lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

118

BAGAN & CENTRAL MYANMAR

BAGAN

New Heaven GUESTHOUSE $

(%60921; off Yarkinnthar Hotel Rd; s $10-12, d $15-

18; a) A quick stroll from Restaurant Row,

this place off ers clean, compact rooms with

small decks overlooking the peaceful lawn.

The bigger, pricier rooms include a TV.

Eden Motel GUESTHOUSE $

(%60815, 60812; Anawrahta Rd; s/d from $8/15; a)

Split in two by the busy road to the airport,

Eden isn’t exactly a garden party. The rooms

in the newer Eden Motel II have bigger, tiled

rooms and an over-touted bathtub, but we

prefer the ones in the original – particularly

the ones with all-bamboo walls and hardwood

fl oors. The friendly management told us they

‘have an idea’ to upgrade all the rooms.

Inn Wa Guest House GUESTHOUSE $

(%60902, 60849; Main Rd; s $8-10, d $13-15; a) If

you just need a cheap bed, this three-fl oor,

16-room choice near the market works, of-

fering minigolf-green carpets in boxy rooms

and simple attached bathrooms with hot

water. Rooms 206 and 306 have more win-

dow light (and less street noise). Breakfast

is served on the open roof deck. Advance

booking gets you a free transfer from your

point of arrival.

Winner Guest House GUESTHOUSE $

(%61069; Main Rd, Wetkyi-in; s $5-7, d $7-10; a) If

money’s tight, opt for this little family-run

guesthouse on the road to Old Bagan. The

cheapest rooms share the common bath-

room. Simple concrete-fl oor rooms with an

air-conditioning unit and tiled bathroom at-

tached are just as good as the cheapies in

town. Other pluses are that it’s nearer the

temples, and there are appealing roadside

restaurants around.

Golden Myanmar

Guest House GUESTHOUSE $

(%60901, 09-204 2064; http://www.goldenmyanmar

guesthouse.com; Main Rd; s $7-8, d $11-15; a)

More bare-bone than its neighbour Inn Wa,

with the cheaper rooms sharing a common

bathroom. Go with room 108: it’s got more

light and has direct access to the roof deck,

where breakfast is served.

Golden Village Inn GUESTHOUSE $

(%60921; off Yarkinnthar Hotel Rd; s $8-10, d $12-

16; a) Behind New Heaven (and with the

same owners), the Village is another shady

spot near the restaurant strip, with comfort-

able bungalow-style rooms. Higher-priced

rooms have TV, desk and tub.

 5 Eating & Drinking

Nyaung U’s Yarkinnthar Hotel Rd (aka Res-

taurant Row) is a strip of atmospheric open-

air eateries geared towards foreign visitors.

It’s touristy, but easily the hub(bub) of Bagan

action. Many of the restaurants are copy-

cats, with similar ‘everything goes’ menus

(Chinese, Burmese, Thai, Indian, pizza and

‘Western’ options).

oAroma 2 INDIAN $$

(Yarkinnthar Hotel Rd; dishes K2000-7000; h11am-

9pm or 10pm) ‘No good – no pay’ is the mantra

of this justifi ably confi dent operation serv-

ing delish vegie and meat curries on banana

leaves (or plates) with an endless stream of

hot chapattis and fi ve dollops of condiments

(including tamarind and mint sauces). If

you order one day in advance, it can also

whip up various biryani rice dishes.

oBlack Bamboo EUROPEAN $$

(%09-650 1444; off Yarkinnthar Hotel Rd; dishes

K3500-6000; h9am-9.30pm) Run by a French

woman and her Burmese husband, this

garden-set café and restaurant is something

of an oasis: a lovely place to relax over a de-

cent steak and chips, a well-made espresso

or delicious homemade ice cream. Service is

friendly but leisurely.

Red Pepper Diner THAI, EUROPEAN $$

(%09-4926 0229; cnr Anawrahta Rd & Thirpyitsaya

3 St; meal K4000-12,000; h11am-3pm, 6-10pm)

Serving a broad range of Thai dishes, freshly

made with an authentic spicy kick, this yel-

low house takes a stab at sophistication with

silky pillows on concrete benches in a court-

yard facing the main road.

San Kabar Restaurant & Pub ITALIAN $$

(Main Rd; pizza K4000-6000, salads K1500-2700;

h7am-10pm) Famous as the birthplace of

Bagan pizza, the San Kabar’s streetside can-

dlelit courtyard is all about its thin-crusted

pies and well-prepared salads.

Pyi Wa BAMAR, INTERNATIONAL $$

(Yarkinnthar Hotel Rd; noodles & dishes K1500-

3000; h7am-9pm or 10pm) Slightly less stylish

than some, but Pyi Wa is the operation on

Restaurant Row with a Bagan-era zedi (stu-

pa) as a neighbour – staff light up its base at

night. The best dishes are Chinese, but do

start off with the ‘potato cracken’ (fried po-

tato wedges that go particularly well with a

bottle of Myanmar Beer).