lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

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MANDALAY TO LASHIO

SHOPPING

NORTHERN MYANMAR

SHOPPING

NORTHERN MYANMAR

AROUND PYIN OO LWIN

Win Thu Zar BEER STATION
(Mandalay-Lashio Rd; beer K500; h8.30am-9pm)
Standard male-dominated beer hall notable
purely because it serves tastily smooth Spi-
rulina ‘anti-ageing’ beer on draught (see
boxed text, p 134 ).

Golden Lion CAFE
(Mandalay- Lashio Rd; coff ee K200; h8am-4pm)
Locally grown coff ee is roasted out back and
sold by the packet as well as cup-by-cup in
this cheap, if dowdy, government shop-cafe
(see p 21 ).

 7 Shopping

Central Market MARKET
(Zeigyo Rd; h7am-5pm) Sample Pyin Oo
Lwin’s famous (if seasonal) strawberries,
damsons, plums, passionfruit and other
fruit, fresh, dried or as jams and wine.

Liqueur Corner ALCOHOL
(h7am-8pm) Booze shop stocking some
local fruit wines

Pacific World Curio ANTIQUES, CRAFT
(75 Mandalay-Lashio Rd; h8am-6pm) The best
of several curio shops selling local ‘an-
tiques’ and crafts

8 Information
Pyin Online (www.pyinoolwin.info)
Skynet (4th St; internet per hr K500; h9am-
10pm) Unusually fast internet...sometimes.
TKY Internet (per hr K500; h9am-8pm)
Handy for Grace Hotel 1.

8 Getting There & Away

Air
There’s an airport at Anisakan but no commer-
cial fl ights.

Bus, Pick-Up Trucks & Shared Taxi
Various Yangon-bound air-conditioned buses
(K11,500 to K15,000, 13½ to 16 hours) depart
between 2pm and 5pm from the farcically
inconvenient main bus station Thiri Mandala
(%22633), hidden behind the gigantic Pyi
Chit Pagoda, 2 miles east of the Shan market
(K1500 by motorbike taxi). It’s 600yd off
the Lashio highway, on a road that branches
southeast near the San Pya Restaurant. Beside
that is Shi May clothing shop, which doubles
as bus stand for the 7am and 4pm minibuses
to Hsipaw (K4000). At around 7.30am shared
taxis to Hsipaw and Kyaukme (back/front seat
K14,000/16,000) also depart from here with
pick-up trucks (K5000) starting from across
the road (also 7.30am).

For Mandalay pick-ups (front/back

K3000/2000 for foreigners, K2000/1500

locals) depart frequently from Thiri Mandala

starting at 5am and becoming rarer in the later

afternoon. More conveniently central, some

pick-ups start from the petrol pump roundabout

and a few start near the train station. At least

three companies off er shared taxis (back/front

K6000/6500). Win Yadana (%22490) and Soe

Moe Aung (%21500) cars start across from 4th

St. Lwin Man (%21709) starts near the Central

Market. Alternatively, pre-arrange a hotel pick-

up (K500 extra). They’ll generally drop you at

any central Mandalay address for no extra cost.

Train

Eastbound Departs at 8.50am for Lashio (or-

dinary/upper $4/8, 10 hours) via the dramatic

Gokteik Viaduct (two hours; see the boxed text,

p 256 ), Kyaukme ($2/4, four hours) and Hsipaw

($2/4, six hours).

Westbound If it’s on time (rare!) the train to Man-

dalay ($2/3, 3½ hours) sits in Pyin Oo Lwin station

for 1½ hours before finally leaving at 5.40pm.

8 Getting Around

‘WAGONS’ Pyin Oo Lwin’s signature horse-

drawn buggies are colourfully decorated and

highly photogenic. Reckon around K1500 for a

short trip across town, K12,000 for an all-day

tour. Driver Myou Min Thein (%09 204 5461)

speaks a little English.

THREE-WHEEL PICK-UPS These congregate

outside the market; around K2000 to Kandawgyi

Gardens.

MOTORCYCLE TAXIS These are easiest to

fi nd beside Bravo Hotel. Also around K2000 to

Kandawgyi Gardens. For longer hires, consider

engaging English-speaking Bahein at Gandamar

Land Handicrafts (main market stall AA5/6),

who acts as guide and motorcycle driver for much

the same price as you’d pay for any motorcycle

taxi, eg K6000 including wait for Anisakan Falls.

BICYCLE The unmarked bike shop (Mandalay-

Lashio Rd; h7am-6pm) beside Grace II hotel rents

bicycles (K3000 per day, K4000 for 24 hours).

Around Pyin Oo Lwin

TOWARDS MANDALAY

Anisakan Falls WATERFALL

anI"cxn'"ert®xân'

(admission free) About 1.5 miles north of Ani-

sakan village, the plateau disappears into an

impressively deep wooded amphitheatre, its

sides ribboned with several waterfalls. The

most impressive of these is the gorgeous

three-step Dat Taw Gyaik whose last stage

thunders into a shady splash pool beside a

small pagoda on the valley fl oor.