138BAGAN & CENTRAL MYANMAR
YA N G O N–M A N DA L AY HI G HWAY
4 Sleeping
oMyanmar Beauty Guest
House II, III & IV GUESTHOUSE $$
(%23270, 23527; Pauk Hla Gyi St; fourdoctors@
mptmail.net.mm; r in III $10-15, s/d in IV $15/25;a)
This three-part, 20-room rural complex at
the edge of town is reason enough to stop
in Taungoo. The Beauty has a grab-bag of
rustic, all-wood, bungalow-style rooms.
Don’t get confused by the numbers – the
higher the number, the nicer the room. The
spacious IV rooms face the fi elds and have
air-con and a good hot shower; III is a step
down, and II is usually used by drivers and
guides. Staff are super, as is the wildly lo-
cal breakfast, with samosas, sticky rice and
exotic fruits – and lots of it. It’s about 1.5
miles south of the turnoff from the old Yan-
gon–Mandalay Highway into the centre of
Taungoo and is a K1000 to K1500 trishaw
ride from the centre. Myanmar Beauty
Guest House I (%23270; 7/134 Bo Hmu Pho
Kun St; r $10-15), in town, isn’t really worth
considering.Myanma Thiri Hotel HOTEL $$
(%23764; [email protected]; Magalar
Rd; s/d from $25/33; pas) Set a block or so
back from the main highway behind the
sports fi eld is this old government hotel now
leased to a private company (see p 21 ). The
cheaper rooms, in the British colonial build-
ing, are big with overly soft mattresses. There
are a few deluxe rooms in separate new cha-
lets and a 20m-long swimming pool in the
grounds.Royal Kaytumadi Hotel HOTEL $$$
(%24761; http://www.kmahotels.com; Royal Kaytumadi
St; r $50-65; ais) Hogging the west side of
the lake is Taungoo’s fanciest option, with
very comfortable rooms and plenty of facili-
ties and nice decorative details. The prop-
erty is owned by a businessman affi liated
with the government (see p 21 ). The same
businessman also bankrolled the new city
gates and giant statue of Mingyinyo erected
to celebrate the city’s 500th anniversary.Mother’s House Hotel HOTEL $$
(%24240; [email protected]; 501-502
Yangon-Mandalay Highway; s/d $20/25; a) This
32-room bungalow hotel right on the high-
way and a little closer to town than the
Beauty grants you 24-hour electricity, satel-
lite TV and clean and comfy bungalow-style
rooms with wood fl oors and fudge-and-ba-
nana colour schemes.Hotel Amazing Kaytu HOTEL $$
(%23977; http://www.amazing-hotel.com; 8th St Ohtky-
auttan; s/d from $30/35; a) ‘Hotel Dependable
If a Little Overpriced & Generic Kaytu’ is
more apt. It’s a bit north of the main turn
off from the old Yangon–Mandalay High-
way into the centre of Taungoo; its 18 rooms
are perfectly fi ne – with round-the-clock
electricity, satellite TV and plain tiled bath-
rooms, plus a clock set to Spanish time in
the lobby. The cheapest rooms are stuck at
the back and a little dark.Pun Swe Taw HOTEL $$
(%25595; [email protected]; 8/15 Yangon-
Mandalay Highway; s/d $35/40; a) Centrally
located, this four-storey hotel off ers reason-
ably clean and big rooms overlooking the
moat on the east side of the old city. Howev-
er, it also suff ers from highway traffi c noise. 5 Eating
Around Taungoo’s tea shops, try asking for
yo yo (normal coff ee), which should get you
a cup of ‘Taungoo coff ee’ (actually it comes
from the Karen mountains to the east).
At the night market, which convenes next
to the central market, vendors specialise
in chapattis and meat-stuff ed palata (fried
fl atbread). On the old Yangon–Mandalay
Highway, particularly to the south, are many
Chinese and Myanmar restaurants; the res-
taurant at Mother’s House Hotel is particu-
larly inviting.Yagon Food Villa PAN-ASIAN $$
(185 Bo Hmu Pho Kun St; dishes K1500-2500;
h8.30am-9.30pm) Colourful fake-leather so-
fas and chairs add a bright note to this reli-
able option serving the usual mix of rice and
noodle dishes, with burgers and fi sh and
chips on the menu, too.8 Information
Arena Net Cafe (Bo Hmu Pho Kun St; per hr
K500; h9am-4pm) Arena is next to Myanmar
Beauty Guest House 1. Internet cafes are abun-
dant, but don’t expect speedy connections.
Dr Chan Aye (%23270; Myanmar Beauty
Guest House I) Runs a clinic and speaks good
English.8 Getting There & Away
The 62-mile unpaved logging road from Ok-
twin (9 miles south of Taungoo) to Pakkhaung
provides a shortcut to Pyay. Foreigners are not
allowed to travel along this road unless on a
tour; Dr Chan Aye (see p 137 ) can make this trip