123BAGANSHOPPINGBAGAN & CENTRAL MYANMARSHOPPINGBAGAN & CENTRAL MYANMARMYINKABA 7 Shopping
Shwe War Thein Handicrafts
Shop HANDICRAFTS
(%67032; [email protected]; h6am-10pm peak
season) Just east of Tharabar Gate (and well
signed off the Bagan–Nyaung U Rd) is this
popular treasure trove of Myanmar trinkets.
The collection includes antique and new
puppets (starting from $5), woodcarvings,
chess sets, lacquerware and bronze pieces.
Ask to see the antique section at the rear.
Lacquerware selections are wider in Myinka-
ba and New Bagan.
8 Getting There & Away
Depending on water levels, boats from Mandalay
arrive in Old Bagan near the Aye Yar Hotel. See
p 120 for more on boats leaving Nyaung U, the
major gateway for buses, trains and planes out
of Bagan.
Myinkaba
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Like lacquerware? Bagan’s most famous shop-
ping zone is this otherwise sleepy village,
about half a mile south of Old Bagan, which
has been home to family-run lacquerware
workshops for generations. At least a dozen
workshops and storefronts are located around
the smattering of choice pahto (temples) and
stupas (p 161 ) from the early Bagan period.
And King Manuha, respectfully called the
‘Captive King’, built the poetic Manuha Paya
while held here in the 11th century.
7 Shopping
Before pulling out your wallet, it’s wise to
stop at a handful of places to compare vary-
ing styles (and prices). Workshops (like the
ones that follow) will show you the many
stages of lacquerware-making and how
lacquer is applied in layers, dried and en-
graved. There’s refreshingly little pressure
to buy at any of the workshops. But quality
varies; often the best stuff is kept in air-
conditioned rooms at the back. Most work-
shops and stores keep long hours (roughly
7am to 9pm during peak season).
Generally, you can bargain about 10% off
the quoted prices – and no more. We priced
higher-quality 14-layer (or higher) vases
for $35, full tea sets with tray for $110, tea
cups or rice bowls for $15 to $25 and jewel-
lery boxes from $12. Seven-layer pieces are
cheaper.
A few places to check out:
Art Gallery of Bagan LACQUERWARE
English-speaking Maung Aung Myin has
two rooms and a busy workshop on the
road 200yd north of Mahamuni. Apart
from the full range of lacquerware – in-
cluding some beautiful and pricey cabinets
and casks – it also has antique and new
puppets ($20 to $150).
Family Lacquerware
Work Shop LACQUERWARE
Smaller workshop off the east side of the
road, with a few more modern styles with
less layers of lacquer and untraditional
colours such as blue and yellow.
Golden Cuckoo LACQUERWARE
Just behind the Manuha Paya, this family-
run workshop spans four generations and
focuses on ‘traditional’ designs, which are
applied to some unusual objects, including
a motorbike helmet ($250) and a guitar
($500).CARRIAGES & ELEPHANTSApart from the fl oating over Bagan by balloon, there are a couple more ways to see the
temples in grand style. Indulge your inner princess by hiring the Cinderella-style Victo-
ria Horsecart (%60782, 09 650 1444; half/full day $35/55), a 120-year-old wooden horse-
drawn carriage made in England that seats up to four passengers. It’s owned by the same
Burmese-French couple who run the Black Bamboo and Scoopys.
A Yangon-based Burmese-Italian couple are the driving force behind Elephant
Coach (%in Yangon 01-661 731, 09 503 7366; http://www.asiaelephantcoach.com), which has one of
its three lovingly restored Chevrolet buses based in Bagan; the other two are in Yangon.
An Orient Express compared to the typical clapped-out coach trundling Myanmar’s
roads, these beauties, decorated with teak and ironwood, seat six in high colonial com-
fort. Hiring one for six/12 hours of sightseeing, including driver and hostess serving fresh
hand towels and soft drinks, costs US$250/380.