to have a permit (h6am-6pm) The Central Market is a lively to fly into the town of Putao, but you do re- place to explore if you get here early when quire a permit for all destinations beyond all the locals arrive from out of town. Doors the town, which means trekkers effectively open at 6am, so get here from 5.30am to need a permit to visit. see the crowds forming. It stays busy until around 8am when locals drift back to their Allow ample time for organising practical- villages. Friendly food stalls sell noodles, ities, as securing a permit via a travel agent soups and more. typically takes between 10 days and two weeks. In early 2017 Myanmar’s government 2 Activities temporarily stopped issuing permits for travel to destinations outside of Putao; check with Hkakarbo Golf Club GOLF local travel agents for the latest situation. (K2000; hfrom 3pm) Arguably the cheapest golf course in the world, it is also one of most beautifully situated, with the moun- tains all around. That said, it’s not the best tended, and between the cows, water buffa- loes, dung and more, it’s more like adven- Putao ပူတာအို ture golf. With club rental and a caddy, the total bill will come in at K10,000. POP C 15,978 / % 074 Set in a beautiful green valley below snow- Trekking capped peaks, Putao is the only town of any The Putao region still feels (and genuinely size in this far north Himalayan region of is) entirely cut off from the rest of Myanmar. Myanmar. It sprawls across several hills and The main draw around Putao is trekking or the action gravitates around two markets: mountaineering. Compared with Hsipaw or the Central Market and the Airport Mar- Kalaw, the trekking is pretty expensive and ket. This was the site of the isolated British

averages out at about US$100 to US$200 per 305 day, depending on specific routes, group size from its base in town. Treks include a stay in and the level of accommodation. Although it its upmarket village houses along the way or is an expensive destination, it remains pretty camping in tents if ascending the peaks on exclusive, making Bhutan look like a verita- the Indian border. ble Benidorm. Discovery DMC TREKKING Popular treks include two-day/one-night treks to nearby Lisu or Rawung villages, (%in Yangon 01-388330; discoverydmc.com) S a four-day trek to the ‘last village’ and 10- This Yangon-based tour operator offers a to 12-day treks to conquer Phongun Razi selection of original trekking itineraries (11,483ft), Phangram Razi (14,199ft) or Pho- around Putao and is a good choice to ar- nyin Razi (14,098ft), all mountain peaks range your permit for the trekking destina- near the Indian border. For an excellent tions beyond Putao. visual impression of trekking routes in the mountains around Putao, see www.hsde Whitewater Rafting N o rth e rn M ya nm a r PST hlueeteaFpoai rn gNo r th jong.nl/myanmar/putao. Putao is also home to the only whitewa- ter rafting outfit in Myanmar. Icy Myan- Even for just a two-day walk you’ll prob- mar operates one-day rafting and trekking ably get porters, a good cook and accommo- combinations for US$100 per person. The dation provided en route whether camping rivers are extremely beautiful and most of or in a very basic village homestay or cabin. the rapids are grades 3 or 4, allowing you appreciate the scenery without worrying Most treks include some photogenic sus- too much about flipping. Rafting trips run pension footbridges and some unspoilt rural on the Mula Creek, the Malikha River and villages, although the latter aren’t markedly the Maykha River. Multiday trips are also different from similar settlements elsewhere available, although it is better to have some in rural north Myanmar. Unless you trek whitewater experience for the longer trips. many days further, the Himalayan horizon will remain fairly distant, and might stay 4 Sleeping hidden altogether by rain clouds. Only three accommodation options are Don’t underestimate the rigour of hiking available to foreigners in Putao, and they’re here. Even the shortest loop includes long relatively upmarket compared with lowland days of fairly strenuous gradients and a high Myanmar. There are two guesthouses in chance of leeches, and you’ll need to be pre- town that currently do not accept foreign- pared for damp, cold weather. ers, but are hoping to get their licence in the near future. Nights can be quite warm Forget conquering Hkakabo Razi, South- in summer, and power is usually available east Asia’s tallest mountain at 19,295ft, only from 6pm to 9pm. Resorts may run a unless you are a professional mountaineer generator if they have good occupancy. with six weeks to spare. Two Burmese climb- ers disappeared on the mountain in August oPutao Trekking House LODGE $$ 2014 and a rescue helicopter crashed during (www.putaotrekkinghouse.com; s/d incl breakfast the search operation. US$110/120; n) The first lodge established in Putao and still the most atmospheric place Most trekkers come on an organised ‘tour’ to stay. Rooms are set in handsome wood- through tour operators in Yangon. Recom- mended operators include the following: Icy Myanmar TREKKING en houses arranged around a meticulously tended garden. Some rooms include balcony (%09 97135 2778, 09 4934 8766; japha.michael@ views over the surrounding rice fields and gmail.com; trekking & whitewater-rafting day trip US$100) S Run by experienced local guide mountain peaks. Set lunches (US$12) and dinners (US$15) are available in the welcom- Japhase, Icy Myanmar offers trekking and ing restaurant. whitewater rafting day trips on the rivers around Putao. He also offers multiple day treks and longer whitewater rafting trips for Hotel Putao RESORT $$ (%09 4711 1111; www.hotelputao.com; Putao Airport those who want to explore in depth. Market St; dm US$30, r US$60-80; n) This beau- Putao Trekking House TREKKING tiful lodge is now exceptional value thanks to the management slashing the rates by half. (www.putaotrekkinghouse.com) S The original Rooms are spacious – the deluxe rooms, in trekking operator in the far north, Putao Trekking House offers multiple day treks particular, are positively enormous. The only drawback is they are not really positioned to

306 US$20, but were not allowed to accept for- take advantage of the views. The restaurant eigners at the time of writing. includes Thai and international dishes and very occasional live music. Kham Su Ko CHINESE, BURMESE $ Malikha Lodge HOTEL $$$ (%09 8401 082; Central Market; mains K1500- (www.malikhalodge.net; r per night from US$700, 4500; h7am-9pm; E) Located on a corner packages per person from US$3000) Owned by near the Central Market, this friendly place Burmese billionaire Tay Za, this lodge is the offers Chinese and Burmese dishes through- most exclusive accommodation in the far out the day. The family also runs an attached north. The problem is that it’s so exclusive, guesthouse, but were not allowed to take it’s often impossible to secure a room if Tay foreigners at the time of writing, although Za and his buddies are in town. Bungalows it is worth checking if the situation has are stunningly set in jungle in Mulashidi vil- changed if you’re on a budget. lage or on the banks of the Nam Lang River. Rooms are available on a nightly basis, 88 Getting There & Away but most guests are travelling on all-inclu- sive packages that include meals, trekking The only way to get in and out of Putao is to fly and whitewater rafting. with Myanmar National Airlines (www.flymna. N o rth e rn M ya nm a r EPT hauettianFoagr No r th com), Golden Myanmar Airlines (www.gmair- 5 Eating lines.com) or Asian Wings Airways (asianwing- sair.com). There is usually at least one flight per There are few restaurants in Putao. Two day from Yangon and Mandalay via Myitkyina. It popular places share a street corner near the costs US$100 to Myitkyina, US$165 to Mandalay Central Market. The market itself is a good and US$229 to Yangon. No permit is required to place for a local breakfast, against a back- fly to Putao, but you will still need a permit if you drop of colourful commerce. plan to do any trekking. Tha Wan Razi CHINESE $ The road from Myitkyina to Putao is not open to foreigners. (%09 8400 186; Central Market; mains K2000- 88 Getting Around 5000; h7am-9pm; E) A popular restaurant in the middle of town, this place has elec- Cars and 4WDs are available for hire in Putao tricity all day via batteries. The food is pre- and are normally included in the organised tour dominantly Chinese with a few Burmese packages offered via tour operators and trekking and Kachin dishes on the modest menu. By companies. Local transport is mainly limited to night it is probably the closest thing to a bar three-wheelers and these are available from the in town, and some locals and the occasional airport to the Central Market area or Putao Trek- traveller gather here for cold beer. king House for K5000. The owners also operate a small guest- house with the cheapest rooms in town at Hotel Putao has a fleet of original BMW moun- tain bikes available for rent for a somewhat hefty US$30 per day.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Western Myanmar Includes  Why Go? Ngapali Beach. . . . . . . 309 Remote, rugged and rewarding, Myanmar’s westernmost Sittwe (Aykab) . . . . . . 314 states – Rakhine (also known as Arakan) and Chin – remain Mrauk U. . . . . . . . . . . . 318 staunchly untouristed. Mt Victoria (Nat Ma Taung). . . . . . 326 Those travellers who make it to Rakhine State tend to Mindat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 confine themselves to the pristine sand and turquoise wa- Kalaymyo (Kalay). . . . 329 ters of Ngapali Beach on the Bay of Bengal: Myanmar’s pre- Tiddim . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330 mier beach destination. Far fewer venture further north to Rihkhawdar. . . . . . . . . 331 the old Rakhine capital of Mrauk U, an amazing archaeolog- Falam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332 ical site studded with hundreds of temples, and the current Hakha. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333 capital, scrappy Sittwe. Best Places to Eat But if you really want to get off the grid, then head to largely unknown and undeveloped Chin State, where breath- ¨¨Aung (p317) taking mountains, forests and traditional villages await. ¨¨Htay Htay’s Kitchen (p313) The south of Chin is already seeing a tentative increase ¨¨Pleasant View Islet in visitors, drawn by treks to and around Mt Victoria. But Restaurant (p312) the perhaps more stunning hills in the north of the state – ¨¨Green Umbrella (p312) close to Myanmar’s border with India – still see only a hand- ¨¨Moe Cherry (p324) ful of foreigners a year. When to Go Rainfall inches/mm 12/300 Western Myanmar °C/°F Temp 30/86 20/68 8/200 Best Places to 10/50 4/100 Sleep 0/32 MAM J 0 ¨¨Ngapali Bay Villas & Spa JF J ASOND (p311) Nov–Mar Many of Mid-May–mid- Mid-Dec Rakhine ¨¨Yoma Cherry Lodge (p310) Ngapali Beach’s Oct Monsoon State Day, in Sittwe hotels are only season in both and Mrauk U, is one ¨¨Bayview Beach Resort open during the Rakhine and Chin of the region’s big- (p311) high season. states. gest celebrations. ¨¨Nawarat Hotel (p324) ¨¨Hotel Memory (p317)

308 50 km Tiddim Tagaung 30 miles Ta Ze 0 Thaing–ngin Thet Ke Gyio 0 INDIA Rih Kalaymyo Pyingaing Lake Falam BANGLADESH Hakha Chindwin Shwebo SAGAING Lotaw DIVISION River Budalin CHIN STATE Ayadaw Gangaw Monywa Chaung U Taung Pro Matupi Tilin Myaing Yesagyo Paletwa Sami Mindat Pauk Myingyan Aungthabye RLievemrro Pakokku MANDALAY Taungbyo MRiavyeur Pindawa Kanpetlet Old Bagan Nyaung U DIVISION W e s te rn M ya n m a r RW e st e rn M yanmar H i g h l i g hts Mt Victoria MTaeuknnKagofdKdDaBaKawoonlyniagsudpatneaaurunkSBkiRutKtWtiywhvMAaeiaeduurbPraknaooutguannwkngaUgyPuaMnHuBakaMNhMtaWnaayaykwimnnaae(gbuuNtyhnnGaagTiaytDRbPhlaiMwaaorASlybeeaTaKatgAHTwTaIRiDuNnEKinavaEAelgnern)dt naSARuinidvnnoetkgrtSyaaiylNaingMaPpainedCbahunau2kYeMnKaanyggawuyMakeuptnaPdgoaTpuaanugngMdweiiknt1gilyai Baronga Sakhanmaw MAGWE Ayeyarwady River Island Yebok DIVISION RiMvae-rei 2 Bay of KyaMuYMkKiapnMnayynanuuabuannynuaegnugngCRhaanmnTreSelaaeunneggIosLkRaaribvmeyuri(nRTTiaavMuuenrnigngugdpoo)knTShianyteet Myayde Bengal Kyun OCEAN Padaung Paukkaung Pyay (Prome) Ngapali Beach Thandwe Shwedaung BAGO Lontha Myabyin 2 DIVISION Nattalin INDIAN T(AhAannbddywrueeKgwaKKynaByyiewanTiyghne)atKhryaYaliauRKkikyveyeiRrinTitMhvaealrnyidawnAe-aYuDEnYIgVAIRSLWIeOtpMANaDnindhYoGlanyoSbitiknwgainuk Gwa Hinthada Western Myanmar Highlights 1 Mrauk U (p318) Drifting 3 Mt Victoria (p326) 5 Rih Lake (p331) Getting around the hundreds of ruined Climbing Myanmar’s third- way off the map at this heart- temples and fortifications in highest mountain in southern shaped lake on the Myanmar– the former grand capital of Chin State. India border. Rakhine State. 4 Mindat (p327) Striking 6 Wethali (p325) Taking 2 Ngapali Beach (p309) out for treks through timeless in both the emerald-green Savouring the seafood, sand Chin villages from this hilltop Rakhine countryside and and sunsets at Myanmar’s town. the state’s ancient history most sophisticated beach on a half-day trip here from destination. Mrauk U.

RAKHINE STATE 309W e s te rn M ya n m a r RSNiaggkahhptaisnlei&BSAetcaattciehv i t i e s responsible for sparking widespread anti-­ The interchangeable terms Rakhine (some- Muslim sentiment across Myanmar. At the times spelled Rakhaing) and Arakan refer time of writing, around 100,000 Rohingya to the people, the state and dialect of Myan- remain confined to squalid ‘resettlement’ mar’s westernmost state. Isolated from the camps across Rakhine State. Burmese heartland by mountains, home to a long coastline and the seat of at least four Ngapali Beach ငပလီကမ္းေျခ former kingdoms, Rakhine feels very differ- ent from the rest of Myanmar and the Rakh- % 043 ine remain staunchly proud of their unique identity. This has led to much strife over the With its pristine, palm-tree-fringed white centuries between both the Rakhine and the sand, the clear waters of the Bay of Bengal, Bamar and the minority Muslim residents of and a host of sophisticated accommodation, the state, known in the west as the Rohing- Ngapali – supposedly named years ago by a ya. Serious sectarian violence between the homesick Italian reminiscing about Napoli – Rakhine and the Rohingya erupted in 2012, has a justified reputation as Myanmar’s pre- while there were further clashes in 2016 mier beach getaway. near the closed border with Bangladesh. But for all the swish resorts, Ngapali For visitors, Rakhine offers two contrast- maintains a laid-back fishing village vibe, as ing experiences: the remarkable temples of evidenced by the small boats that head out the ancient capital Mrauk U in the north of nightly to catch the bounty that is served up the state and the palm tree-fringed beach to visitors just hours later. The locals remain resort of Ngapali in the south of Rakhine. smiley, and despite the increasing number of hotels, the 15 miles of coast here means History there’s still a lot of space on the beach. Even today there remains a debate over Peak season is from November to March. whether the Rakhine are actually Bamar Even then, Ngapali is an early-to-bed place with Indian blood, Indians with Bamar char- rather than a rip-roaring beach-party des- acteristics or a separate race (as is sometimes tination. During the rainy season (May to claimed locally). Although the first inhabit- October), things are almost comatose, with ants of the region were a dark-skinned Ne- many hotels closing for renovations or just grito tribe known as the Bilu, later migrants opening a few rooms. from the eastern Indian subcontinent de- veloped the first Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms 1 Sights & Activities in Myanmar before the first Christian mil- lennium. These kingdoms flourished before South of the hotels, and easily reached the invasion of the Tibeto-Burmans from barefoot by the beach, is the rustic fishing the north and east in the 9th and 18th cen- village of Gyeik Taw, where small fish dry turies. The current inhabitants of the state on bamboo mats across the beach. Even may thus be mixed descendants of all three further south is the bigger village of Lontha groups: Bilu, Bengali and Burmese. and an inlet of the same name, backed by a sweeping curve of mangrove and sand fac- Regardless, Rakhine’s historical roots are ing south. linked to those of northern India, which held political and cultural sway over the re- On a bayside hill east of Lontha is a modest gion for centuries before the land fell under white stupa. It’s worth seeing for its glorious Bagan’s dominance during Western medie- panoramic views – and for the adventure to val times. In 1430 the local king Naramithla reach it. To get there, turn left at the town returned after three decades in exile in the junction (near the market). The road runs Bengali city of Guar to establish a new cap- parallel to the boat-filled bay and quickly de- ital at Mrauk U from where Rakhine was generates into a path too sandy to ride on; if ruled for the next 400 years. When the Brit- you’re on a bike, leave it with a local. About ish annexed the state in 1826, the capital was five minutes or so after passing a small bridge, moved to Sittwe. you reach the hill steps to the stupa. In 2012 sectarian riots in Sittwe led to the Four-hour snorkelling trips, arranged by expulsion of that city’s Muslim community any hotel or directly with boat owners on the (known in the Western press as the Rohing- beach, usually depart at 7am or 8am to catch ya). The unrest was seen as at least partially the day’s clearest water. Most trips take in a few spots around (private) ‘Pearl Island’ off the south end of the beach. The coral isn’t

310 Ngapali Beach e# 0 400 m Ngapali Beach 0 0.2 miles A Amazing Ngapali ResortB(2.5mi); 4 4ÿ# 12 ÿ Sleeping 446661 CB Bank (2.5mi);D 1 1 Amata Resort & Spa............................B4 Thandwe –# (3.5mi); 2 Aureum Palace ....................................B2 Amara Ocean Resort (5.6mi)Ngapali Rd 3 Bayview Beach Resort ........................A2 Ngap 4 Jade Marina Resort .............................B2 5 Laguna Lodge ......................................B4 6 Lin Thar Oo Lodge ...............................A2 LIN THA ú# 7 Memento Resort..................................A2 14 8 Ngapali Bay Villas & Spa .....................B3 44444VILLAGE 9 Sandoway Resort ................................B3 4464464 66ÿ# D 10 ÿ# 10 Silver Beach Hotel ...............................A2 11 Thande Beach Hotel............................A2 ali Rd 3 ÿ# Ngapali 2 12 Yoma Cherry Lodge ............................ A1 Reservoir ú Eating W e s te rn M ya n m a r RSNlagekaehppai inlneigBSetaatceh 2 7 ÿ# Catch ............................................ (see 3) 4444411 13 ú# 13 Green Umbrella ...................................A2 14 Htay Htay's Kitchen............................. A1 Sandoway Resort 4464464 64 ÿ# ÿ# 2 ÿ# Ngapali #Ù Restaurant ................................ (see 9) Beach 15 Zaw-II....................................................B4 444443 Bay of 8 3 û Drinking & Nightlife Sunset Bar ................................... (see 3) 4464464 6Bengal ÿ# 9 ÿ# î# Ngapali Dispensary vember to March). All hotels include free air- port transfer. 4444415 1 ú# ÿ# 4464464 64 RoyalBeachMotel(160m); oYoma Cherry Lodge HOTEL $$ 4 (%043-42339; www.yomacherrylodge.com; off Pleasant View Resort (310m); Ngapali Rd; r incl breakfast US$115-140; aW) Just Diamond Ngapali Hotel (470m); north of Lin Tha Village, this excellent-v­ alue boutique place has handsome, Burmese-­ 44444Gyeik Taw Village (470m); 5 Lontha Village (1mi) ÿ# A B influenced, thatched-roof structures set around a well-tended garden. Rooms are 44444super, but there are plenty of bright red and very comfortable and big, with equally spa- blue fish to follow. Some people bring along cious balconies and attractive furniture. fishing rods to drop a line. It has a beach side restaurant and bar too. Book well in advance. Ngapali Concierge ADVENTURE SPORTS Laguna Lodge HOTEL $$ (%09 42173 1079; www.ngapaliconcierge.com) (%043-42312, in Yangon 01-501 123; www.laguna Run by the ebullient Gunter, a Costa Rican married to a local woman, Ngapali Concierge lodge-myanmar.com; Ngapali Rd; r incl breakfast US$60-80; W) A rare ‘budget’ option in Nga- offers treks (from US$30 per person per day) pali, but on a prime strip of the beach, the and mountain bike tours (from US$49 per person per day) of the surrounding area, as laid-back Laguna goes rustic with its simple but spacious rooms with open-shuttered well as rafting and sea-kayaking trips. windows and huge balconies. Mosquito nets 4 Sleeping hang over the big beds and a giant circu- lar window in the bathrooms offers views Hotels straggle north to south along Nga- through the room to the beach. All rooms pali Beach, with the main road through the are fan-only. area running parallel to the beach, which is best at the southern end. At the northern end, the beach narrows and is more rocky, Royal Beach Motel HOTEL $$ although it’s still pleasant. (%043-42411, in Yangon 01-393 458; www.royal beachngapali.com; Ngapali Rd; r incl breakfast Plan ahead, as some places book up US$80-115; aW) More personable than the months in advance of high season (from No- other midrange places, Royal Beach boasts

311 an almost village-like atmosphere. The 22 Jade Marina Resort RESORT $$$ rooms are decent-sized and many sport (%043-42430, in Yangon 01-660 112; www.jade huge balconies. While it’s a good strip of marinaresort.com; r incl breakfast US$180-350; beach here, the rooms are plain, a little aWs) This place has 56 rooms, 20 of them old-fashioned and lack TVs. Only six of the substantial two-storey affairs, but all sizea- rooms have sea views; the rest look out on ble and set around a very pleasant garden a garden. that sits behind a good strip of sand. Memento Resort HOTEL $$ Amazing Ngapali Resort RESORT $$$ (%043-42441; ngapalimementoresort@gmail. (%043-42011, in Yangon 01-203 500; www. com; Ngapali Rd; r incl breakfast US$45-90; aW) amazing-hotel.com; r incl breakfast US$180-468; Budget by Ngapali standards, the beach- aWs) The spacious and well-equipped front rooms at this long-standing place rooms and 49 villas all come with balconies aren’t sexy or new, but they are spacious and and many have sea views. The only let-down are located steps from a rocky and scenic are the beds, which are rather small and strip of beach. The cheapest rooms lack both hard for a place of this quality. The resort sea views and air-con. is close to Ngapali village and the airport, but away from the majority of restaurants Lin Thar Oo Lodge HOTEL $$ further south. (%043-42426, in Yangon 01-861 0279; www.linthar oo-ngapali.com; Ngapali Rd; r incl breakfast US$90- 110; aW) There’s a mix of older, garden-view Bayview Beach Resort RESORT $$$ rooms and newer seafront bungalows at this (%043-42299, in Yangon 01-504 471; www.bay midrange place. The rooms are big enough view-myanmar.com; Ngapali Rd; r incl breakfast and the bathrooms OK, but you’re paying for US$180-220; aWs) One of the more af- the location right on the beach. fordable top-end options in Ngapali, the W e s te rn M ya n m a r SRNlagekaehppai inlneigBSetaatceh Bayview occupies a nice strip of beach. The 45 ‘bungalows’ are actually linked rooms Silver Beach Hotel HOTEL $$ that are very comfortable without being (%043-42652, in Yangon 01-381 898; Ngapali Rd; r incl breakfast US$123-213; aW) At the north- super-flash and come with semi-outdoor shower, lots of space, and lounge chairs on ern end of the beach, Silver Beach features the private deck. Guests can rent out wind- prim, red-roofed duplex cottages that con- jure up the look of a 1950s British holiday surfers, kayaks and catamarans (US$5 to US$20 per hour). camp, with dated furnishings to match. oNgapali Bay Villas & Spa RESORT $$$ Amara Ocean Resort RESORT $$$ (%in Yangon 01-721 869; www.amaragroup.net; (%043-42301, in Yangon 01-230 0932; www. bungalows incl breakfast US$290-400; aiWs) ngapalibay.com; villas incl breakfast US$285-565; aWs) Our favourite of the high-end re- Fancy 3 miles of almost entirely undevel- oped white-sand beach? If you can afford sorts in Ngapali, and one of the most luxu- one of the 26 beautiful teak villas at this re- rious hotels anywhere in Myanmar. The 32 huge sea-view villas here feature stunning sort north of the airport, then it’s all yours. Rooms are steps from the beach, although high arched ceilings and are decorated with it is not as good for swimming here as it is real style in dark wood. Sixteen of the villas have their own plunge pools too, while the further south, and all have sea views. restaurant and spa are highly rated. Sandoway Resort RESORT $$$ (%043-42233, in Yangon 01-294 612; www. Aureum Palace RESORT $$$ sandowayresort.com; Ngapali Rd; r & bungalows (%043-42412, in Yangon 01-399 341; www.aureum incl breakfast US$190-410; aiWs) Along palacehotel.com; Ngapali Rd; bungalows incl break- with palm-shaded walkways leading past fast US$220-550; aiWs) How’s this for well-tended gardens and ponds, the high- decadent: 42 free-standing bungalow suites light at this Italian-Myanmar joint venture interspersed throughout a jungly, isolated-­ is the free-standing two-storey ‘villas’ and feeling compound, and equipped with hand- ‘cottages’, which feature lofty ceilings and some wood and stone furnishings and private appealing craft details. You get no TV, but Jacuzzi. The only thing more ostentatious is there’s a massive communal screening room the hotel’s single ‘Executive Room’, complete for movies, comfortably set out with padded with its own private pool. armchairs for nightly screenings.

312 5RESORT $$$ Amata Resort & Spa Eating & Drinking (%043-42177, in Yangon 01-665 126; www.amata resort.com; r incl breakfast US$200-230, bunga- Restaurants line the main road through lows US$320-440; aiWs) This complex Ngapali, with a dozen and more places of- of two-storey cabanas and rooms (request fering similar menus at similar prices. This rooms 701 and 702 for their brilliant beach is probably the best place in Myanmar for views), set back from the beach in lush gar- fresh seafood, while all the restaurants offer dens, is one of Ngapali’s most stylish resorts. a few Rakhine specialities. The eponymous spa is highly rated and the staff are pleasant and professional. There’s also a strip of sand-in-your-toes- type beach restaurants between Memento Resort and Thande Beach Hotel, which have near-identical menus to the restaurants on Diamond Ngapali Hotel RESORT $$$ the main road. (%043-42089, in Yangon 01-502 894; www.dia mondngapali.com; Ngapali Rd; r incl breakfast US$90-180; aWs) Located at the far south- Zaw-II BURMESE $$ ern end of Ngapali’s main beach, the 24 (Ngapali Rd; mains from K5000; h9am-9pm; E) spacious, pebble-dash bungalows here come Popular with the locals, the Rakhine food with simple furnishings and alternate be- here comes with a kick, but the spices can tween pool and sea views. be toned down if you ask. Also does good grilled seafood, as well as curries and salads. Pleasant View Resort RESORT $$$ Green Umbrella BURMESE $$ (%043-42251, in Yangon 01-393 086; www.pvrnga pali.com; Ngapali Rd; r & bungalows incl breakfast (mains from K3500; h10am-10pm; E) The pick of the beach restaurants, this long-­ W e s te rn M ya n m a r RENaagtkaihpnaignle&i BSDetraaitcnehk i n g US$130-220; aWs) Being expanded at the established and reliable place offers su- time of research, the Pleasant View has an attractive location at the far southern end per-fresh seafood and curries, and you can gaze out on the Bay of Bengal while eating. of the beach. Accommodation ranges from free-standing and duplex bungalows to rooms in a two-storey structure, all of which Pleasant View Islet Restaurant SEAFOOD $$ are simply decorated but spacious. (PleasantView Resort,Ngapali Rd; mains from K5000; h9am-10pm; E) Set on a rocky islet at the Thande Beach Hotel RESORT $$$ beach’s southern end (you may have to wade (%043-42278, Yangon 01-546 225; www.thande through knee-deep surf to get to it, or catch beachhotelmyanmar.com; Ngapali Rd; r incl break- the free boat service at high tide), this styl- fast US$110-250; aWs) The least stylish of ish eatery serves Western-influenced seafood the upmarket resorts, the Thande is never- dishes at a better price than most hotel res- theless a pleasant place to bunk, offering du- taurants. It’s also perfect for sunset cocktails. plex bungalows and rooms in a two-storey Catch INTERNATIONAL $$ building surrounded by gardens, all located (Bayview Beach Resort, Ngapali Rd; mains US$8-25; in a handy mid-beach location. h7am-11pm) The restaurant of the Bayview Beach Resort (p311) is located away from the THANDWE Located about 4 miles inland from the northern end of Ngapali Beach, Thandwe (သံတဲြ) and its low-key streets occupy a valley. It’s been a key Rakhine town for many centuries. When the British stationed a garrison here around the turn of the 20th century – the former colonial jail is today Thandwe’s central market (သတံ ြဲေစ်း; h6am-4pm) – they twisted the name into Sandoway. While not an essential destination, Thandwe makes for an interesting visit if you fancy a change of scene from the beach. Three golden stupas stand on hilltops around Thandwe, each offering excellent view- points of the town’s tin roofs peeking out of a sea of palms and hills. The tallest is Nandaw Paya (နနး္ ေတာဘ္ ရု ား; hdaylight hours) F, followed by Sandaw Paya (ဆေံ တာဘ္ ရု ား; hdaylight hours) F and Andaw Paya (အေံ တာဘ္ ရု ား; hdaylight hours) F. Frequent pick-up trucks to/from Ngapali run from 6am to 6pm (K500).

313 beach, but everyone eats from the Catch’s TAUNGGOK STOP OVER menu by dining at Sunset Bar, which is by the beach. It’s good for fillets of barracuda, If you’re planning on connecting to Sit- burgers and pizzas. twe from Ngapali Beach by boat, you’re most likely going to have to overnight in Htay Htay’s Kitchen BURMESE $$ Taunggok. A few basic guesthouses near (Ngapali Rd; mains from K4000; h7am-10pm; the bus station take foreigners, includ- E) At the northern end of the beach in Lin ing Royal Guest House (%043-61088; Tha Village, this attractive restaurant is run r US$10-20; a). by a friendly couple. Expect tasty, if gentri- fied, Rakhine soups (if you want your food 55 minutes to 2¼ hours, daily), sometimes via local-style – ie spicy – just ask), as well as Sittwe (from US$72, 45 minutes, daily). There decent curries and salads. are fewer flights in the rainy season (May to October), but Myanmar National Airlines (www. Sandoway Resort flymna.com) keeps flying daily. Restaurant ASIAN, EUROPEAN $$$ BOAT (Sandoway Resort, Ngapali Rd; mains US$9-48; Taunggok, 50 miles or so north of Thandwe, h7am-10pm; E) An elegant place to dine is the jumping-off point for travellers catching by the beach, with one of the more creative boats to Sittwe. Carriers include Shwe Pyi Tan menus among the big resort restaurants. The (% in Sittwe 043-65130, in Taunggok 043- Italian co-owners ensure that the pasta is 60704) with departures at 6.30am on Tuesday, made al dente and you can also dip into local Friday and Sunday (US$35, 10 to 11 hours); and dishes, such as laphet thoke (tea-leaf salad). Malikha Travels (% in Taunggok 043-60127), leaving at 6.30am on Wednesday and Saturday Sunset Bar BAR (US$30, 10 to 11 hours). The boats don’t always W e s te rn M ya n m a r IRKnafknohTrihnmaertSiYtoantBee ach run in the rainy season (May to October). (Ngapali Rd; h6am-11pm; W) As the name sug- gests, this is a fine place for a drink while There are daily buses to Taunggok from watching the sun sink into the Bay of Ben- Thandwe’s bus station (K4000, three to four gal. The cocktails and beers are reasonably hours, 1pm). priced (happy hour is from 6pm to 7pm), and you sit overlooking a wide strip of sand. It’s BUS inside the Bayview Beach Resort (p311). There are daily air-con buses to Yangon (K15,000, 11 to 12 hours, 7am and 3pm) via 88 Information Gwa, as well as a daily bus to Yangon via Pyay (K15,000, 13 hours, 1pm). For Mandalay, take the There are ATM’s that take foreign cards outside Yangon bus via Pyay and change buses in Pyay many of the hotels, as well as a branch of CB (K15,000, nine hours, 1pm). There’s also a daily Bank (Ngapali village; h 9.30am-3pm), which bus from Thandwe to Sittwe (K18,000, 18 hours, changes money, close to the Amazing Nga- noon). Buy tickets at Aung Thit Sar (% 043- pali Resort (p311). There is also a KBZ Bank 65363) in Lon Tha village, or from your hotel. The (Thandwe Market; h 9.30am-3pm) in Thandwe bus will pick you up from your accommodation. that changes money and has an ATM. All hotels offer wi-fi, although connections can be patchy in the rainy season. 88 Getting There & Away Kan Thar Ya Beach ကမ္းသာယာ ကမ္းေျခ AIR Thandwe airport is named for the town 4 miles in- If Ngapali’s ever-expanding resort scene is land, but is closer to Ngapali village and the north too slick for you, try Kan Thar Ya, a far less end of the beach. The hotels meet all flights and developed beach area 64 miles south. The offer free transport to/from the airport. sand isn’t as fine as Ngapali’s, although it’s Asian Wings (% 043-42037, in Yangon 01-515 still pretty good and fringed by palm trees, 259; www.asianwingsair.com; 112 Ngapali Rd), while the location between the mouths of Air Bagan (% in Yangon 01-513 322, 043- two rivers means the water isn’t always clear. 42429; www.airbagan.com; 407 Ngapali Rd), But if you don’t like seeing anyone else on Air KBZ (% in Yangon 01-373 787; www.airkbz. the beach, then this is the place for you. com), Air Mandalay (% in Yangon 01-501 520, There are other untouched beaches nearby 043-42404; www.airmandalay.com) and Yan- too. This is still mostly virgin territory for gon Airways (% in Yangon 01-383 100; www. foreigners, so don’t expect much in the way yangonair.com) serve Yangon (from US$111, of comfort or facilities.

314 War. The British moved the state capital here from Mrauk U and named the place 4 Sleeping Akyab after the nearby Akyattaw Ridge. For now, there are only a couple of very ba- Incoming wealth from trade with Cal- sic guesthouses approved to take foreigners; cutta fuelled the construction of some fine they’re both in or near the town of Gwa, ap- colonial mansions, but Sittwe suffered badly proximately 15 miles south of Kan Thar Ya. during heavy WWII fighting between the Further north, about 30 minutes’ drive past British and Japanese forces. Kan Thar Ya, is a new and better option. Today, the town’s economy is set to ben- Yaewaddy Motel MOTEL $ efit from the new harbour – a joint venture (%in Yangon 01-642 740; www.yaewaddymotel. between Myanmar and India – being con- com; Zee Gone village; r incl breakfast US$35; a) structed (and obscuring views of the Kala- It isn’t in Kan Thar Ya, but this new place is dan River from parts of Strand Rd) next to about 30 minutes’ drive north of the beach the municipal market. on its own strip of OK sand. Rooms are in concrete bungalows and come with air-con The sectarian violence that erupted in and TVs. You’ll have to make your own way Sittwe in 2012 has had a huge impact, effec- here from Gwa by car or motorbike. tively turning the city into an overwhelm- ingly Rakhine and Buddhist town overnight. Sakawar Guest With most of the Muslim Rohingya former residents confined to ‘resettlement’ camps House & Restaurant GUESTHOUSE $ outside the city, Sittwe’s once vibrant Mus- (%09 4966 6029; Main Rd; r US$10-15) Closer lim quarter is virtually empty and strictly to the beach than the other guesthouse li- off-limits and, like the town’s oldest mosque, censed for foreigners in the area, the Saka- protected by armed guards. W e s te rn M ya n m a r SR ilatektehwpi inene(gASytkaatbe) war has basic fan-only rooms and a shared bathroom. It does have a restaurant, though. 1 Sights 88 Getting There & Around Most of Sittwe’s action runs along the Main Rd, which parallels the Kaladan River. Along To reach Kan Thar Ya, hop on one of the two daily this route, don’t miss the Fruit Bat Trees buses that run from Thandwe to Yangon via Gwa, (Main Rd), where during the day hundreds and get off in Gwa (K15,000, five hours, 7am and of noisy fruit bats fight with equally noisy 3pm). You’ll have to pay the full fare to Yangon. crows before heading off at dusk – there’s a From Gwa, motorcycle taxis charge K10,000 to great view of their migration from the roof K15,000 for return trips to Kan Thar Ya Beach. of the Shwe Thazin Hotel (p317). Sittwe (Aykab) စစ္ေတြ Central Market MARKET POP C 100,748 / % 043 (ၿမိဳ႕မေစ်း; Strand Rd; h6am-6pm) Focused on the 1956 municipal market building, there’s Rakhine State’s capital, Sittwe (still known lots going on here from dawn up to noon sometimes by its former name Aykab), sits in an incredible spot where the wide, tidal and beyond – it’s well worth popping by be- fore your boat or plane leaves. Head straight Kaladan River kisses the big fat Bay of Ben- past longyi (sarong-style garment), fishing-­ gal. It’s a historic place, although there’s little of that past still around or accessible. net and vegetable stands to the fish and meat area, where stingrays, gutted eels and There are some lively markets, and when drying sharks make quite a scene. In the bay, the new port is finished, an economic boom might liven things up, but for now there’s small boats jostle for space to unload their catch. little of real interest here. The impact of sectarian violence in 2012, along with the town’s generally scrappy vibe, means that Shwezedi Kyaung BUDDHIST TEMPLE most visitors approach the city as little more (ေရေႊ စတေီ က်ာငး္ ; U Ottama St; hdaylight hours) Partly housed in a picturesque, ramshack- than a transit point to the ruins at Mrauk U. le colonial-era building on a back street, History this was the monastery of U Ashin Ottama (1880–1939), a leader of the Burmese inde- Sittwe was little more than a village prior to pendence movement during British colonial the Burmese invasion of the Mrauk U king- rule, who died while imprisoned for his po- dom in 1784. Fifty years later, Sittwe’s econ- litical activities. In September 2007, monks omy underwent a boom when British forces at this monastery followed in his footsteps took over during the First Anglo–Burmese

315 and took part in the protest marches then them from thieves. Some of his collection is happening across the country. More recently displayed in his former monastery, which is the monastery served as a shelter for those housed in a grand, century-old British colo- displaced by the anti-Muslim riots in 2012. nial mansion just north of the centre. The dusty, eclectic museum contains cases of old View Point LANDMARK banknotes, buddhas, votives (candleholders) and coins from the Mrauk U and other an- (စစေ္ တြဗ်ဴးပိြဳင;့္ Strand Rd) F Strand Rd cient periods, plus many bone relics of head leads about 1.5 miles south to a location monks, kept in small tins. called View Point, where you can watch the sun set over Sittwe Beach, a broad brown strip of sand, and the Bay of Bengal. The site has been undergoing redevelopment for Rakhine State Cultural Museum MUSEUM over a year now, but there are still no res- (ရခိငု ျ္ ပည္နယ္ယဥ္ေက်းမျႈ ပတိုက;္ Main Rd; taurants here (although there is a handsome K5000; h9.30am-4.30pm Tue-Sun) This muse- sculpture of two Rakhine wrestlers). That um features two floors of dusty Rakhine cul- may change in the future. tural goodies. On the 1st floor are displays Thoun bein (motorised trishaws) will on local customs such as models showing take you there and back for K5000 and taxis off some of the 64 traditional Mrauk U roy- for K10,000. al hairstyles, and drawings illustrating key moves you may need for Rakhine wrestling. Lokananda Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE The 2nd floor features diagrams and arte- facts that detail Rakhine’s origins (around (ေလာကနႏာၵ ဘရု ား; May Yu St; hdaylight hours) 3000 BC) and four key periods (Dhanyawa- You can’t miss this big golden pagoda between di, Vesali, Lemro and Mrauk U), complete the airport and the centre. Its cavernous gild- with useful renderings and models. ed worship hall, held aloft by decorated pil- W e s te rn M ya n m a r SR ilatektehwpi inene(gASytkaatbe) lars, is pretty spectacular. 4 Sleeping On the west side of the compound is a small ordination hall, which houses the in- Hotels in Sittwe aren’t great value, although triguing Sachamuni Image, a bronze bud- there is an increasing number of sleeping op- dha with its surface entirely encrusted with tions. Almost all places are on or off Main Rd. mini-buddhas. Apparently the image dates Yuzana Aung Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ from 24 BC and is said to have been found (%043-24275; Nga Pain St; r incl breakfast US$25- by Mrauk U fishermen. 35; aW) This new guesthouse spread over four floors is the best budget option in Sit- Jama Mosque MOSQUE twe. Rooms are compact, but they are light, clean and well equipped and come with (ဂ်မားဗလ;ီ Main Rd) This impressive 1859 comfortable beds. The staff are keen and building – the oldest mosque in Sittwe – there are good sunset views from the roof could have been lifted out of the pages of terrace. Arabian Nights. Sadly, since the 2012 sec- tarian riots, it’s been strictly off-limits, with barbed wire and armed guards preventing access, and has fallen into a state of disre- Kiss Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ (%09 45116 5896; [email protected]; pair. But its impressive white minarets still 145 Main Rd; r US$20; aW) The small rooms, poke above the trees and the wall that sur- rounds it. and even smaller bathrooms, are in reasona- ble condition and are clean enough to make this an adequate crash pad for an overnight Rice Market MARKET stay. (ဆန္ေစ်း; h6am-6pm) A few blocks north of the main market is the Rice Market, with tiny lanes between the Kaladan River and Motel Shwe Myint Mho HOTEL $ (%09 77979 9533; shwemyintmho2014@gmail. Strand Rd filled with simple wood homes, com; 56 Main Rd; r US$25; aW) Tight and where traders hawk brown and sticky rice – some bound for Bangladesh. plain rooms with smaller bathrooms, but they are clean and OK for an overnight pit stop. No breakfast here. Maka Kuthala Kyaungdawgyi MUSEUM (မဂကၢ ုသလေက်ာငး္ ေတာၾ္ ကီး; Main Rd; h6am- Mya Guest House HOTEL $ 7pm) F Monk U Bhaddanta Wannita spent 49 years collecting old coins and bud- (%09 45307 2866; 51/6 Bowdhi Rd; r US$25-35; a) Foreigners are now directed to a newer dha images from monasteries to protect block of spacious rooms that have hot water

316 e# 0 400 m 0 0.2 miles Sittwe (Aykab) B D A C 4 #â Jetty (1mi) Minbargyi Rd 1 Main Rd 1 D Ye Kyaw Thu St StrandRd 66 662 Nga Pain St w Chaung St Air 7 U Ottama St Myo L e 2 Strand Rd Ú# Air KBZ # # Mandalay #ÿ 16 66 663 23 f# f# 22 ì# KBZ Bank DwZienigSytHo(MtSeeetr(DcMhaananrStktSett)S9t#ÿ)2#1 Air #æ 6 # Bagan Ye # Old Clock 3 Tower D 12 ÿ#T#ßAh5kaâ#3aruBtÿ#aú#Yro8Sn1t7e#ÿSt15 W e s te rn M ya n m a r RS ilatektehwpi inene(gASytkaatbe)Minbargyi Rd 1 #æ Main Rd 4 Strand Rd 4 Sittwe New harbour University under 2 #ÿ 10 development #ÿ 14 5 #æ Lokananda 11 ÿ#ú# 19 î# Hospital Paya 0.9mi); –#(1.5mi) CityD Bowdhi Rd ò# Hall May Yu St # New Clock 5# Tower 18 ú# 6 Main Rd 20 6 A Strand Rd D Kaladan Riverú# 13 View Point (1.2mi) #ÿ B C and air-con, but no wi-fi. Acceptable for a not as flash as its namesake hotel in Yan- short-term stay. It’s just off Sittwe’s Main Rd. gon, but the 21 rooms here are modern, de- cent-sized and comfortable, although some Strand Hotel HOTEL $$ bathrooms can be a little musty, so check (%043-22881; [email protected]; 9 them first. Helpful English-speaking staff Strand Rd; r incl breakfast US$45-95; aW) It’s and a reasonable breakfast. Despite its loca-

317 Sittwe (Aykab) 14 Shwe Thazin Hotel .................................B5 15 Strand Hotel ...........................................C4 æ Sights 16 Yuzana Aung Guest House....................C2 1 Central Market....................................... C4 ú Eating 2 Fruit Bat Trees ....................................... B4 17 Aung ........................................................C4 3 Jama Mosque ........................................ C4 18 Móun·di Stand ........................................A5 4 Maka Kuthala Kyaungdawgyi ................D1 19 Mya Teahouse ........................................B5 5 Rakhine State Cultural Museum .......... C4 20 River Valley Seafoods Restaurant ........B6 6 Rice Market ............................................ D3 ï Information 7 Shwezedi Kyaung .................................. A2 21 May Flower Travels & Tours..................C3 ï Transport ÿ Sleeping 22 Malikha Travels ......................................C3 8 Hotel Memory ........................................ C4 23 Shwe Pyi Tan ..........................................C2 9 Kiss Guest House .................................. C3 10 Motel Shwe Myint Mho.......................... B4 11 Mya Guest House .................................. B5 12 Noble Hotel ............................................ B4 13 Royal Sittwe Resort............................... B6 5tion on Strand Rd, there are no river views Eating here: the new port gets in the way. oAung BURMESE $ Hotel Memory HOTEL $$ (off Ye Dwin St; curries from K3000; h10am-9pm; (%043-21794; www.hotelmemorysittwe.com; 19 E) Located on a small street directly behind Akaut Yone St; r incl breakfast US$55-80; naW) the museum, this popular, friendly place W e s te rn M ya n m a r SERaiattktihnwigne e(ASytkaatbe) Standard rooms here aren’t big – something does Burmese-style set meals with an em- of a Sittwe theme – but they are modern phasis on Rakhine-style spice and tartness. and well equipped and the bathrooms are a You could work from the English-language cut above the local competition. The profes- menu, but pointing to whatever looks tasti- sional staff can book onward tickets and the est is an equally good strategy. The fish cur- restaurant does OK Rakhine and Chinese-­ ries are ace, but you can skip the bear curry. Burmese dishes. Móun·di Stand BURMESE $ Royal Sittwe Resort RESORT $$ (May Yu St; mains K300; h6am-6pm) Móun·di, (% in Yangon 01-393 458, 043-23478; www.royalsit- thin rice noodles in a peppery, fish-based tweresort.asia; r incl breakfast US$80-115; aWs) broth, is Rakhine State’s signature noodle The pool was half-full of dirty green water, dish. Sittwe’s best – many claim – is served and the rooms old-fashioned, worn, and at this stall (look for the green awning) fac- overpriced. But they are the only ones in ing the city hall. town that can boast a beach view. Popular Mya Teahouse TEAHOUSE $ with aid workers who have drivers, which (51/6 Bowdhi Rd; tea/snacks from K300; h6am- you’ll need as it’s 1.5 miles south of town. 5pm) Sit under shady trees amid the potted Shwe Thazin Hotel HOTEL $$ plants and flowers at this pleasant teahouse. (%043-22314; www.shwethazinhotel.com; 250 Good for a breakfast of fried rice, or mohin- Main Rd; r incl breakfast US$45-60; aW) The ga, a fish-flavoured noodle soup (K600). rooms here are clean but old-fashioned, de- River Valley spite a seemingly never-ending refit to this long-standing place (it now has a lift). The Seafoods Restaurant CHINESE, BURMESE $$ bathrooms are OK, but the rooms are gener- (%043-23234; www.rivervalleyrestaurantsittwe. ally overpriced. The staff can book bus, boat com; Strand Rd; mains from K5000; h9am-10pm; and plane tickets. E) Popular among foreign visitors and the local gentry, Sittwe’s fanciest restaurant has a prime location on Strand Rd facing the riv- Noble Hotel HOTEL $$ er. There’s a big garden lit up at night to eat (%043-23558; [email protected]; 92 Main in and the menu is reasonably priced with Rd; r incl breakfast US$40-53; aW) The rooms many seafood options. There’s a less atmos- here are small, but they are comfortable and pheric branch on Main Rd, close to Shwe come with desk, satellite TV, safe and fridge. Thazin Hotel. It’s often booked out, so reserve ahead.

318 DAY TRIPS FROM SITTWE Have a day to spare? Consider taking one of the following boat trips. The most poten- tially interesting is to the weaving village Wabo, a 90-minute boat ride from Sittwe, where you can see Rakhine-style longyi (sarong-style garments) being made; the Rakh- ine are known in Myanmar as skilled weavers who can produce intricate designs in their cloths. The other boat trip is to hilly Baronga Island, across the wide Kaladan River, to see a typical fishing village. Boat hire to either will run about K100,000, and you’ll also need a guide: try the recommended Naing Naing or ask at your hotel for one (K30,000 per day). W e s te rn M ya n m a r MIRnarfkaohuriknmaUetSitoant e 88 Information ets in advance. Ferries depart Sittwe Tuesday and Friday at 8am, and return from Mrauk U on KBZ Bank (Main Rd; h 9.30am-3pm Mon-Fri) Wednesday and Saturday at 8am (US$7, four to Bank offering foreign exchange and an ATM. seven hours). There are other ATMs that take foreign cards on Main Rd. Slightly faster is a chartered private boat May Flower Travels & Tours (Main Rd; h 9am- (K150,000, four to seven hours), a simple 5.30pm) Can book air tickets. tarp-covered boat with a flat deck, a few plastic chairs and a very basic toilet. Generally a boat can 88 Getting There & Away fit four to six people, with a driver who will wait at Mrauk U with the boat for two or three nights. Foreigners are now allowed to travel overland to and from Sittwe. By far the quickest and best option is the ‘speedboats’ run by Shwe Pyi Tan (% 09 4959 AIR 2709, 043-22719; cnr Main Rd & U Ottama St; Sittwe’s airport is about 1.5 miles west of the h 8am-8pm), with departures from Sittwe on centre. Thoun bein (K3000 to K4000) and mo- Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 7am, and torcycle taxis (K2000) await flights. from Mrauk U on Monday and Thursday at 7am (K25,000, two hours). Air KBZ (% in Yangon 01-373 787, 043-22779; www.airkbz.com; U Ottama St; h 8am-5pm), To Taunggok Air Mandalay (% in Yangon 01-501 520, 043- Fast boats to Taunggok, the jumping-off point 21638; www.airmandalay.com; U Ottama St; for Ngapali Beach, are run by Malikha Travels h 8am-6pm), Air Bagan (% in Yangon 01-513 (% 043-24248, 043-24037; Main Rd; h 9am- 322, 09 852 2256; www.airbagan.com; Htee Dan 5pm), with departures on Monday and Thursday St; h 9am-5pm) and Myanmar National Airlines at 6am (US$30, 10 to 11 hours), and Shwe Pyi (www.flymna.com) connect Sittwe with Yangon Tan, with departures on Wednesday, Friday and (from US$91, 1¼ hours) and Thandwe (from Sunday at 6am (US$35, 10 to 11 hours). US$72, 45 minutes). There are fewer flights in the rainy season (May to October). Mrauk U ေျမာက္ဦး POP C 36,139 / %043 BUS Sittwe’s bus station is about 3 miles northwest Myanmar’s second-most-famous archaeo- of the centre. A thoun bein will cost K4000, and logical site, Mrauk U (pronounced ‘mrau-oo’) a motorcycle taxi K2500. is very different from Bagan. The temples – previously mistaken for forts due to thick There are daily buses to Mrauk U (K4000, 3½ bunker-like walls built for protection from hours, 6.30am and noon), Yangon (K20,500, 28 the fierce Rakhine winds – are smaller and hours, 6am) and Mandalay (K25,300, 24 hours, newer and, unlike Bagan’s, are predomi- 6am). nantly made from stone, not brick. Mrauk U’s temples, too, are dispersed throughout BOAT a still-inhabited and fecund landscape of Sittwe’s jetty is 1 mile north of town, a K2000 small villages, rice paddies, rounded hillocks ride in a thoun bein. and grazing cows, whereas Bagan’s temples stand in somewhat sterile isolation. Beyond To Mrauk U its temples, Mrauk U remains a rough and To reach Mrauk U by boat there a few options. ready riverside town surrounded by some beautiful countryside, where you’ll find Chin The slowest is the double-decker boats run by the government’s Inland Water Transport (IWT; % 043-23382). There’s an office west of Sittwe’s jetty, though there’s no need to buy tick-

319 villages and other significant archaeological to hire a bike or truck to see the more re- and religious sites. Best of all, you’re likely to mote temples in the North Group or those have the temples all to yourself: only about in the East Group. 5000 foreigners make it to Mrauk U annually. That will change if a long-delayed airport The sights are not always marked – in opens in the next few years, so get here be- English or any other language – and this fore the rush. is where an experienced guide can come in handy. Not only do many of the guides in History the Regional Guides Society – Mrauk U (%09 78240 4790, 09 25024 2844; jimes.htun@ Mrauk U was the last great Rakhine capital, gmail.com; per day US$35) speak English well from 1430 to 1784, when it was one of the and have a good grasp on local history and richest cities in Asia. In its heyday, it served culture, but they’re also locally based, work as a free port, trading with the Middle East, independently and are dedicated to the Asia, Holland, Portugal and Spain. The Por- principles of community-based tourism. tuguese Jesuit priest, A Farinha, who vis- ited in the 17th century, called it ‘a second A torch (flashlight) is necessary to see Venice’, while other visitors compared it to some of the more interesting stone carvings – London or Amsterdam. Little remains of in particular those at Dukkanthein Paya, the European quarter, Daingyi Phat (about Andaw Paya and Mahabodi Shwegu. 3 miles south of Mrauk U’s current centre), other than ruins and a Hindu temple. 1 North Group W e s te rn M ya n m a r SMR iargkahhutiksn Ue S tat e The Mrauk U dynasty was much feared For many, this area is the best of the bunch by the peoples of the Indian subcontinent in Mrauk U, with all sites within walking and central Myanmar. Japanese Christians distance. There are a couple of tea shops, fleeing persecution in Nagasaki were hired food stalls and a gift shop below Shittaung as bodyguards for the king. At Mrauk U’s Paya. peak, King Minbin (1531–53) created a naval fleet of some 10,000 war boats that domi- oShittaung Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE nated the Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mart- aban. Many of Mrauk U’s finest temples (ရစွ ္ေသာင္းဘရု ား; K5000; h7am-5pm) Shit- (Shittaung, Dukkanthein, Laymyetnha and taung means ‘Shrine of the 80,000 Images’, Shwetaung) were built during his reign. a reference to the number of holy images inside. King Minbin, the most powerful of Mrauk U was a successor to three earlier Rakhine’s kings, built Shittaung in 1535. kingdoms in the area: Dhanyawady (c 1st This is Mrauk U’s most complex temple – to 6th centuries AD); Wethali (3rd to 11th it’s a frenzy of stupas of various sizes; some centuries AD), the remains of which are still 26 surround a central stupa. Thick walls, visible to the north; and Lemro (11th to 15th with windows and nooks, surround the centuries AD). All four kingdoms blended two-tiered structure, which has been highly elements of Theravada and Mahayana Bud- reconstructed over the centuries – in some dhism with Hinduism and Islam. In the late places rather clumsily. 18th century, the Konbaung dynasty assert- Outside the temple, beside the southwest ed its power over the region and Mrauk U entrance stairway, and inside a locked mint- was integrated into the Burmese kingdoms green building, is the much-studied Shit- centred on Mandalay. taung Pillar (ရစွ ေ္ သာင္းဘရု ားသမငုိ ္းေက်ာ ကစ္ ာတိုင;္ hdaylight hours) F, a 10ft sand- After the First Anglo–Burmese War of stone obelisk brought here from Wethali by 1824–26, the British Raj annexed Rakhine King Minbin. Considered the ‘oldest history and set up its administrative headquarters book in Myanmar’ (by the Rakhine at least), in Sittwe, thus turning Mrauk U into a polit- three of the obelisk’s four sides are inscribed ical backwater virtually overnight. in faded Sanskrit. The east-facing side likely dates from the end of the 5th century. The 1 Sights western face displays a list dating from the 8th century, outlining Rakhine kings from The original site of Mrauk U is spread over 638 BC to AD 729 (King Anandacandra). 17.5 sq miles, although the town today and Lying on its back next to the pillar is a bulk of the temples to visit cover a 2.7-sq- cracked, 12ft-long sandstone slab featur- mile area. Most of the temples in the North ing an engraved lotus flower (a Buddhist Group and all of the Palace Site can be motif) growing from a wavy line of water reached by foot, but you’ll most likely want

320 enshrine a piece of the Buddha tooth relic supposedly brought from Sri Lanka by King MRAUK U FEES Minbin in the early 16th century. Foreign visitors to Mrauk U are required oDukkanthein Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE to pay an archaeological site ‘entry fee’ of K5000. There’s only one place to pay (ထုတ္ခသံ မိ ္ဘုရား; hdaylight hours) F it – Shittaung Paya – but it is some- Built by King Minphalaung in 1571, Dukkan- times collected at the boat jetty when thein Paya smacks of a bunker (with stupas). you arrive or depart. On the government Wide stone steps lead up the south and east ferry, you may be asked to show proof side of the building considered to be an ordi- of payment before leaving. nation hall; take the east side steps to reach the entrance. The interior features spiralling cloisters lined with images of buddhas and and touching an intricately engraved dham- ordinary people (landlords, governors, offi- macakka (Pali for ‘Wheel of the Law’). cials and wives) sporting all of Mrauk U’s 64 traditional hairstyles. The passageway near- Along the outer walls, several reliefs can ly encircles the centre three times before be seen (some are hard to reach); a few on reaching the sun-drenched buddha image. the south side are rather pornographic. oMahabodhi Shwegu BUDDHIST TEMPLE Inside the temple’s prayer hall you’ll see several doors ahead. Two lead to passage- (မဟာေဗာဓိေရဂႊ ;ူ hdaylight hours) F The ways that encircle the main buddha image highlight of this squat, little-visited temple in the cave hall (which can be seen straight is its passageway with bas-relief illustra- W e s te rn M ya n m a r SMR iargkahhutiksn Ue S tat e ahead). tions of the tribumi – Buddhist visions of heaven, earth and hell – including acrobats, The far left (southwest) doorway leads to worshippers and animals. At the end there’s the outer chamber, a 310ft passageway with a 6ft central buddha and four buddhas in sandstone slabs cut into six tiers. More than niches; the throne of the former includes 1000 sculptures depict Rakhine customs (eg some erotic carvings. Mahabodhi Shwe- traditionally dressed dancers, boxers and ac- gu is largely hidden behind shrubbery on robats), beasts of burden and hundreds of a hilltop northeast of Ratanabon Paya. To Jataka (scenes from Buddha’s past 550 lives). get here, proceed up the barely discernible At each corner are bigger figures, including uphill path that starts behind the covered the maker King Minbin and his queens at water well. the southwest corner. The passage opens in the front, where you can step out for views. Ratanabon Paya BUDDHIST STUPA Next to the outer chamber entry is a (ရတနာပံဘု ရု ား; hdaylight hours) F This coiling inner chamber leading past scores massive stupa (sometimes called Yadanap- of buddha images in niches, passing a Bud- on) is ringed by 24 smaller stupas. It was ap- dha footprint where – it’s said – the Buddha parently built by Queen Shin Htway in 1612. walked during his post-enlightenment. Once During WWII a bomb nailed it, but it had you get to the dead end, double back to the already been picked at by treasure hunters hall, and see if you can feel the passage- attracted by the name, which means ‘accu- way becoming cooler. Some claim it does, mulation of treasure’. Renovations later re- symbolising the ‘cooling effect’ of Buddhist paired the enormous bomb-made crack and teachings. Andaw Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE reinserted the tall chattra (spire). (အံေတာ္ဘုရား; hdaylight hours) F Andaw Paya takes the form of an eight-sided mon- ument with a linear layout: rectangular Laungbanpyauk Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE prayer hall to the east, multispired sanctuary (ေလာငပ္ ြနး္ ေျပာကဘ္ ုရား; hdaylight hours) F This octagonal, slightly leaning zedi to the west. Sixteen zedi (stupas) are aligned (stupa) was built by King Minkhaungraza in a square-cornered U-shape around the in 1525. An unusual feature is its outer wall, southern, northern and western platforms. adorned with Islamic-inspired glazed tiles in Two concentric passageways are lined with the shape of large flowers. buddha niches; in the centre of the shrine, an eight-sided pillar supports the roof. Pitaka Taik HISTORIC SITE The original construction of the shrine is (ပဋိ ကတတ္ ကုိ ;္ hdaylight hours) F This compact, highly ornate stone building is one ascribed to King Minhlaraza in 1521. King of the seven Mrauk U libraries remaining Minrazagyi then rebuilt Andaw in 1596 to

321 Mrauk U e# 0 1 km 0 0.5 miles 6666A B C D #æ 13 1 8 3 Mahaboe# dhi 1 #Ú Ú# Shwegu 9 #Ú 14 Ú# 32 Ú#Ú##Ú5 15 6666Shittaung #þ Paya 16 Dukkanthein Ú# #Ú Paya 1 4 æ# 19 Kothaung Ú# Paya 2 ÿ# 27 24 6662 ÿ# ì# KBZ #Ú 6 Ú# 17 Ú# 2 Bank 11 ÿ# 23 ú# R Shwegudaung 12 31 Hill Ú# 21 ÿ# 29 ú# 22 ÿ# â# 10 W 30 ú# ˜#STrtuanckd eze Creek 25 ÿ# 3 Market# ÿ# W e s te rn M ya n m a r MRS iargkahhutiksn Ue S tat eÚ# 283 Medical aze Creek Services Aungdat #î 20 Al Creek 2ÿ#6#, U Than Tun 6666 Bike Rental f#f# Hay Mar 7 Jetty #æ 44 Mrauk U Princess Resort (500m)D#Ú 18 Laksaykan 6666666A C D Lake B Mrauk U æ Top Sights 66666661 Dukkanthein Paya ................................. B2 2 Kothaung Paya ...................................... D2 19 Shittaung Pillar .......................................B2 20 Shwetaung Paya ....................................C3 3 Mahabodhi Shwegu................................B1 ÿ Sleeping 4 Shittaung Paya ...................................... B2 21 Golden Star Guest House......................A2 22 Laymro River Guest House ...................A3 23 Mrauk U Palace ......................................A2 æ Sights 24 Nawarat Hotel ........................................B2 5 Andaw Paya ........................................... B2 6 Haridaung Paya ..................................... B2 25 Prince Hotel ............................................C3 7 Laksaykan Gate ..................................... B4 26 Royal City Guest House .........................A3 8 Laungbanpyauk Paya.............................B1 27 Shwe Thazin Hotel .................................A2 9 Laymyetnha Paya................................... A1 28 Vesali Resort Hotel ................................C3 10 Palace Museum ..................................... B3 11 Peisi Daung Paya ................................... D2 ú Eating 12 Pharaouk Paya....................................... D2 For You.......................................... (see 22) 13 Pitaka Taik...............................................B1 29 Happy Garden ........................................A3 14 Ratana San Rwe Paya & Ratana 30 Kaung Thant ...........................................A3 Hman Kin Paya ....................................B1 31 Moe Cherry .............................................B2 15 Ratanabon Paya .....................................B1 16 Ratanamanaung .................................... B2 þ Shopping 17 Sakyamanaung Paya............................. C2 32 L'amitie Art Gallery ................................ B1 18 Sanda Muhni Phara Gri Kyaung Taik ... B4

322 jewel-s­ eekers overturned walls, or that it was from the original 48. Today protected by a built with inferior stones by a superstitious blue-and-maroon shelter, it was built in 1591 king bent on beating a six-month deadline. by King Minphalaung as a repository for the Regardless, the structure as it looks today Tripitaka (Three Baskets; the Buddhist can- is the result of a rather heavy-handed 1996 on), which was received from Sri Lanka in the reconstruction. Recalling Borobudur in In- 1640s. It’s wee – only 13ft long and 9ft high. donesia, the exterior is coated with bell-like stone stupas. The 90,000 images in question Laymyetnha Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE line the outer passageway, the entrances to which are guarded by grimacing ogres. (ေလးမ်ကႏ္ ာွ ဘုရား; hdaylight hours) F Stairways lead up to a top terrace, once dot- This poorly restored temple looks a bit like a ted with 108 stupas. squashed-up version of the nearby Dukkan- thein but was actually built 140 years earlier, making it the oldest temple of the Mrauk U period. Peisi Daung Paya BUDDHIST PAGODA Ratana San Rwe Paya (ေပစေိ တာင္ဘရု ား; hdaylight hours) F Sit- & Ratana Hman Kin Paya BUDDHIST STUPA ting on a hilltop, this unrestored four-door (ရတနာစရံ ဘဲြ ရု ား ရတနာမနွ က္ ငး္ ဘရု ား; hday- pagoda is thought to predate the Mrauk U light hours) F Directly south of Mahabodhi period. Climb to the top, push your way past Shwegu, these two adjacent hilltop stupas the rubble and cobwebs and inside you’ll have been recently restored. find four sandstone buddha images, three of which have marble eyes – ostensibly add- ed later by merit-seeking monks. The view 1 East Group from the top, of seemingly endless hillocks W e s te rn M ya n m a r SMR iargkahhutiksn Ue S tat e that allegedly were each home to some sort This area stretches a mile or so east of the of Buddhist monument, puts Mrauk U’s for- palace walls. mer wealth and glory in perspective. oKothaung Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE Pharaouk Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE (ကးုိ ေသာငး္ ဘရု ား; hdaylight hr) F One of (ဘရု ားအပု ဘ္ ရု ား; hdaylight hours) F The Mrauk U’s star attractions, Kothaung Paya is also the area’s largest temple. It was built in name of this hilltop temple can be interpret- ed as meaning ‘holding control of the people’. 1553 by King Minbin’s son, King Mintaikkha, Its 29 niches with sitting buddha statues are a to outdo his dad’s Shittaung by 10,000 images (‘Kothaung’ means ‘Shrine of 90,000 Images’). reference to Mrauk U’s 29 former townships. Kothaung Paya is located a mile or so east Sakyamanaung Paya BUDDHIST STUPA of the palace; follow the road directly north of the market, veering left on the much (သက်ကျမာန်အောင်ဘုရား; hdaylight hours) F Roughly half a mile northeast of the smaller road before the bridge. palace walls, and behind Shwegudaung hill, Much of Kothaung Paya was found in fragments. Legends vary – that lightning this graceful Mon-influenced zedi was erect- ed in 1629 by King Thirithudhammaraza. At or an earthquake destroyed it in 1776, that this later stage, stupas were built more verti- cally and ornately than before. The lower half of the well-preserved 280ft BOOKS ABOUT MRAUK U zedi features a multitiered octagonal shape, as at Laungbanpyauk Paya, but beyond this There are several useful books on the bells revert to a layered circular shape Rakhine history and Mrauk U. Myar mounted by a decorative hti (umbrella-like Aung’s paperback Famous Monuments top). You’ll see brightly painted, half-­kneeling of Mrauk-U (2007) has lots of photos, giants at the west gate. but its poorly translated text isn’t the easiest to follow. Far better are Pamela Ratanamanaung BUDDHIST TEMPLE Gutman’s scholarly Burma’s Lost King- dom: Splendours of Arakan (2006), Tun (ရတနာမာနေ္ အာင;္ hdaylight hours) F Shwe Khine’s artful A Guide to Mrauk U There are good views westward from this (1993) and U Shwe Zan’s more detailed temple looking over Shwegudaung hill. The Golden Mrauk U: An Ancient Cap- ital of Rakhine (1997), all of which are 1 Palace Site & Around worth searching out before heading to Mrauk U. Just east of the main strip of Mrauk U vil- lage, the one-time royal palace of Mrauk U

now is mostly crumbling walls (though the 323 outer walls still stand 11.5ft high). happily explain to you. They will also point out a large copper roof tile (now used as a Legend has it that King Minbin’s astrolo- table top), saved from Mrauk U’s palace after gers advised a move here in 1429 after the the Burmese carted the rest off to Mandalay palace at Launggret had been invaded by back in the 18th century. ‘poisonous snakes and evil birds’. His repre- sentatives witnessed some strange things at Next door, a small elevated structure – this spot – an old man playing a flute pointed not open to the public – is home of Buddha’s to a cat-chasing rat and then a snake-­biting many scattered molars: relics brought here frog – apparently suggesting its soil as being from Sri Lanka in the 16th century. worthy of a king. Construction began in 1430 (though some sources say 1553). Shwetaung Paya BUDDHIST PAGODA (ေရေႊ တာငဘ္ ရု ား; hdaylight hours) F Southeast of the palace, the ‘Golden Hill Pagoda’ is the highest in Mrauk U. Built by Haridaung Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE (ဟာရေိ တာငဘ္ ရု ား; hdaylight hours) F King Minbin in 1553, it’s accessed by a few Built around 1750, this small white temple trails largely lost under thick vegetation. with fine westward views is on a hilltop just This is a good spot from which to view the north of the palace walls. It’s a good place to sunrise. get your bearings or to view the sunset. z Festivals & Events Palace Museum MUSEUM One of the most interesting times to visit (နနး္ ေတာ္ျပတိကု ;္ K5000; h10am-4pm Tue-Sun) Mrauk U is during the huge weeklong paya Just inside the palace’s western walls is the pwe (pagoda festival) held near Dukkan- Department of Archaeology’s insufficiently thein Paya in mid-May. It includes music, illuminated but worthwhile museum. Inside dance, traditional Rakhine wrestling and W e s te rn M ya n m a r RMF earskathuiikvnaUel sS t&atEev e nts you’ll find an interesting selection of bud- boat racing. dha images, inscribed stone slabs, cannons, floor tiles, Wethali-era coins and a helpful 4 Sleeping model of the Mrauk U site. Old photos on the walls include a pre-restoration shot of The accommodation scene in Mrauk U is Ratanabon’s crack (p320). Items are signed uninspired. Few places are worth the prices in English, although foreign scholars note being charged or have wi-fi, although hot that the dates on some pieces should be tak- water is more or less standard now. Electric- en with a pinch of salt. ity comes and goes here, but all hotels and guesthouses have generators. 1 South Group Mrauk U Palace HOTEL $ (%09 42175 1498; www.mraukupalaceresort.com; r South of the palace site and across the river US$45; aW) The 22 identical and sizeable are evocative back lanes through thatched- yellow duplex bungalows are comfortable hut villages and a host of pagodas. About half for Mrauk U, if unexciting, and are equipped a mile south, the Laksaykan Gate leads to with fridge, hot-water shower, air-con and the eponymous lake, a source of clean water. small balcony. Staff are helpful and efficient. Sanda Muhni It also has wi-fi, sometimes. Phara Gri Kyaung Taik BUDDHIST TEMPLE Laymro River Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ (%09 44008 1577; r K10,000-15,000) Newish, (စႏၵာမနု ဘိ ုရားၾကီးေက်ာင္းတကုိ ;္ hdaylight no-frills place with compact, plain, slightly hours) F The highlight at this hilltop musty but still acceptable fan-only rooms. monastery, and the temple’s namesake, is The owner speaks some English and the the Sanda Muhni, a buddha statue said 2nd-floor balcony is OK for an evening beer. to have been cast from the precious metal left over from making the Mahamuni bud- dha. Legend has it that this 4ft image was encased in concrete in the 1850s to protect Royal City Guest House HOTEL $ (%09 850 2400, 043-24200; r US$10-25, bun- it from pillaging British troops, and then galows US$40-55; a) Clean and reasonably forgotten about for over a century. In April 1988 one of the glazed eyes dropped out, re- comfortable rooms with cold-water showers in the main building for the budget crowd vealing the metal statue beneath. (the cheapest are very small indeed and lack The main hall is packed with more an- cient buddha images that the monks will bathrooms), and bungalows with air-con (if the electricity is working) and hot water

324 liked the vast, tub-equipped bathrooms, and across the road for those who can afford a the attractive gardens and ponds that make bit more. The staff give out a map of the up the grounds, but you’re isolated away main sites. from the centre of town and the sights, and it feels a little overpriced for what you get. Prince Hotel GUESTHOUSE $ (%09 4958 3311, 043-50174; www.mraukuprince 5 Eating hotel.com; r US$30-50; aW) Located half a mile east of the market and set around a Mrauk U’s culinary options are pretty limit- pleasant garden. An ongoing renovation ed. There are a few local restaurants serving sees the larger, more expensive rooms being Bamar and Chinese-Burmese dishes to the given a bit of life, but the bathrooms need west of Mrauk U’s market. For something work. It’s run by a pleasant family. more upmarket, consider the restaurants at the Mrauk U Princess Resort, Nawarat Hotel Golden Star Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ or the Shwe Thazin Hotel. (%09 4967 4472; r US$10-30; a) Mrauk U’s long-standing backpacker crash pad offers basic and cramped fan-cooled rooms, all Happy Garden CHINESE, BURMESE $ (dishes from K2500; h8am-10pm; E) This with showers and all needing a lot of TLC. beer-garden joint is the most lively spot in There are a couple of more expensive rooms in better shape that come with air-con. town come nightfall. The Chinese-sounding dishes are tasty enough, and there are a few oNawarat Hotel Burmese options as well. Fine for a beer too. HOTEL $$ It also rents a few basic bungalows (K8000 (%043-50073, in Yangon 01-298 543; mraukoona [email protected]; r US$55-98; aW) It’s nei- to K30,000). W e s te rn M ya n m a r EMRaartkaihunikgn Ue S tat e ther new nor sexy, but this is probably Mrauk Kaung Thant BURMESE $ U’s best-value digs. Located a short walk from the main sights, the semi-d­ etached con- (curries from K2500; h9am-10pm) A bare-bones Burmese-style curry shop at the foot of the crete bungalows here are big and comforta- bridge just north of the market, ‘Good and ble with decent beds and are well kitted out with satellite TV, fridge and balcony. There’s Clean’ does Rakhine-style set meals, which are served by an affable local family. Look also an OK attached restaurant. for the partially hidden English sign. Shwe Thazin Hotel HOTEL $$ For You CHINESE, BURMESE $ (%043-50168, 09 850 1844; www.shwethazinhotel. com; r US$65-80; a) A little more thought (mains from K1500; h8am-8pm; E) Simple, clean, reliable but uninspired Chinese-style has gone into the design here than in other dishes at this homely place. A good spot for Mrauk U hotels. The 23 chalet-style rooms feel spacious and comfortable and are well morning noodles. equipped, but the bathrooms are rather plain Moe Cherry BURMESE $$ for the price. There’s an attached restaurant. (mains from K4500; h9am-9.30pm; E) More sophisticated than the other restaurants in Vesali Resort Hotel HOTEL $$ Mrauk U – a shaded terrace to eat on and ta- (%043-50008, in Yangon 01-703 048; vesaliresort @gmail.com; r US$40-65; a) Inconveniently blecloths! – this is also the best place in town for both Rakhine-style curries and Chinese-­ removed from the bulk of the temples and Burmese fusion food. There’s an extensive town, the Vesali’s 28 semi-detached bun- galows are set around an attractive garden English menu and beer as well. and come with dark-wood floors, vaulted 7 Shopping ceilings, private decks and OK bathrooms. But the beds and fittings need an upgrade A couple of gift shops outside the Shittaung and there’s no wi-fi. Paya sell souvenirs. Mrauk U Princess Resort HOTEL $$$ L’amitie Art Gallery ART (%09 850 0556, 043-50232; http://mraukuprin (h7am-6pm) This simple hut is hung with attractive canvases in oils and pastels creat- cess.com; bungalows from US$250; aiW) ed by Khine Minn Tun, whose now deceased Mrauk U’s most luxurious digs, the Princess offers handsome, large, well-equipped wood- father Shwe Maung Thar painted the ceiling panels in the central hall of Shittaung Paya. en villas, as well as a restaurant and bar. We

325 88 Information Around Mrauk U There’s a branch of the KBZ Bank (h 9.30am- The temples are only a part of the area’s at- 3pm). It has an ATM and you can change money. tractions. Tack on a few extra days here to It’s on the main road through town, close to the enjoy a relaxing boat ride down the Lemro Shwe Thazin Hotel. River to Chin villages, or to venture out to Wethali and Mahamuni Paya, two important Only some hotels in Mrauk U have wi-fi, and it archaeological and religious sites north of doesn’t always work. Mrauk U of which the locals are very proud. In case of an emergency, the hospital at Sittwe Wethali HISTORIC SITE is your best bet. For minor ailments visit the friendly English-speaking doctor (% 043- (ေဝသာလ;ီ hdaylight hours) F About 7 50032, 043-24200), south of the market. miles north of Mrauk U are the barely dis- cernible remains of the kingdom of Weth- 88 Getting There & Away ali. Founded in AD 327 by King Mahataing Chandra, according to the Rakhine chron- Foreigners can now travel overland to/from icles, archaeologists believe that the king- Mrauk U. dom lasted until the 8th century. Today, in addition to the walls of the 1650ft by 990ft BUS central palace site, the main attraction for There are two buses daily to Sittwe (K4000, 3½ visitors is the so-called Great Image of Hsu hours, 6am and 7am), although you can always Taung Pre, a 16.5ft Rakhine-style sitting try to get a ride on the buses passing through Buddha said to date from AD 327. later from Mandalay and elsewhere. The elevated track that runs adjacent W e s te rn M ya n m a r IARnrafkoohurni nmdaetMSirtoaantuek U to Wethali is in fact an abandoned railway A daily bus leaves for Mandalay (K25,000, line. A rare incidence of the former military 20 hours, 8.30am). If you’re heading to Bagan government bowing to popular opinion oc- or Pakokku, take this bus and get off in Magwe, curred here in late 2010, when a few brave spend the night there and then catch one of locals protested against the planned route the many vans or buses from Magwe to those of a new railway linking Sittwe with Minbu, destinations. the construction of which was damaging temples and sites within the archaeological A sole minivan runs daily to Thandwe, for Nga- area. The project was halted and the rail- pali Beach, (K35,000, 22 hours, 4pm). way’s route changed. BOAT Mahamuni Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE Mrauk U’s jetty is about half a mile south of the market. Come here on the day of departure to (မဟာမနု ဘိ ရု ား; hdaylight hours) F Twenty buy tickets, or to the adjacent Hay Mar teashop, miles north of Wethali, just beyond the for- where Aung Zan can assist in buying tickets, and mer ancient capital of Dhanyawady, is Ma- offers private boat rides back to Sittwe (from hamuni Paya, the alleged first home of the US$20 per person). Buddha image now housed in the temple of the same name in Mandalay. The legend goes Double-decker boats run by the government’s that the image was cast when Buddha visited Inland Water Transport (p318) depart from the area in 554 BC. Even now, some Rakhine Mrauk U for Sittwe on Wednesday and Saturday recount with fiery passion how the Burmese at 8am (US$7, four to seven hours). The faster King Bodawpaya sent soldiers to dismantle ‘speedboats’ run by Shwe Pyi Tan (p318) leave and remove the Mahamuni Buddha in 1784. Mrauk U for Sittwe on Monday and Thursday at Today ‘Mahamuni’s brother’ – a smaller 7am (K25,000, three hours). statue allegedly cast from the same materi- als – is now one of three fine golden images 88 Getting Around resting inside. A replica of the original, com- missioned 100 years ago by a wealthy resident Thoun bein cruise Mrauk U’s bumpy streets of Sittwe, sits to the left. The temple structure for K2000 a local trip. They congregate on the dates from the 19th century, as earlier ones south side of the palace site. were destroyed by fire. Down the steps, near the south walls of the shrine, is a museum (ad- TRUCK mission US$5) with a couple of dozen relics Small trucks can be hired from the stand on the and some beautiful engraved stones. south side of the palace site. A day hire, taking in the sites in and near Mrauk U, should cost about K35,000. BICYCLES Bicycles can be hired from U Than Tun Bike Rental (per day K2000; h7am-7pm), just south of the bridge leading to the central market.

326 W e s te rn M ya n m a r GCMhetti VntiicSntgaotrTehi ae r( Ne a&t AMwaaTyaun g) that can change money and has a working ATM is There is a strip of good Burmese restau- in the state capital, Hakha. rants across from Mahamuni Paya, so it’s a The Chin people are 80% Christian and they clever idea to combine this trip with lunch. take the Sabbath seriously. On Sundays, almost all restaurants shut and no buses, minivans or 88 Getting There & Away jeeps run. Plan ahead accordingly. The trip out to Mahamuni Paya can be arranged 88 Getting There & Away via the Regional Guides Society – Mrauk U (p319). It spans about half a day, including a visit There are no airports in Chin State, and roads to Wethali, and car hire costs about K60,000, are largely unsealed and in poor condition. In the plus US$35 for a guide. rainy season (May to October), journey times get much longer. Remember that no public trans- CHIN STATE ခ်ငး္ ျပညန္ ယ္ port runs on Sundays. Wild, mountainous and remote, Chin State Southern Chin State is accessed by bus and is Myanmar’s poorest and least-developed minivan from Bagan or Pakokku, or by boat from state. Scrunched up against the borders Mrauk U if you’re heading to Paletwa. with Bangladesh and India, Chin is sparsely populated and lacking in infrastructure. But The jumping-off point for northern Chin State it makes up for that with densely forested is Kalaymyo, in neighbouring Sagaing Division. hills and mountains that soar above 10,000ft Kalaymyo has an airport with daily flights to and are separated by vast valleys through Yangon and Mandalay, and you can catch daily which rivers rage. Home to traditional vil- buses, minivans and jeeps from there to the Chin lages inhabited by the friendly Chin people, State capital of Hakha and the other major towns a Tibeto-­Burman group which has largely in the north: Falam and Tiddim. adopted Christianity, this is the perfect place to take the road less travelled. Mt Victoria (Nat Ma Taung) ဝိတိုရိယေတာင္ Southern Chin State is already attracting visitors intent on hiking up Mt Victoria, the The most popular destination in Chin State state’s highest peak, and trekking to the vil- is Mt Victoria, roughly 80 miles west of Ba- lages around the hilltop town of Mindat. But gan. The 10,016ft (3053m) mountain is the northern Chin State remains mostly virgin highest in Chin State and the third-highest territory for foreigners. Don’t expect much in Myanmar. The peak stands amid a 279-sq- in the way of comfort here. Instead, rev- mile national park and is a prime spot for el in a land that looks like it’s barely been birdwatching. It’s best visited November to touched by human hands. February when the rhododendron bushes that cover the slopes are in full bloom. Dur- The rainy season in Chin State lasts ing the rainy season (May to October), the longer than elsewhere in Myanmar, running mountain is normally inaccessible and ho- from May to October. During this period, tels shut down. landslides block muddy roads, the moun- tains are obscured by cloud and mist, and Most people come to Mt Victoria from journey times lengthen. The best time to vis- Nyaung U, a six-hour drive. The starting point it is between November and March. for the trek to the summit is the village of Kanpetlet: it’s an easy hike that anyone in rea- 88 Information sonable physical condition can accomplish. After that, options include camping on Mt Myanmar’s central government has declared Victoria, staying at the base of the mountain, several destinations in Chin State – including or the more demanding three-day trek to Mindat, Mt Victoria and the state capital Hakha – Mindat on the opposite side of the mountain. ‘open’, meaning that permits are no longer nec- essary to visit these areas. But some places, like Permits are not required to visit Mt Victo- Paletwa and Matupi, do still require advance per- ria, but for all intents and purposes a guide mission, and if you’re up on the Myanmar–India is, which means that everybody approaches border, the local immigration officials will likely Mt Victoria on a tour. A typical trip to Mt join you for a cup of tea to inquire what you’re up Victoria spans from four to six days, and to. Saying you’re just visiting as a tourist normally the cost for two people, including accom- satisfies them. modation and transportation, starts at about US$900. Several tour agencies have There are very few banks in Chin State. At the itineraries covering Mt Victoria, including time of research, the only place you’ll find one the Yangon-based Tours Myanmar (%09

327 42006 0272; www.toursmyanmar.com), which 88 Getting There & Away offers both vehicle and bicycle tours to the area led by experienced guide Mr Saw; while Tours to Mt Victoria start in Bagan, a six-hour Go-Myanmar (www.go-myanmar.com) and drive away, where your transport will meet you. Bike World Explores Myanmar (www.cy- But it’s also possible to hike here from Mindat, a clingmyanmar.com) offer cycling tours. three-day journey. 4 Sleeping & Eating Mindat မင်းတပ်မြို့ POP C 10,000 / % 070 There are an increasing number of eco-lodges outside the village of Kanpetlet. Otherwise Sitting at almost 5000ft above sea level, you can camp or stay in a local villager’s Mindat is strung out along a ridge top, with house. Most people eat where they stay, ei- its houses perched above and below the ther in the village homes or the restaurant single road running through the town. It’s of their hotel. There are a couple of simple a stunning setting and Mindat is a jumping-­ restaurants in Kanpetlet. off point for treks to the surrounding tradi- Mountain View Hill Resort HOTEL $ tional hill villages and Mt Victoria. The town itself is unremarkable, although it offers an (MtVictoria St; r incl breakfast US$45) This new-ish immediate contrast to neighbouring Magwe place has 25 concrete bungalows with wood- en floors and OK beds that are more comfort- Division far below. Churches far outnumber pagodas – a reflection of the Christian ma- able than other similarly priced places around jority population – while the higher altitude Mt Victoria, although still not warm. There’s an attached restaurant and it’s also walking means this is one of the few places in Myan- mar where you’ll see people wearing socks distance to the village of Kanpetlet. (with flip-flops). In the rainy season espe- W e s te rn M ya n m a r CMS lhi nei nde apStitnagt&e Eat i n g Pine Wood Villa Resort GUESTHOUSE $$ cially, the locals wrap up in woolly hats like it’s the Arctic, but most Westerners find the (%09 7308 2783; r incl breakfast US$60-80) cooler weather (bring a fleece) a huge relief About an hour’s walk outside Kanpetlet, this guesthouse has rooms in the main build- after the baking central plains. ing, or nicer, if rustic, bungalows. None are 1 Sights worth the price, but you’re paying for fine views of Mt Victoria. There’s an attached, reasonably priced restaurant. Electricity Sanminedidisiv Paya BUDDHIST PAGODA only in the evenings, and there’s no heating (စံမင္းသရီ ဘိ ရု ား; off Main Rd; hdaylight hours) Climb the steep steps up to this small gold- here – it gets cold at night. en zedi (stupa) perched above Mindat for awesome views over the surrounding area. CHIN VILLAGES An interesting contrast to the temples at Mrauk U is a day trip to the Chin villages along the Lemro River. These boat trips don’t reach Chin State, but seven or so of the traditional Chin villages along this stretch of the river have dwindling numbers of elderly women who have tat- tooed faces, a practice that ended among the Chin a couple of generations ago. Visiting here is a chance to get a sense of Chin village life if you’re not heading to Chin State proper. The women in the villages are used to foreigners and are normally happy to have their photos taken. But be sure to ask their permission and expect to pay K5000. Simple handicrafts are sold in the villages as well, and buying them is a good way of putting some cash into the local economy. The villages here are poor even by Myanmar standards, so you might want to consider making a donation too, either of school sup- plies or a few thousand kyat, but it’s not obligatory. In addition to the Chin villages, there’s the busy morning market at the village of Pan Mraung. Typical trips, which the Regional Guides Society – Mrauk U (p319) or your hotel can help arrange, include a half-hour car transfer to the jetty, an approximately two-hour boat trip upstream, an hour or so at a couple of villages and lunch. The total cost will run US$80 to US$100 per person. It’s advisable to bring water and snacks as well.

328 off the tourist trail in Chin State, including the trek to Mrauk U, but other recommend- KEEP YOUR BUS TICKETS ed operators include Myanmar Trekking (Map p52; %01-667 948; www.myanmartrekking. One peculiarity of Chin State is that com; Rm 7, 4A Parami Rd, Mayangone) and Ayar- guesthouses will ask you for your bus waddy Legend Travels & Tours (Map p38; ticket when you check in, so hang onto %01-252 007; www.ayarwaddylegend.com; 104 them. Apparently immigration officers in 37th St, Kyauttada). Chin State need to know what bus you arrived on when the guesthouse staff 4 Sleeping register you with them. There are only a handful of guesthouses in It’s at the far end of town, 15 minutes from Mindat. Electricity comes and goes here, the market. but the guesthouse generators get going after 6pm. 2 Activities W e s te rn M ya n m a r CAMchi nti ndi vaSitttiaetse Se Naing Family Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ Almost everyone who comes to Mindat goes (%070-70149, 09 44200 2645; mindatfgh@gmail. trekking, with the prime time to hit the hills com; Main Rd; r incl breakfast K15,000-40,000) being November to April. In the rainy sea- Run by the charming Monica, who speaks son (May to October), the fantastic views are reasonable English, this cosy guesthouse has often obscured by rain and clouds. There simple but clean rooms. The more expensive are many, many villages out there, some still have their own small bathrooms, but there animist and with their own shaman, all set is hot water for everyone here, a luxury in amid beautiful, rolling countryside. Chin State, and fine views from the roof. The guesthouse is close to the village entrance. Treks can last from three to 10 days, but typically run four days and three nights, Tun Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ with stops each night to eat and sleep in a (%070-70166, 09 4717 0090; off Main Rd; r village home. Conditions are simple, but the K12,000-25,000) Cheaper rooms are small people are very friendly. with thin mattresses and share a bathroom. The more expensive ones have their own A guide is more or less essential, both to basic bathrooms. Some travellers have com- stop you getting lost and to get over the lan- plained of being overcharged for treks and guage barrier: all villagers speak the various transport organised here. The guesthouse is Chin dialects – you won’t hear much Bur- about 200yd downhill from the main road – mese, let alone English, once you’re outside a 10-minute walk from the market. Look for Mindat. One recommended guide is Naing the signs pointing the way. Kee Shing (p329). Victoria Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ Another option is to head about 100 miles (%070-70127; Main Rd; r K10,000-20,000) Rooms northwest from Mindat along a rough road at this place almost opposite the market are to the town of Matupi. This town is sur- basic and plain, and all share bathrooms. rounded by hill villages, which see even few- But the owner is friendly and helpful. er visitors than the ones around Mindat, as well as dense forests that are still home to 5 Eating leopards, bears, monkeys and, supposedly, ti- gers. But to visit Matupi you’ll need a permit Myo Ma Restaurant CHINESE, BURMESE $ and a 4WD vehicle, which will cost at least (Main Rd; mains from K2500; h7am-9.30pm) The US$100 a day to hire in Chin State, as well best and most popular place in Mindat to as a guide. eat (there’s not much competition), Myo Ma does reasonable Chinese-Burmese dishes If you’re really adventurous, it’s also and serves up draught beers. It does takea- possible to trek all the way to Mrauk U in way as well. Find it five minutes’ walk uphill Rakhine State, via Kanpetlet and Paletwa. from market: look for the blue building with Again, permits are required and the trip will the Myanmar Lager sign. take eight days, the last day and half spent on a boat floating down the Lemro River to Noodle Shop NOODLES $ Mrauk U. (Main Rd; noodles from K700; h6am-5pm) This no-name noodle shop is busy all day serving Almost all travellers arrange their treks through Yangon-based tour operators, who can arrange the necessary permits. Unchart- ed Horizons (p421) is a specialist in getting

up bowls of Shan-style noodles. It’s opposite 329 Victoria Guesthouse. actual Chin capital, Hakha, and the estimated 500-plus churches in Kalaymyo – some no 7 Shopping more than houses with a cross catering to tiny congregations, and others sizeable – are Market MARKET testimony to the Chin influence. Sitting in a valley close to the confluence of three rivers (off Main Rd; h6am-5pm) Mindat’s small mar- and with the Chin Hills looming over the ket is just off the main road. It’s mostly pro- city, Kalaymyo is also notable geographically duce – you’ll see old women with tattooed because the Tropic of Cancer passes through faces bent double under their food shopping – it. During WWII the town was an important but there are a couple of shops selling tradi- staging post in the battles against the Jap- tional Chin clothes, bags and purses, which anese. These days it’s a low-key place with make good souvenirs. many wooden houses and the gateway to northern Chin State. 88 Information W e s te rn M ya n m a r SCK haoli napypSmitnaygtoe( K a l ay ) Kalaymyo’s hotels, restaurants, banks, bus There are no banks or ATMs in Mindat. Bring cash. station and airport are all strung along Bo A recommended guide to the area around Gyoke Rd, which runs all the way to the bor- der with Chin State. Mindat and beyond, Naing Kee Shing speaks excellent English, can arrange permits and is a 4 Sleeping & Eating mine of information about the region. He charges US$60 per day, excluding food, transport and If you’re heading to or from Chin State, then accommodation. He can be contacted on % 09 you’ll almost certainly spend a night or two 45463 1280, but is often away on treks, so email here. You’ll find reasonable accommodation him first at [email protected]. along Bo Gyoke Rd, close to the airport and bus station. 88 Getting There & Away Majesty Hotel HOTEL $ Remember public transport doesn’t run on (%073-22010; [email protected]; Bo Sundays in Chin State. Gyoke Rd; r incl breakfast K55,000; aW) The smartest option along Bo Gyoke Rd, the Buses and minivans go to Mindat from Pak- Majesty has big, bright white-tiled rooms koku, Magwe Division. They leave from the Moe with high ceilings and bathrooms with a Pi bus station, which is 500yd from the main tub. Staff can book air and bus tickets too. bus station, between 6am and 8am (K7000, six hours). Shin Hong Hotel HOTEL $ (%073-22714; [email protected]; Going in the opposite direction, buses and Bo Gyoke Rd; r US$30; aW) The closest hotel minivans depart from near the market in Mindat to the bus station, the Shin Hong feels a lit- for Pakokku between 6am and 8.30am (K7000, tle institutional but has large, comfortable six hours). There’s also a daily bus to Mandalay enough rooms with small bathrooms. Wi-fi (K12,000, 12 hours, 8am). and power come and go, but if you’re com- ing from Chin State, you’ll consider the 24- If you’re heading to northern Chin State, catch hour hot water to be worth the price alone. the daily minivan to Gangaw (K8500, six hours, 7am), from where you can pick up another min- Beer Garden Restaurant CHINESE, BURMESE $ ivan to Kalaymyo in Sagaing Division (K8000, (Bo Gyoke Rd; mains from K3000; h10am-11pm; four hours, 8am, 10am and 2pm), where there is E) This busy, no-name beer-garden restau- daily transport into northern Chin State. There rant next door to the Shin Hong Hotel serves is a very rough road from Gangaw to Hakha, up reasonable Chinese-Burmese food and the Chin capital, but it’s normally closed due to good barbecue, as well as offering draught landslides. beer and football on the TV. Kalaymyo (Kalay) 88 Information ကေလးျမိဳ႕ KBZ Bank (Bo Gyoke Rd; h 9.30am-3pm) You POP C 130,506 / % 073 can exchange money here and it has an ATM that takes foreign cards (there are other ATMs Kalaymyo, mostly known by its former name around town too). It’s 10 minutes’ walk east of of Kalay, has a claim to be the true capital the Majesty Hotel. of Chin State, even though it is located just across the border in neighbouring Sagaing Division. Over half its population are Chin, far outnumbering the people who live in the

330 The hike up is an easy couple of hours and the views are great along the way, but, 88 Getting There & Away unfortunately, there’s now a TV tower at the top. Kalaymyo is the closest place with an airport to northern Chin State. Air KBZ (Bo Gyoke Rd; Siang Sawn VILLAGE h 9am-5pm) and Myanmar National Airlines (www.flymna.com; Bo Gyoke Rd; h 9am-5pm) (႐ွန္ေစာနး္ ) This village is an oddity in that it fly on alternate days to Yangon (from US$171) remains predominantly animist, despite its and Mandalay (from US$109). Their offices are proximity to heavily Christian Tiddim. Many across the road from the KBZ Bank, about 10 inhabitants still wear Chin costume and this minutes’ walk east of the Majesty Hotel. is the closest village to Tiddim where you can experience something of traditional Kalaymyo’s scruffy bus station is off Bo Gyoke Chin village life. It’s about 2 miles north of Road, a 10-minute walk from the Shin Hong Ho- Tiddim: follow the main road out of town tel. There are daily, crowded minivans Monday and it’s the first village you come to. to Saturday to Hakha (K10,000, eight hours), Falam (K5000, four hours) and Tiddim (K7000, 4 Sleeping & Eating four hours). Most leave between 6am and 8am. There are only a couple of guesthouses in There are also daily buses to Yangon Tiddim. Expect electricity only after 6pm (K25,000, 22 hours, 2pm) and Mandalay and on alternate days! (K15,000, 10 hours, 2pm). Ciimnuai Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ If you’re heading directly to Rih Lake, uncom- (%070-50037, 09 7323 3562; Kam Hau Rd; r fortable jeeps to Rihkhawdar (K15,000, nine hours) leave daily Monday to Saturday when full from an office about a mile west of the bus station on Bo Gyoke Rd. They depart between 6am and 9am. W e s te rn M ya n m a r GCT ihedtidntiimSntgatTeh e r e & Away K10,000) One of the better guesthouses in Chin State, Ciimnuai has great views of Ken- nedy Peak from its terrace and 2nd-floor Tiddim တီးတိန္ျမိဳ႕ communal area. Rooms are compact and POP C 15,000 / % 070 share a clean bathroom with a sit-down toi- About two hours’ drive from Kalaymyo let. Hot water can be provided on request. into the Chin Hills, the road forks: south to Falam and Hakha, north to Tiddim and the The owners can provide some information about the area. It’s just to the side of the Myanmar–India border. This part of north- clock tower. ern Chin State is even less visited than the regions further south, despite the fact that Asian Restaurant CHINESE, BURMESE $ (off Kam Hau Rd; mains from K1500; h10am- the area around Tiddim is home to Kennedy 10pm; E) There’s a small English menu of Peak, Chin State’s second-highest mountain. Tiddim, also known as Tedim or Teddim, is Chinese-Burmese dishes, most rice and noodle-­based, at this restaurant set up in the the ideal place to break the arduous journey front room of the owner’s house. It’s the only to mystical Rih Lake. The town itself is small and scrappy with many churches – although place that serves alcohol and that stays open in the evening. Find it down some steps just some nearby villages are still animist – and off the main road, close to the junction with is inhabited by curious, welcoming locals. And like the rest of this part of Myanmar, it the Tiddim–Rihkhawdar road. Look for the English sign. is set amid stunning countryside that is ripe for exploration. Mangala Restaurant BURMESE $ 1 Sights (Kam Hau Rd; curries from K2500; h5am-6pm) Right at the junction of the main road and Kennedy Peak MOUNTAIN the Tiddim–Rihkhawdar road, this place (ကေနဒေီ တာင)္ Kennedy Peak stands 8868ft does OK Burmese curry sets, as well as noo- high, making it Chin State’s second-highest mountain. The site of a battle between the dles. No English menu. British and Japanese in WWII, the peak is 88 Getting There & Away as yet untouched by tourism, so there are no known hiking routes up it. Instead, a rough Minivans and jeeps to/from Tiddim run Monday road leads to the summit from Sozang vil- to Saturday only. lage, about 15 miles from Tiddim on the road back to Kalaymyo, which hugs the base There are daily minivans to Tiddim from Kal- of the mountain. aymyo’s bus station (K7000, four hours), most leaving 6am to 9am.

331 From Tiddim, there are a number of minivans pass to reach their eternal home. These days to Kalaymyo (K7000, four hours) at 7am from the concept of Piairal has been blended with the bus ticket offices opposite Mangala Restau- the Christian idea of paradise, allowing Rih rant at the junction of the main road through Lake’s mystical status to continue. The lake’s town and the road to Rihkhawdar. aura is enhanced by its remoteness and it re- mains a key pilgrimage site for Mizo people If you’re heading to Rih Lake, daily and very un- in both Chin State and Mizoram State in In- comfortable jeeps to Rihkhawdar (K8000, four dia, as well as a favourite hang-out for the hours) pass through Tiddim from Kalaymyo 9am people living nearby, who come to swim, to noon. Be sure to reserve a seat the day before drink and make merry on weekends. During at the stall at the junction of the main road and the week, the lake is much more peaceful the road to Rihkhawdar. and you’ll have it mostly to yourself. 88 Getting Around 4 Sleeping & Eating You’re on your own when it comes to travelling There are only two sleeping options in Rih- up here, but Ciimnuai Guest House (p330) can khawdar for foreigners: one in town and one organise a car and driver (K150,000 per day) by Rih Lake itself, which we don’t recommend. or a motorbike (K50,000 per day) should you need one. A few basic noodle and fried-rice restau- rants can be found on the main road through Rihkhawdar ရိခ္ေဟာဒါ Rihkhawdar, as well as a better, more so- Way up on the Myanmar–India border, phisticated place serving Chinese-Burmese Rihkhawdar is a small but hectic border dishes by Rih Lake. Most places are closed town and the gateway to mystical Rih Lake. on Sundays. W e s te rn M ya n m a r GCR ihehtiknthiSnatgwadtAaerround Separated from Mizoram State in India by a 100yd-long bridge, Rihkhawdar sees Rih Shwe Pyi Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ trucks from India and Myanmar move in (%09 647 2400; r K15,000-25,000; a) This is both directions carrying cargo, while the the best place to stay if you’re overnighting shops here are full of Indian goods and the in Rihkhawdar after visiting Rih Lake. The Indian rupee is as much the currency as the more expensive rooms are large and com- Myanmar kyat. This is a closed frontier for fortable for Chin State, although it’s still both ordinary Burmese and foreigners, al- cold-water showers. The cheapest rooms though local residents can cross the border share DIY showers and squat toilets. It’s during the day. Instead, the main reason to about three minutes’ walk from the bridge come here is to visit nearby Rih Lake, an that leads to India, just off the main drag idyllic lake that sits almost on the border through town. with India. RIHKHAWDAR BEER RUN 1 Sights Mizoram is one of India’s dry states, oRih Lake LAKE with the sale of alcohol prohibited. As a result, many Indians cross to Rihkhaw- (ရဒိ ္ေရအိငု )္ This small, heart-shaped lake dar during the day to drink in the well- has huge spiritual significance to the Mizo stocked bottle shops that have sprung people, who inhabit both sides of the nearby up to satisfy their thirst. Just before Myanmar–India border and for whom the 6pm, when the bridge connecting My- lake is the traditional pathway for the dead anmar to India is barred to pedestrians to reach their final resting place. Rih Lake and vehicles by a closed gate, you’ll see certainly has a magical, tranquil setting: the some very drunk Indians staggering water shines a deep blue and the lake is sur- home across the bridge. Those who rounded by rice paddies and forested hills. don’t make it by 6pm have to climb Rih Lake is accessed from nearby Rihkhaw- along the spars of the bridge until they dar, a 15-minute ride away on a motorcycle find a gap to swing onto the bridge prop- taxi (K5000 return). er, a risky manoeuvre when you’ve had Although the Mizo have largely been too much beer and whisky and there’s a converted to Christianity, Rih Lake is part 30ft drop to the river below. of their ancient animist traditions: the gate- way to the Mizo version of heaven, known as Piairal, through which all the dead must

332 highest point above the town. There are ab- solutely sublime, panoramic views across the 6 Drinking & Nightlife countryside from here: on a clear day you can really see for miles and miles. It’s a steep Rih Lake Bar BEER GARDEN 20-minute walk from the centre of town: take the road past the Holy Guest House and (Rih Lake; beers from K2500; h6am-6pm) Join the KBZ Bank and keep walking uphill. locals who flock to this shaded, open-air bar right on the shore of Rih Lake on the week- ends; it’s open on Sundays. During the week, you’ll have it largely to yourself. You can or- der food from the nearby Rih Restaurant. Falam Baptist Church CHURCH 88 Getting There & Away (Bo Gyoke Rd; hdaylight hours) It’s not very old – dating back only to 1983 – but this is possi- There is no transport to/from Rihkhawdar on bly the largest church in Chin State and it Sundays. dominates Falam. It’s worth checking it out on a Sunday, when it’s packed out and the From a bus ticket office a mile west of Kalay- sound of the congregation singing hymns myo’s main bus station, jeeps (K15,000, nine can be heard throughout the centre of town. hours) leave when full for the very uncomfortable drive to Rihkhawdar. Get here at 6am to look for a Former District ride and preferably buy a ticket the day before. Commissioner’s House HISTORIC BUILDING A much better option is to catch one of the daily minivans to Tiddim (K7000, four hours) that Back when the Chin Hills were part of Brit- leave around 7am from Kalaymyo’s bus station ish Burma, they were administered from and break the journey there. From Tiddim there this red-brick house, the former home of are daily jeeps (K8000, four hours) to Rihkhaw- the District Commissioner. The house is dar from 9am to noon. around 100 years old, but it’s still a govern- W e s te rn M ya n m a r DCFahrli nakmSitnagt &e N i g ht l i f e ment building today, so you can’t go inside. From Rihkhawdar jeeps return to Kalaymyo It’s fine, however, to take photos outside. It’s daily from 7am to 9am (K15,000, nine hours). downhill from the main road and close to the Moon Guest House. It is also possible to visit Rih Lake on a very long day trip from Tiddim, but you’ll need to hire 4 Sleeping a vehicle and driver, which will cost K150,000 per day. The staff at Ciimnuai Guest House Falam has a handful of basic guesthouses, (p330) can arrange a car. most along or off Bo Gyoke Rd, the main road winding through town. Falam ဖလန္း POP C 15,000 / % 070 Beautyland Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ Perched on a hilltop, with still higher and (%09 77955 1046; r K15,000) It’s a stiff, thickly forested hills rising above it, Falam has a spectacular setting and was the British 15-m­ inute walk uphill from the centre of town, but the rewards are great views over headquarters in the Chin Hills during the Falam and the hills. Rooms are reasonably colonial era. It remained the capital of Chin State until 1965, and is still Chin’s second sized and plain and share an OK bathroom. To get here, take the road past the KBZ Bank ‘city’. It’s a mellow, predominantly Christian and keep climbing. town with many churches, a smattering of pre-independence architecture and wooden Holy Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ (%09 40030 5703; Bo Gyoke Rd; r K15,000) houses on stilts rising up and down the hill- Rooms here are bigger and in better condi- sides. If you’re heading to and from Hakha, you’ll pass through Falam anyway, but it’s tion than other places in Falam, while still being simple and plain. The shared bath- worth stopping for a night or two. And like room is the cleanest and best in town and the other towns in northern Chin State, Falam is surrounded by countryside wholly has a hot-water shower. English-speaking owner. It’s opposite the Baptist church. untouched by tourism. 1 Sights Emanuel Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ (%09 40030 5573; Bo Gyoke Rd; r K15,000) Com- Yanpaymanpay Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE pact but clean rooms at this place, but you (ရနေ္ ျပမာနေ္ ျပဘရု ား; hdaylight hours) This won’t hear any English. It’s on the main temple with a golden zedi (stupa) and a sit- road, a two-minute walk north of the bus ting, white-faced Buddha surrounded by five disciples looms over Falam from almost the ticket offices.

333 Moon Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ (%09 45959 4750; 123 Thi Sar Rd; r K15,000) The granddaddy of Falam guesthouses, the Hakha ဟားခါးျမိဳ႕ POP C 24,926 / % 070 Moon has small, beaten-up and tatty rooms, all sharing a primitive bathroom (although Hakha, the capital of Chin State, is precari- ously located along a series of shifting hill- it does have a Western toilet). The upside is sides above and beneath Bo Gyoke Rd, the that the owner is friendly and helpful, and will discount the rooms by 33%, and there’s main drag through town. Landslides are a regular occurrence, especially in the rainy a rickety wooden balcony offering fine views season (May to October). Indeed, so perilous over the hills at sunrise and sunset. It’s downhill from the main road through is Hakha’s position that in 2015 a team of German geologists said Hakha was too dan- town; go down the steps by the bus ticket gerous to live in and recommended moving offices. the capital. That isn’t going to happen. In- stead, trees and grass are being planted in 5 Eating an effort to stop erosion. Falling rocks and Chinese Restaurant CHINESE, BURMESE $ earth apart, Hakha is a friendly, scruffy (off Bo Gyoke Rd; mains from K2500; h11am- place dominated by its many churches. Sur- 7.30pm; E) This no-name place is really the rounding the town is some gorgeous, almost front room of the owner’s house. There’s a completely unknown countryside, which is small English menu of Chinese-Burmese home to many villages. Best of all, the locals dishes, but you’ll do better pointing at what are uniformly happy to see foreigners. With the locals are eating. It’s down an alley to the only around 50 to 100 Westerners visiting west of the Baptist church, next door to the annually – almost all of whom are mission- large white building with a blue sign. aries or aid workers – you’re guaranteed W e s te rn M ya n m a r EHCahatki nihnaSgtat e some attention here. U Lay BURMESE $ (Bo Gyoke Rd; curries from K3000; h10am-9pm) 1 Sights This is the most popular restaurant in town, serving up Burmese curry sets at lunch Tourism isn’t in its infancy here: it is non-­ and simple Chinese-Burmese dishes in the existent. That will change in the next few evening. It’s also the only place that serves al- years, but for now you are on your own when cohol. No English menu, no English spoken it comes to exploring. and no English sign, but it’s a two-m­ inute View Point VIEWPOINT walk north of the bus ticket offices. Fine views over Hakha and the surrounding hills from this viewing platform about a mile 88 Information outside town. To find it, follow Bo Gyoke Rd south past the football stadium and head KBZ Bank (off Bo Gyoke Rd; h 9.30am-3pm) uphill for 25 minutes. One of only two banks that we are aware of in Chin State. You can’t change money here but Hakha Baptist Church CHURCH we were told that an ATM will be installed at some point in the future. It’s to the side of the (hdaylight hours) With its fine stone steeple Holy Guest House, east of the Baptist church. and red roof, this is the most distinctive and historic of Hakha’s many churches. Funded 88 Getting There & Away by American missionaries, it dates back to 1908, but was extensively rebuilt in the early Minivans to Falam (K5000, four hours) leave from 1960s. It’s about 400yd downhill from the Kalaymyo’s bus station Monday to Saturday. football stadium. In the nearby compound of the Hakha From Monday to Saturday, there is a daily bus Baptist Association is a grey 1907 bunga- (K3000, 1pm) and minivan (K5000, 3pm) from low that houses a Missionaries Museum, Falam to Hakha. They leave from the bus ticket although it was closed and lacking exhibits offices in the centre of town close to the Baptist when we dropped by. church. You can also try for a place on the mini- vans that start passing through from Kalaymyo 4 Sleeping around 11am, but they are often full. At the entrance to town is the posh Pyi There are daily minivans (K8000, 7am) and Taung Su Guest House. Don’t get excited one bus (K5000, 7am) to Kalaymyo. They leave as you can’t stay here; it’s for government from the bus ticket offices in the centre of town and also don’t run on Sundays.

334 officials only. Foreigners are restricted to a Hakha Kitchen CHINESE, BURMESE $$ handful of places, all basic and located along (Bo Gyoke Rd; mains from K7000; h9am-10pm, Bo Gyoke Rd close to the clock tower. closed Sun; E) More expensive than other restaurants in town, but the food is pretty Rung Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ good (the fried rice and noodle dishes are (%070-22524; Bo Gyoke Rd; r K15,000-20,000; cheaper). It’s just past the clock tower, be- W) The best place in town. The more expen- low Bo Gyoke Rd: look for the English sign. sive rooms here come with their own small Serves alcohol. bathrooms, Western toilets and TVs. Hot water is delivered each morning by hand. Chin Taung Cheaper rooms share bathrooms and are Taan Food Centre CHINESE, BURMESE $$ rather more basic. The staff speak English (Bo Gyoke Rd; mains from K3000; h8am-4pm and there’s wi-fi, although it wasn’t working Mon-Sat, 4-9pm Sun; E) Facing the clock tow- when we were there. er, this 2nd-floor restaurant has an English menu of Chinese-Burmese classics, and cur- Grace Guest House GUESTHOUSE $ tained cubicles to eat in. Unusually it’s open (%070-21301; Bo Gyoke Rd; r K15,000-20,000) on Sunday evenings. The ‘special’ rooms out the back in a new wooden block are eccentrically arranged so W e s te rn M ya n m a r EHCahatki nihnaSgt&atDer i nk i n g that the beds occupy almost all the space, 88 Information but they are comfortable enough and have their own bathrooms. ‘Normal’ rooms are CB Bank (Bo Gyoke Rd; h 9.30am-3pm) One dark and cramped and share squat toilets. of the only two banks, that we’re aware of, in all The staff speak some English. Chin State. You can change money here and it has an ATM, although we wouldn’t rely on it. Friends of Nature (% 070-21083; fonhakha@ 5 Eating & Drinking gmail.com; 362 Bo Gyoke Rd; h 8am-5pm) The English-speaking staff here can organise a car A few restaurants straggle along Bo Gyoke (K50,000 per day) and a tour guide (US$40 Rd, and share similar menus of Chinese-­ per day), but aren’t as helpful with information Burmese dishes. Most close on Sundays. about the countryside surrounding Hakha. Prices tend to be a little higher than else- where in Myanmar, a consequence of the 88 Getting There & Away relative isolation of Hakha, and Chin State, From Kalaymyo’s bus station, daily buses from the rest of the country. (K8000, 10 hours) and quicker and more com- Hakha is a heavily Christian place and fortable, if cramped and crowded, minivans you won’t find beer stations here. Head to (K10,000, eight hours) run to Hakha Monday to the restaurants for alcohol. Tea shops are Saturday. scattered around town. From Hakha, buses (K8000, 10 hours) and minivans (K10,000, eight hours) run to Kalay- Shwe Myo myo via Falam (K5000, four hours). All leave at Daw Restaurant CHINESE, BURMESE $$ 7am from a variety of bus-company offices on (off Bo Gyoke Rd; mains from K4000; h10am- the road behind the football stadium, which is off 10pm, closed Sun; E) The best and liveliest Bo Gyoke Rd. place to eat in Hakha, with decent Chinese-­ There are also daily buses Monday to Saturday Burmese dishes – large portions – and beer to Yangon (K35,000, 18 hours, 9am) and Manda- on tap. Find it on the left-hand side of the lay (K15,000, 14 hours, 8pm). street that runs off Bo Gyoke Rd, opposite Grace Guest House.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Understand Myanmar MYANMAR TODAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336 The new NLD government is working to secure peace, curb human rights abuses, and get the economy on the right track. HISTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338 Kings, generals and prodemocracy fighters: how compet- ing kingdoms became colonial Burma, then military-ruled Myanmar. PEOPLE & RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF MYANMAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352 Learn about a predominantly Buddhist land that’s home to other faiths and some 135 ethnic groups. AUNG SAN SUU KYI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366 Daughter of a national hero, mother, widow, international political icon: the life and times of the people’s champion. GOVERNMENT, THE ECONOMY & HUMAN RIGHTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372 Who now governs Myanmar, how is the economy doing and what’s the current scorecard on human rights? EATING IN MYANMAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 The diversity of Myanmar’s food and drink is well worth discovering – dig in! ARCHITECTURE & ARTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388 Explore the beauty of Myanmar’s architecture, arts and crafts, as well as the ways locals like to relax. ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396 The mountains, plains, jungles and beaches of Myanmar are home to a Noah’s Ark of flora and fauna.

3 36 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Myanmar Today State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and her colleagues have their work cut out for years to come tackling Myanmar’s key problems, not least of which are stopping civil insur- rections and securing peace, curbing human rights abuses and rectifying the impact of decades of economic mismanagement and corruption. There are some bright spots: sanc- tions have been dropped and the ancient city of Bagan may gain Unesco World Heritage status by 2019. Best on Film 21st-century Panglong Conference The Monk (2014) Low-key coming- of-age drama about a boy raised in a Since taking office in April 2016, the National League for monastery who has to decide whether Democracy (NLD) government has prioritised bringing to further embrace Buddhism or move about sustainable peace for Myanmar following nearly into the secular world. 60 years of civil insurrections. On 31 August 2016, the Kayan Beauties (2013) Thriller about 21st-century Panglong Conference (named after the Pan- four Kayan girls who travel from their glong Agreement of 1947 between Suu Kyi’s father Aung village to Taunggyi, where one of them San and major ethnic group leaders), convened in Nay gets kidnapped by human traffickers. Pyi Taw. Representatives of 19 ethnic groups sat with Yangon Calling (2013) Documentary top government and army (Tatmadaw) leaders, as well about Myanmar’s punk-rock scene as the UN Secretary-General, to air their grievances and directed by Berlin-based filmmakers hopes for the future. Alexander Dluzak and Carsten Piefke. Offended by organisational hiccups and a perceived Best in Print lack of inclusiveness, the Wa delegation, represent- Burma’s Spring (Rosalind Russell; ing the country’s most powerful ethnic armed group, 2016) Lively memoir with a broad cast stormed out on day two of what was to be a five-day of characters from girl band singers conference, but which ended up lasting four. Not a bril- and domestic workers to opposition liant start, but Suu Kyi’s achievement of persuading so politicians. many rebel and ethnic groups to attend the conference Golden Parasol (Wendy Law-Yone; (more than had signed up to the previous government’s 2013) An insider’s view on key events Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement) was still generally in modern Myanmar’s history; her applauded. father, Ed Law-Yone, an influential newspaper editor, was exiled from the Reforming the Army country in the 1960s. River of Lost Footsteps (Thant A key stumbling block for peace is that distrust of the Myint-U; 2006) Must-read historical Tatmadaw is ingrained among ethnic minorities follow- review, by the grandson of former UN ing decades of conflict. Although sidelined, the military secretary general U Thant. continues to wield significant political and economic power in Myanmar. In the 2016–17 annual budget, the defence ministry received the largest share, with 1.24 trillion kyat appropriated. However, there are signs that the military’s top brass is adapting to the more democratic times. In September 2016 Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing warned the army to follow the Geneva Conven- tion and respect human rights. Earlier in the month,

in a groundbreaking ruling, a court martial found 337 seven soldiers, including four military officers, guilty of murdering five civilians in Shan State’s Lashio POPULATION: 51.41 MILLION township during a botched interrogation. The sol- AREA: 261,228 SQ MILES diers were sentenced to five years in prison with hard GDP: US$64.86 BILLION labour. GDP GROWTH: 7% (FOR 2015) Restoring Myanmar’s Reputation INFLATION: 10.8% It’s not just the army that Suu Kyi has to keep on- if Myanmar (Burma) side. Powerful neighbours China and India cannot were 100 people be ignored, alongside the US and others keen to do business in Myanmar. In a symbolic gesture, Suu Kyi 68 would be Bamar 3 would be Chinese chose China for her first visit as State Counsellor, perhaps in an effort to mend bridges strained over 9 would be Shan 2 would be Indian issues such as the Myitsone Dam. Funded by China, the US$3.6 billion project was suspended in 2011 and 7 would be Kayin (Karen) 2 would be Mon continues to be a major source of friction between the two countries. China is also considered key in helping 4 would be Rakhaing 5 would be other bring some of the more belligerent factions in the civil war to the negotiating table. belief systems Suu Kyi continued her foreign tours in the US in (% of population) 2016. In a meeting with President Obama, he an- nounced the end to his country’s final set of targeted 88 6 economic sanctions on Burma. Later, speaking at the Buddhist Christian UN, Suu Kyi pledged to promote human rights in Ra- khine State, at the same time as carefully avoiding 4 2 mentioning the persecuted Rohingya by name. In Muslim Hindu, Animist & Other 2016 she visited India to partake in the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) summit in Goa. population per sq km Rebuilding Bagan MYANMAR USA UK The 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck central ≈ 30 people Myanmar on 24 August 2016 was a painful reminder that whatever progress the country may be making, it remains hostage to geological and geographical fac- tors beyond its control. The damage to hundreds of temples across the plains of Bagan appeared devastat- ing, but for some this has been seen as a chance to fix the poorly executed past restorations of the temples, and put the country’s most important archaeological site in a better position for achieving Unesco World Heritage recognition by 2019. This prize had been de- nied to the military junta for over two decades thanks to dodgy restorations and lax supervision at the site. Now there’s a chance to do things properly. Unesco Myanmar is coordinating an international team to work on the monuments and is supporting the government in its bid to apply for World Heritage status. But to achieve ranking alongside other South- east Asian cultural treasures, such as Angkor Wat, it’s likely that 40 odd hotels and other businesses will have to be demolished or moved away from the proposed heritage zone. In the meantime, on the government’s long list of new laws to enact are bills increasing the protection of Myanmar’s cultural heritage, with tougher punishments, including jail terms of up to seven years for anyone found to have damaged, re- moved or destroyed heritage buildings.

3 38 ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd History A succession of major ethnic groups have held sway down the ages across the territory that now makes up Myanmar, with the Bamar only coming into prominence in the 11th century. Civil war erupted between minority groups after independence from British colonial rule in 1948; on the fringes of the nation, the unrest continues today. The coun- try is now emerging from nearly 50 years of military rule into an era of democracy and economic growth. The limestone Pre-Colonial Burma Padah-Lin Caves in western Shan Earliest Inhabitants State contain Archaeologists believe humans have lived in the region as far back as paintings that 75,000 BC. could be 13,000 years old, and In 2003 a 45-million-year-old fossil (possibly the anklebone of a large there’s evidence ape-like animal) was found in central Myanmar that might just prove the that local farmers area to be the birthplace of all humans. The implication of this research had domesticated is that our primate ancestors may have had Asian rather than African chickens and origins. made bronze by There’s no debate that 2500 years ago the area was a key land link 1500 BC. between traders from China, India and the Middle East. Ancient Greeks Legend has it knew of the country, too. that Buddha gave eight of his hairs The First Burmese Empire to a couple of visiting Burmese Bagan was nearly 200 years old when its ‘golden period’ kicked off – merchants 3000 signalled by the energetic, can-do King Anawrahta taking the throne in years ago. They 1044. His conquest of the Mon kingdom and the adoption of Buddhism are enshrined in inspired a creative energy in Bagan. It quickly became a city of glorious Yangon’s Shweda- temples and the capital of the First Burmese Empire. gon Paya. Anawrahta’s successors (Kyanzittha, Alaungsithu and Htilominlo) lacked his vision, and the kingdom’s power slowly declined. In 1273 King Narathihapate made the diplomatic mistake of offending the growing power of Kublai Khan by executing his envoys. When the Mongols in- vaded in 1287, Narathihapate fled south to Pyay (Prome) where he com- mitted suicide. 850 BC 3rd century 1st century BC BC According to Burmese chronicles, Abhiraja of The Mon, who migrated Possible founding of the Sakyan clan from into the Ayeyarwady Beikthano (named India founds Tagaung, 127 miles north of Man- Delta from present-day after the local word for Thailand (and from Vishnu), a Pyu town dalay; his son travels China before that), east of current-day south and founds a Magwe; it’s believed kingdom at Rakhine establish their capital, (Arakan). Thaton, and have to have flourished for first contact with about 400 years. Buddhism.

339 ORIGINAL KINGDOMS H is to ry P re- C o l o nial B u rma Four major precolonial ethnic groups peppered Burma’s flatlands with their kingdoms for centuries, while smaller ethnic groups lived – mostly untouched – in the remote hills be- yond. The early histories that are attached to these groups are a mix of fact and legend. Pyu Arriving from the Tibeto-Burman plateau and/or from India around the 1st century BC, the Pyu established the first major kingdom of sorts, with city-states in central My- anmar, including Beikthano, Hanlin and Sri Ksetra (Thayekhittaya). In the 10th century Yunnanese invaders from China enslaved or scared off most Pyu. Rakhine Also known as Arakanese, these people claim their kingdom was well under way by the 6th century BC. Certainly it was in full force by the 15th century, when their Buddhist kingdom was based in Mrauk U and their navy controlled much of the Bay of Bengal. Bamar Also known as Burmans, these people arrived from somewhere in the eastern Himalaya in the 8th or 9th century, supplanting the vanquished Pyu and establishing the cultural heartland of Myanmar as it’s still known. Centuries of conflict with the Mon erupted after their arrival. Although the Bamar came out on top, the result was really a merger of the two cultures. Mon This race, who may have originated from eastern India or mainland Southeast Asia, settled fertile lowlands on the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) River delta across Thailand to Cambodia. They developed the area as Suvannabhumi (Golden Land), with their Bur- mese kingdom, centred on present-day Thaton, coming into existence around the 9th century. In the ensuing chaos, Shan tribes (closely related to the Siamese) from Remembered as the hills to the east grabbed a piece of the low country, while the Mon tayokpyay min in the south broke free of Bamar control and re-established their own (‘the king who kingdom. ran away from the Chinese’), The Second Burmese Empire Narathihapate was also known It would be another 200 years before the Bamar were able to regroup for his glutton- to found their second empire. During this time, a settlement of Bamar ous appetite, refugees in central Taungoo survived between the Mon to the south and demanding 300 the Shan to the north and east, by playing the larger forces off against varieties of dishes each other. at his banquets. 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, reunified all of Burma and defeated the neighbouring AD 754 849 1044 1057 Nanzhao soldiers Bagan is founded on Anawrahta slays his Having subdued the from Yunnan, China, the site of a once-­ brother, takes the Shan Hills, Anawrahta’s conquer the hill tribes armies sack the ancient in the upper reaches thriving Pyu city; its throne in Bagan and Mon city of Thaton and first name may have starts organising his of the Ayeyarwady been Pyugan, some- kingdom to kick off the bring back 30,000 (Irrawaddy) River and thing recorded 200 ‘golden period’ of the people to Bagan, challenge the Pyu who years later by the An- First Burmese Empire. ruled from the city of namese of present-day including the Mon king, Manuha. Sri Ksetra. Vietnam.

340 H is to ry C o l o nial B u rma Siamese so convincingly that it was many years before the long-running Published in friction between the two nations resurfaced. 1925, GE Harvey’s Following Bayinnaung’s death in 1581, the Bamar’s power again de- History of Burma clined. The capital was shifted north to Inwa in 1636. Its isolation from gives a chrono- the sea – effectively cutting off communication around the kingdom – logical rundown ultimately contributed to Myanmar’s defeat by the British. of Myanmar’s The Third Burmese Empire kingdoms from the Pyu era until With all the subtlety of a kick to the groin, King Alaungpaya launched 1824, faithfully the third and final Burmese dynasty by contesting the Mon when the lat- recounting many ter took over Inwa in 1752. Some say Alaungpaya’s sense of invincibility fanciful legends deluded the Burmese into thinking they could resist the British later on. along the way. After Alaungpaya’s short and bloody reign, his son Hsinbyushin One of the charged into Thailand and levelled Ayuthaya, forcing the Siamese to biggest meteor relocate their capital to what would eventually become Bangkok. Hsin- byushin’s successor, Bodawpaya (another son of Alaungpaya), looked for showers in glory too, and brought the Rakhine under Burmese control. This even- modern history tually led to tension with the British (who had economic interests in filled Burma’s sky Rakhine territory) that the dynasty would not outlive. in 1885. Locals saw it as an omen Colonial Burma of the end of their Wars with the British kingdom. With eyes on fresh markets and supply sources in Southeast Asia, Britain wrested all of Burma in three decisive swipes. In the First, Second and THREE KINGS Lording it over a military parade ground in Myanmar’s capital of Nay Pyi Taw are giant statues of the three kings considered the most important in Burmese history: Anawrahta (1014–77) The creator of the First Burmese Empire ascended the throne in Bagan in 1044. He unified the Ayeyarwady Valley and held sway over the Shan hills and Rakhine at the same time as introducing key religious and social reforms that form the basis of modern Burmese culture. Bayinnaung (1516–81) Aided by Portuguese mercenaries, this king of Taungoo is famed for unifying Burma for its ‘second empire’ and conquering Ayuthaya, the capital of Siam (Thailand), in 1569. Since 1996 his likeness has ominously looked over Thailand from near the border at Tachileik. Alaungpaya (1714–60) With no royal roots, this hometown hero of Mokesebo (Shwebo) founded the Konbaung dynasty and created the second largest empire in Burmese history. His reign lasted only eight years, ending when he died – some say from poisoning – on retreat from Siam, after being turned back by rains. 1084 1273 1290s 1315 Kyanzittha continues In a curious gesture Marco Polo becomes After the collapse the reforms started by of diplomacy against possibly the first of Bagan, Sagaing his father, Anawrahta, becomes the capital of far-superior forces Westerner to travel in a Shan kingdom. The including developing to the north, the central Burma (then capital moves to Inwa the Burmese written known to foreigners as in 1364 and stays there Burmese in Bagan slay Mien), and publishes an intermittently until language; he’s suc- Tartar ambassadors, account of his travels ceeded in 1113 by his prompting a peeved 1841. grandson Alaungsithu, Kublai Khan to invade in 1298. who rules until 1167. 14 years later.

341 Third Anglo-Burmese Wars they picked up Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) and The Burman H is to ry C o l o nial B u rma Rakhine (Arakan) in 1824, Yangon (Rangoon) and southern Burma in (1882) and 1853, and Mandalay and northern Burma in 1885. Burma: A Hand- book of Practical The first war started when Burmese troops, ordered by King Bagy- Information idaw, crossed into British-controlled Assam (in India) from Rakhine to (1906) by colonial pursue refugees. General Maha Bandula managed some minor victories adventurer Sir using guerrilla tactics, but eventually was killed by cannon fire in 1824. J George Scott Burmese troops then surrendered. The Treaty of Yandabo, helped by mis- remain in print sionary translator Adoniram Judson (whose name is still on many Bap- today and still tist churches in Myanmar), gave Rakhine and Tenasserim to the British. provide an insight into the nation’s Two Burmese kings later, Bagan Min started his reign in the same manner that many did: with mass executions to rid the capital of his culture. potential rivals. An 1852 incident involving the possible kidnapping of The 1885 conflict two British sea captains (some argue it never happened) gave the Brit- between Burma ish a welcome excuse for igniting another conflict, and an opportunity for more land. The British quickly seized all of southern Burma, includ- and Britain is ing Yangon and Pathein (Bassein). They then marched north to Pyay sometimes called (Prome), facing little opposition. ‘the war over The Final Two Kings wood’, as Britain’s victory allowed it The unpopular Bagan Min was ousted in favour of the more capable to secure rights and revered Mindon Min, who moved the capital to Mandalay. Palace in- to Burma’s plenti- trigues, including the murder of Mindon’s powerful half-brother by Min- ful teak forests. don’s own sons, stayed the king’s hand in naming his successor. When Mindon suddenly died following an attack of dysentery in 1878, the new (rather reluctant) king, Thibaw Min, was propelled to power by his ruth- less wife and scheming mother-in-law. The following massive ‘massacre of kinsmen’ (79 of Thibaw Min’s rivals) made many British papers. Alas, previous kings hadn’t had to face the consequences of world media atten- tion, and this act did little to generate public backlash in the UK against Britain’s final, decisive war against the Burmese. In 1885 it took Britain just two weeks to conquer Upper Burma, exile Thibaw and his court to India, and establish control over all the country. Direct colonial rule was implemented only where the Bamar were the majority (ie in the central plains). The hill states of the Chin, Kachin, Shan, Kayin and Kayah were allowed to remain largely autonomous – a decision that would have ramifications in the run-up to independence in 1948 and beyond. The Impact of British Rule Burma was henceforth administered as part of ‘British India’. Indian im- migrants flooded into the country, acting like second colonisers, building businesses and taking rare, low-level government jobs from the hostile 1433 1472 1527 1540 Rakhine’s ruler, Nar- The great Mon king, The Shan, who had Lower Burma is reuni- amithla, establishes a Dhammazedi, takes the exercised increasing fied after Tabinshwe- new capital at Mrauk throne, unifies the Mon, control over the area hti, the ambitious and moves the capital from young king of Taungoo, U, which, over the following the fall of defeats the Mon king- course of the next few Inwa to Bago (Pegu), Bagan, defeats the dom at Bago – helped centuries, grows into a and sets up diplomatic kingdom at Inwa and by Burmans fleeing the grand city of temples rules Upper Burma for contact with Europe. Shan in Inwa. and international 28 years. commerce.

342 H is to ry C o l o nial B u rma indigenous population. In 1927 the majority of Yangon’s population was Despite a Indian. Chinese immigration was also encouraged, further subjugating and marginalising the Burmese people. British-held ban against visiting Cheap British imports poured in, fuelled by rice profits. Many key Buddhist sites cities and towns were renamed by the British with Yangon becoming (because of the Rangoon, Pyay becoming Prome and Bagan renamed Pagan. tradition of visi- tors being asked Much of Burma was considered a hardship posting by British co- to remove their lonial officials, who found the locals difficult to govern. On the other shoes), aviator hand, many of the British officials were incompetent and insensitive, Amelia Earhart and refused to honour local customs such as removing shoes to enter temples, thus causing grave offence to the majority Buddhist population. visited them Inflamed by opposition to colonial rule, unemployment and the under- anyway (and took cutting of the traditional educational role of Buddhist monasteries, the country had the highest crime rate in the British Empire. off her shoes). Rise of Nationalism WWII Sites in Burmese nationalism burgeoned in the early days of the 20th century, Myanmar often led by Buddhist monks. University students in Yangon went on strike on National Day in 1920, protesting elitist entrance requirements Start of Burma at British-built universities. The students referred to each other as thak- Road (Lashio, in (master), as they claimed to be the rightful masters of Burma. One thakin – a young man called Aung San – was expelled from university Northern in 1936 for refusing to reveal the author of a politically charged article. Myanmar) Taukkyan War Growing demands for self-government and opposition to colonial rule Cemetery (North eventually forced the British to make a number of concessions. In 1937 of Yangon) Burma was separated administratively from India and a new legislative Thanbyuzayat War council including elected Burmese ministers was formed. However, the Cemetry (Mon country continued to be torn by a struggle between opposing political parties and sporadic outbursts of anti-Indian and anti-Chinese violence. State) Meiktila (Central Aung San & WWII Myanmar) More famous in the West as Aung San Suu Kyi’s father, Bogyoke (General) Aung San is revered as a national hero and his likeness is seen through- out the country. He was born in Natmauk in Burma’s central zone on 13 February 1915, the youngest of six children in a farming family. An intelligent child, Aung San went on to study at Rangoon University. Here 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 for their independence movement. Although initially planning to seek an alliance with China, they ended up negotiating with Japan and receiving military training there. The Thirty Comrades be- came the first troops of the Burmese National Army (BNA) and returned to Burma with the invading Japanese troops in 1941. 1551 1599 1760 1784 Bayinnaung becomes Following his defeat Burmese King Alaungpaya’s son king and, having of Bago, the King of Alaungpaya, having Bodawpaya defeats Rakhine grants the conquered Inwa, Pyay Rakhine, hauling off conquered the Shan Portuguese mercenary (Prome), Dagon (which the revered Mahamuni in 1557, reunifies all Filipe de Brito e Nicote he renames Yangon) Buddha image (sup- of Myanmar as the governorship of the posedly cast during port of Syriam (Than- and Tenasserim Buddha’s legendary Second Burmese lyin), which he controls (Tanintharyi), fails to visit to the area in 554 Empire; his forces take take Ayuthaya in Siam until 1613. BC) to Inwa. the Siam capital of and dies during the Ayuthaya in 1569. retreat.

By mid-1942 the Japanese had driven retreating British-Indian forces, 343 H is to ry P o st- C o l o nial B u rma along with the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT), out of most of Burma. But Armed Forces the conduct of the Japanese troops was starting to alienate the Burmese. Day (27 March) Aung San complained at Japan’s 15th Army headquarters in Maymyo commemorates (now Pyin Oo Lwin): ‘I went to Japan to save my people who were strug- the Burmese gling like bullocks under the British. But now we are treated like dogs’. soldiers’ resist- ance against the Aung San and the BNA switched allegiance to the Allied side in March Japanese army in 1945. Their assistance, along with brave behind-enemy-lines operations by the Chindits, an Allied Special Force, helped the British prevail over WWII. the Japanese in Burma two months later. Aung San and his colleagues now had a chance to dictate postwar terms for their country. Post-Colonial Burma Towards Independence In January 1947 Aung San visited London as the colony’s deputy chair- person of the Governor’s Executive Council. Meeting with British Prime Minister Clement Attlee, a pact was agreed, under which Burma would gain self-rule within a year. 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 Rakhine. 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, REVOLUTIONARY MONKS In 1919, at Mandalay’s Eindawya Paya, monks evicted Europeans who refused to take off their shoes. The British, sensing that this ‘Shoe Question’ was the start of a nationalist movement, sentenced the monk leader, U Kettaya, to life imprisonment. This would not be the last involvement of the sangha (Buddhist brotherhood) in politics. U Ottama, a monk who had studied in India and returned to Burma in 1921, promoted religious liberation as a way to bring the independence movement to the attention of the average local Buddhist. After numerous arrests, U Ottama died in prison in 1939. Another monk, U Wizaya, died in prison in 1929 after a 163-day hunger strike, which began as a protest against a rule that forbade imprisoned monks from wearing robes. In the footsteps of these martyrs to the nationalist cause strode the brave monks who, risking arrest and worse, marched the streets in 2007. 1813 1826 1852 1857 Adoniram Judson, a The Treaty of Yandabo Following the possible Mindon Min moves Baptist missionary concludes the First kidnapping of two of its Upper Burma’s capital from Massachusetts, Anglo-Burmese War nationals, Britain starts arrives to convert souls that had begun two from Inwa to a newly and translate the Bible; the Second Anglo- built city at the foot thanks to his influence, years previously; the Burmese War for con- of Mandalay Hill, thus British annex Rakhine fulfilling a purported Myanmar has the and Tanintharyi (Tenas- trol of Lower Burma; 2400-year-old prophecy third-largest number of serim) and demand an Mindon Min overthrows indemnity of £1 million. by Buddha. Baptists worldwide. his half-brother and sues for peace.

344 H is to ry P o st- C o l o nial B u rma led by U Saw, took three. (U Saw was Burma’s prime minister between Patricia Elliott’s 1939 and 1942, and was exiled to Uganda for the rest of WWII for secret- The White ly communicating with the Japanese following a failed attempt to gain Umbrella (www. British agreement to Burmese home rule.) The remaining 69 seats were whiteumbrella. split between ethnic minorities, including four seats for the Anglo- com) is the fasci- Burman community. nating true story of Shan royal Sao On 19 July 1947, 32-year-old Aung San and six aides were gunned Hearn Hkam, wife down in a plot ascribed to U Saw. Some speculate that the military was of Burma’s presi- involved, due to Aung San’s plans to demilitarise the government. Appar- dent and founder ently U Saw thought he’d walk into the prime minister’s role with Aung of the Shan State San gone; instead he took the noose, when the British had him hanged Army. for the murders in 1948. U Nu, Burma’s U Nu & Early Woes first prime While Myanmar mourned the death of a hero, Prime Minister Attlee and minister, was also Aung San’s protégé, U Nu, signed an agreement for the transfer of power a devout Buddhist in October 1947. On 4 January 1948, at an auspicious middle-of-the-night who banned the hour, Burma became independent and left the British Commonwealth. slaughter of cows after winning the Almost immediately, the new government led by U Nu had to contend 1960 election. His with the complete disintegration of the country, involving rebels, com- munists, gangs and (US-supported) anticommunist Chinese KMT forces. autobiography Saturday’s Son The hill-tribe people, who had supported the British and fought was published in against the Japanese throughout the war, were distrustful of the Bamar majority and took up armed opposition. The communists withdrew from 1975. the government and attacked it. Muslims from the Rakhine area also op- posed the new government. The Mon, long thought to be totally integrat- ed with the Burmese, revolted. Assorted factions, private armies, WWII resistance groups and plain mutineers further confused the picture. 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 commu- nist forces, but gradually fought back. Through 1950 and 1951 it regained control of much of the country. With the collapse of Chiang Kai-Shek’s KMT forces to those of Mao Ze- dong, the tattered remnants of the KMT withdrew into northern Burma and mounted raids from there into Yunnan, China. But being no match for the Chinese communists, the KMT decided to carve their own little fiefdom out of Burmese territory. The First Military Government By the mid-1950s the government had strengthened its hold on the coun- try, but the economy slipped from bad to worse. U Nu managed to re- main in power until 1958, when he voluntarily handed the reins over to 1862 1866 1885 1886 Bahadur Shah Zafar, Mindon’s sons conspire The Third Anglo- Burma becomes an the last emperor of against the heir appar- Burmese War results in administrative province India, is exiled with ent – beheading him in the end of the Burmese the palace – prompting of British-ruled India, his family to Yangon, monarchy, as Britain with its capital at Ran- which the British call Mindon to choose conquers Mandalay, goon; it takes several Rangoon. He dies in Thibaw, who showed no sending Thibaw and years for the British to 1858, and is buried in his family into exile in successfully suppress interest in the throne, secrecy. as his successor. India. local resistance.

a caretaker military government under General Ne Win. Considering the 345 H is to ry P o st- C o l o nial B u rma pride most of the country had in the Burmese army, which had helped Following Ne bring independence, this was seen as a welcome change. Win’s military coup in 1962, the Freed from the ‘democratic’ responsibilities inherent in a civilian gov- country started ernment, Ne Win was able to make some excellent progress during the closing off the 15 months his military government operated. A degree of law and order outside world, was restored, rebel activity was reduced, and Yangon was given a massive limiting foreign- and much-needed clean-up. ers’ visits to just 24-hour visas, In The River of Lost Footsteps, Thant Myint-U writes that Ne Win’s first later extended to period of government was considered by some ‘the most effective and efficient in modern Burmese history’. Sadly, the same would not be true a week. for the general’s second, much more extended, stint at Burma’s helm. As many as 250,000 people The Burmese Road to Socialism of Indian and Chinese descent Free elections were held in December 1960 and the charismatic U Nu left Burma in the regained power with a much-improved majority, partly through a policy 1960s. Anti-­ of making Buddhism the state religion. This, and politically destabilising Chinese riots in moves by various ethnic minorities to leave the Union of Burma, resulted Yangon in 1967 in an army coup in March 1962. also resulted in hundreds of U Nu, along with his main ministers, was thrown into prison, where Chinese deaths. he remained until he was forced into exile in 1966. Ne Win established a 17-member Revolutionary Council and announced that the country would ‘march towards socialism in our own Burmese way’, confiscating most private property and handing it over to military-run state corporations. Nationalisation resulted in everyday commodities becoming available only on the black market, and vast numbers of people being thrown out of work. Ne Win also banned international aid organisations, foreign- language publications and local, privately owned newspapers and political parties. The net result was that by 1967 a country that had been the largest exporter of rice in the world prior to WWII was now unable to feed itself. Riots & Street Protests Opposition to Ne Win’s government eventually bubbled over into a strike by oil workers and others in May 1974 and, later that year, riots over what was seen as the inappropriate burial of former UN secretary-general U Thant in Yangon. Responding with gunfire and arrests, the government regained control and doggedly continued to run the country – further impoverishing the people with successive demonetisations. In late 1981 Ne Win retired as president of the republic, retaining his position as chair of the Burmese Socialist Programme Party (BSPP), the country’s only legal political party under the 1974 constitution. But his successor, San Yu, and the government remained very much under the influence of Ne Win’s political will. 1920 1937 1939 1941 Students across Burma A new constitution Still under British After training with strike in protest against for Burma sets up a watch, the leader of the Japanese, Aung the new University Act, legislative council, Burma’s government, San – Aung San Suu giving locals a larger U Saw, holds office until Kyi’s father – founds seen as helping to per- role in the running of his arrest in January the Burmese Army, and petuate colonial rule; the country; it’s not 1942 for communicat- marches into Burma enough to stem calls ing with the Japanese. with his benefactors to the strike is celebrated for independence. today by National Day. oust the British.

346 History POST-1990 MYANMAR In 1988 the people again took to the streets en masse, insisting that Ne The 1988 Win had to go. Public protests reached a climax on the auspicious date of 8 August 1988 (8-8-88), after which the government steadily moved to demonstrations crush all opposition, killing an estimated 3000 and imprisoning more. were sparked by Tens of thousands, mainly students, fled the country. a students’ fight at the Rangoon Slorc Holds an Election Institute of Tech- nology (that’s In September 1988 a military coup (widely thought to have had the bless- right, RIOT) that ing of Ne Win) saw the formation of the State Law & Order Restoration ended with police Council (Slorc) and the promise to hold a multiparty election within intervening and three months. some students Although 235 parties contested the election (which was delayed un- being killed. til May 1990), the clear front runner from the start was the National League for Democracy (NLD). The NLD was led by several former gen- erals, along with Aung San Suu Kyi (daughter of hero Aung San), who had made such a public impression at rallies during the 1988 protests. In the run-up to the election, Slorc tried to appease the masses with construction programs, adding a coat of paint to many buildings in Yan- gon and abandoning socialism in favour of a capitalist economy. In 1989 it changed the name of the country to Myanmar, then placed Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest and detained many other prodemocracy leaders. Convinced it had effectively dealt with the opposition, the government went ahead with the country’s first election in 30 years. The voter turn- out – 72.59% – was the highest in Myanmar’s history. The result was a resounding victory for the NLD, which took 392 of the 485 contested seats (or about 60% of the vote), with the military-backed National Unity Party gaining just 10 seats with just over 25% of the vote. Post-1990 Myanmar NLD under Attack Slorc barred the elected members of parliament from assuming power, decreeing that a state-approved constitution had to be passed by national referendum first. In October 1990 the military raided NLD offices and ar- rested key leaders. Five years later Slorc deemed it safe enough to release Aung San Suu Kyi; at the same time, many other high-level dissidents, in- cluding the NLD’s Tin U and Kyi Maung, were also released from prison. In May and September 1996, a congress of NLD members was held in a bold political gambit to show that the party was still an active force. The military junta responded by detaining hundreds who attended the congress; the street leading to Suu Kyi’s residence was also blockaded, prohibiting her from making speeches at her residence. In 1998 Suu Kyi attempted to leave Yangon to meet with supporters, but was blocked by the military and forcibly returned to the city. A 1945 1947 1948 1958 Aung San turns his Having gained inde- On 4 January the coun- A split in the AFPFL army against the pendence from Britain try gains independence causes parliamen- Japanese to support and rallied ethnic as the Union of Burma tary chaos; U Nu the British; later he groups to a 10-year with U Nu as the prime barely survives a no-­ deal where they could minister; immediately confidence vote and forms the Anti-Fascist secede from Burma by invites General Ne Win People’s Freedom 1958, Aung San and six it is destabilised by to form a ‘caretaker League (AFPFL) to colleagues are assassi- various ethnic and government’, which fight for Burmese political conflicts. independence. nated by rivals. lasts until 1960.

second attempt to drive to Mandalay in September 2000 again saw the 347 History POST-1990 MYANMAR Lady (as she is affectionately known) detained at a military roadblock Than Shwe: and later placed under house arrest. Save for barely a year (between 6 Unmasking May 2002 and 30 May 2003), she would spend the next decade shut away Burma’s Tyrant by from the public. Benedict Rogers is an unauthor- Than Shwe Takes Over ised biography of the secretive Due to the tourism boycott launched by the NLD and others, there was senior general a disappointing turnout for the junta’s official ‘Visit Myanmar Year 1996’. who called the Increased sanctions from the West led the government to seek other shots in Myanmar sources of income: namely trade with China, India and Thailand. between 2004 and 2010. Khin Nyunt, feared head of military intelligence, became prime minis- ter in 2003. The man known as the Prince of Darkness took the lead on the junta’s seven-step ‘roadmap towards discipline-flourishing democ- racy’. But only a year later hard-liner Senior General Than Shwe ousted Khin Nyunt and many of his fellow intelligence officers; at a secret trial, Khin Nyunt was sentenced to 44 years in jail. Than Shwe initially promised to continue the transition to democ- racy, but instead his activity showed a focus on negotiating multimillion- dollar trade deals with China, India and Thailand, and importing weapons and military know-how from Russia and North Korea. In 2005 an entirely new capital city was created in the arid fields near Pyinmana. The junta named the city-in-the-making Nay Pyi Taw (Royal Capital), leaving little doubt that Than Shwe’s strategies and inspirations were aligned less with the modern world than with Burmese kings of centuries past. MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THE TATMADAW From a small and disunited force at the time of independence, Myanmar’s army, the Tatmadaw, has grown to nearly half a million soldiers. It takes care of its troops and their dependants by providing subsidised housing and access to special schools and hospi- tals. The military also owns two giant corporations – the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings (UMEH) and Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) – whose dealings extend into nearly every corner of the economy. Small wonder that for many families, having a son (it’s rarely a daughter, although there are some roles for women in the army) who is a solider results in much apprecia- tion for the financial security it brings. Many other people in Myanmar live in fear of the army, but there are others who continue to respect the institution for the role it originally played in securing independence for the nation – not least of whom is Aung San Suu Kyi whose father was a general. 1962 1964 1978 1988 Following the coup All opposition political General San Yu Civilian unrest grows by Ne Win, a peaceful parties are banned, succeeds Ne Win as as living standards Burma’s president but student protest at commerce and indus- Ne Win remains the continue to fall. On 8 Rangoon University try are nationalised, ultimate ruler, even August huge nonviolent is suppressed by the after his resignation military, with more than and Ne Win begins the marches end with the 100 students killed process of isolating from the Burmese military killing more and the Student Union Socialist Programme Myanmar from the rest than 3000 protestors; building blown up. of the world. Party in 1988. the military promises to hold democratic elections.

History POST-1990 MYANMAR348 The ‘Saffron Revolution’ In mid-2007 natural gas prices rose by 500% (and petrol by 200%), lead- ing to price hikes for everything from local bus tickets to rice. In late August a group of ‘1988 generation’ protestors were arrested for staging a march against the inflation. On 5 September, when monks denounced the price hikes in a demonstration in Pakokku, the protests escalated. The military responded with gunfire and allegedly beat one monk to death. In response, the All Burma Monks Alliance (ABMA) was formed, de- nouncing the ruling government as an ‘evil military dictatorship’ and refusing to accept alms from military officials (a practice called pattam mikkujana kamma). By 17 September, marches were happening daily, swelling in numbers across major cities, including Yangon, Mandalay, Meiktila and Sittwe. Unexpectedly, monk-led crowds were allowed to pray with Aung San Suu Kyi from outside her house gates on 22 September. Two days later, anything from 50,000 to 150,000 protestors marched through the streets of Yangon in what would become known as the Saffron Revolution. All the while the government watched, photographing participants. On 26 September, the army began shooting protestors and imposed a curfew. By the end of the week, monasteries had been raided, around 3000 people had been arrested and over 30 were dead, including a Jap- anese photographer whose killing in central Yangon was captured on video. Cyclone Nargis In the aftermath of the 2007 demonstrations, Than Shwe finalised the long-delayed new constitution, which had been under discussion since 1993, and announced a national referendum for it on 10 May 2008. But on 2 May, Cyclone Nargis – the second-deadliest cyclone in recorded history – tore across the Ayeyarwady Delta. A DIFFERENT KIND OF REVOLUTION As David Steinberg points out in Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know, the Saffron Revolution was neither saffron nor a revolution. Burmese monks wear maroon (not saffron) coloured robes for a start. The revolutionary part of the events of 2007 was that, for the first time, they were broadcast via smuggled-out videos on satellite TV or the internet. For a nail-biting account of how incendiary video evidence was captured of the army violently cracking down on the people during the so-called ‘Saffron Revolution’, watch the Oscar-nominated documentary Burma VJ (https://vimeo.com/33160416). 1990 1995 1997 2000 In May the National Aung San Suu Kyi is US and Canada impose The EU intensifies its League for Democracy released from house an investment ban on economic sanctions (NLD), led by Aung San arrest. The government Myanmar. State Law & Order Restoration against Myanmar, Suu Kyi, conclu- uses forced labour citing continued human sively wins the first to ready some sites Council (Slorc) changes nationwide election for ‘Visit Myanmar name to the State rights abuses in the in three decades, but Year’; NLD and other country. Aung San Suu the military refuses to activist groups launch a Peace & Development Kyi again under house Council. Myanmar joins arrest until May 2002. relinquish power. tourism boycott. Asean.