122BAGAN & CENTRAL MYANMAR
BAGAN
oHotel @ Tharabar
Gate HOTEL $$$
(%60037, 60042, in Yangon 01-211 888; http://www.thar
abargate.com; r $160-200, ste $300; ai Ws)
If you can live without river views, this 86-
room hotel is a fi ne option (particularly
when you beat those rack rates by booking
on the internet or via agents, some of whom
can off er good deals). Lush gardens of tropi-
cal plants and bougainvillea line walkways
to the roomy wood-fl oor bungalows with
decks. The two-room suites at the far end
go traditional, with gold-coloured ogres and
naga spirits on the walls.Aye Yar River View Hotel HOTEL $$$
(%60352, 60313, in Yangon 01-537 961; http://www.bagan
ayeyarhotel.com; r $75-95; aiWs) Following
a major make-over, this former government
hotel (we’re told it’s owned by a ‘private
business person’ in Yangon) is very appeal-
ing. The most expensive rooms are set in
spacious bungalows with river views, while
those closer to the pool are pretty nice, too.Bagan Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary
Resort RESORT $$$
(%60048, 60049; http://www.thiripyitsaya-resort.com;
r $130-175, ste $300; ais) It’s hard not to
wish for more midday shade in this nice
Japanese joint-venture hotel on the river,
about 500m south of the Old Bagan walls.
There’s a pool and rooms are away (mostly)
from direct river views in ageing four-room
bungalow-style duplexes with covered decks.
The restaurant is good with panoramic river
views and there’s a wide range of activities
off ered (see p 114 ).Bagan Thande Hotel HOTEL $$
(%60025, 60031; http://www.hotelbaganthande.com; s
$28-66, d $33-75, ste $200; ais) Opened for
King Edward VIII in 1922, this riverside ho-
tel carries a bit of dated formality. The sim-
ple, but fi ne, midpriced ‘superior’ bungalows
have decks looking over the pool and nearby
Gadawpawlin Pahto. Best for views, though,
are the riverfront deluxe rooms at the river’s
edge. Breakfast is served under tree shade
with river views too.Bagan Hotel HOTEL $$$
(%60032; http://www.kmahotels.com; r from $60;
aiWs) More modern and stylish than
Thande, this 107-room hotel has bungalows
with teak fl oors in a nice setting. The owner
is friendly with the government (see p 21 ). 5 Eating
Old Bagan’s restaurants (between the Anan-
da Pahto and Tharabar Gate) are a logical
central point for lunch. The nearby hotel
restaurants add a little style (and kyat) to
your meal.oBe Kind to Animals
the Moon VEGETARIAN, BAMAR $$
(off Bagan-Nyaung U Rd; dishes K1500-3000;
h7am-10pm; v) The original among the cou-
ple of vegetarian restaurants clustered near
Tharabar Gate, this place off ers a friendly
welcome and delicious food including
pumpkin and ginger soup, aubergine curry
and a lime and ginger tea that the owners
claim is good for stomach upsets.Sarahba III/Gyi Gyi’s VEGETARIAN, BAMAR $
(off Bagan-Nyaung U Rd; dishes from K300; h6am-
6pm) Join the crowds under a shady tree
near the Tharabar Gate squatting on low
chairs at green-painted tables and tucking
into some of Bagan’s best tucker, all freshly
prepared and supremely tasty. There’s no
sign – the name is what local’s jokingly call
the place.Scoopy’s ICE CREAM $
(off Bagan-Nyaung U Rd; dishes from K300; h11am-
6pm) Run by the French-Burmese owners of
the Black Bamboo in Nyaung U, this relaxed
café and ice-cream parlour is something of
a godsend. Toasted sandwiches, homemade
muffi ns and treats such as Western choco-
late bars are available – all great for picnic
snacks while touring the temples.Sarabha II CHINESE, INTERNATIONAL $$
(dishes K1200-8000; h11am-9pm) Of the two
Sarabhas back to back by the Tharabar Gate,
we like the one behind best, away from the
road. It’s a great midday resting point for
shade and its range of food (Chinese, Thai,
Burmese, pizza). The food’s good, and cheap-
er than hotel restaurants, but best are the
cold towels handed out to wipe the dust off
your face.Golden Myanmar BAMAR $$
(Bagan-Nyaung U Rd; buff et K3000; h10am-10pm)
Keep-it-real seekers (and lots of horse-cart
drivers) prefer this excellent roadside eat-
ery with shaded seats on a brick fl oor. The
‘buff et’ (your pick of chicken, pork, fi sh or
mutton curry) comes with the usual tableful
of condiments. There’s another location near
Ananda Pahto.