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BAGAN & CENTRAL MYANMAR

YA N G O N–M A N DA L AY HI G HWAY

Uppatasanti Paya BUDDHIST TEMPLE

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An act of merit-making by General Than

Shwe and his wife, this 321ft tall golden pa-

goda – 1ft smaller than Yangon’s Shwedagon

Paya – is impressive from afar (especially

when illuminated at night), but close up be-

trays its hasty construction with poor fi nishes.

Nevertheless, the vast interior is lined with

some vivid carved-stone murals depicting

the life and legend of Buddha and key scenes

from Myanmar’s Buddhist history. Foreigners

are supposed to pay a $5 entry charge, but no

one asked us for it when we showed up.

At the foot of the pagoda’s east side is a

covered, open-sided enclosure where two

fabled white elephants – 38-year-old Bud-

dawadi and 18-year-old Nandawadi – stand

chained and munching bamboo. Along with

two females, who are more dusky pink than

white, there’s also a regular two-year-old

black elephant for comparison. Between

10am and 4pm the elephants are unchained

and disappear from public view to roam the

grazing ground to the rear.

Zoological Garden & Safari Park ZOO

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(zoo admission $10, photo charge K2000; h8.30am-

8pm Tue-Sun) A good 45-minute drive northeast

of the hotel zone (and closer to Pyinmana) are

these animal-focused attractions, both run by

the government. As zoos go, it’s not a badly

kept place – many of its inhabitants were

shifted here from Yangon’s decrepit colonial-

era zoo. Spread across 612 acres are over 80

diff erent species of animal, bird and reptile,

including hippos, lions, deer, bison, crocodiles

and several elephants. There’s also an air-

conditioned pool house for black-footed and

Humboldt penguins, and a planetarium.

Next door, more wild beasts roam the

safari park (admission $20; h8.30am-4.30pm),

which opened in 2011 and is toured on elec-

tric canopy-covered buggies – you’ll be glad

of these in the heat of the day. The 35-acre

facility, home to zebras, rhinos, tigers and a

pair of giraff es, is divided into sections show-

casing the fauna of Africa, Asia and Australia.

 Other Sights

Water Fountain Garden PARK

(admission K200, camera charge K1000; h8.30am-

8.30pm) More or less at the heart of Nay Pyi

Taw is this government-built grassy park,

which boasts a viewing platform, water fea-

tures (perhaps turned on) and cheaply con-

structed and already crumbling decorative

structures bedecked with twinkling fairy

lights at night.

Gem Museum MUSEUM

(Yarza Thingaha Rd; entrance $5; h9.30am-4.30pm

Tue-Sun) The one-room exhibition hall at this

government-run museum is a snooze. Have

some fun walking around faster than the

attendants who scuttle behind switching

on and off the lights in cabinets displaying,

among other things, pearls, rubies, silver-

ware, jade and a big lump of coal. Down-

stairs, listless jewellers and gem merchants

hawk their wares.

National Museum MUSEUM

This new museum was under construction

in the north of the city during our visit;

we’re told it’s likely that original pieces cur-

rently in Yangon will be replaced by copies

and the originals will be moved here.

 4 Sleeping

Foreign visitors must stay in the hotel zone

where new complexes are sprouting like

daisies next to the villa-style resort Aureum

Palace and Royal Kumudra, owned by busi-

nesses affi liated with the government (see

p 21 ). Forced to build quickly, construction

and decorative standards are woeful and

most places are overpriced. However, a cou-

ple of the smaller places are worth consider-

ing if you decide to overnight.

Tungapuri Hotel HOTEL $$

(%422 020; http://www.tungapurihotel.com; 9/10 Yarza

Thingaha Rd; s/d from $25/35; aW) A Shan

constructor built this small hotel, which has

some appeal. The cheapest rooms are in the

basement, where the singles don’t even have

windows; it’s better to pay an extra $10 or

more for the superior and deluxe rooms on

the upper fl oors. Staff are very welcoming.

Oasis Hotel HOTEL $$

(%422 088; [email protected]; 12 Yarza

Thingaha Rd; r/ste $50/200; ai) The most

stylish of Nay Pyi Taw’s smaller hotels, the

Oasis’ suites are overpriced, but do come

with Jacuzzi baths and small kitchenettes.

Not open at the time of research, but in the

works, is a fancy Chinese restaurant.

 5 Eating & Drinking

There’s a cluster of places to eat and drink

atop what is known as Golden Hill, includ-

ing the fancy but quiet Golden Hill Restau-

rant. At the foot of the hill, in the evenings,

food and tea stalls set up shop. There’s also a