277RAKHAING STATEFESTIVALS & EVENTSWESTERN MYANMARFESTIVALS & EVENTSWESTERN MYANMARSITTWE (AKYAB)thieves. Some of his collection is displayed
in his former monastery, which is housed in
(of all things) a grand, century-old British
colonial mansion about half a mile north of
the centre. The dusty, eclectic museum up-
stairs contains cases of old banknotes, bud-
dhas and votives (candleholders) and coins
from the Mrauk U and other ancient peri-
ods, plus many bone relics of head monks,
kept in small tins. Plenty of friendly English-
speaking monks will follow you around.
On the ground fl oor is a bronze statue of U
Bhaddanta Wannita.
If you’re interested in this kind of thing,
there’s also the government’s Buddhistic
Museum (Baw Dhi St; admission $5) closer to
the airport.
Shwezedi Kyaung BUDDHIST MONASTERY
eráectIekY;='"
(U Ottama St; admission free; h24hr) Partly
housed in a picturesque, ramshackle colonial-
era building on a backstreet, this monastery is
well worth searching out, particularly during
Buddhist festivals. This was the monastery of
U Ashin Ottama (1880–1939) a leader of the
Burmese independence movement during
British colonial rule, who died during impris-
onment for his political activities. In Septem-
ber 2007 monks at this monastery followed
in his footsteps and took part in the protest
marches then happening across the country.
Don’t miss the Fruit Bat Trees around
Sittwe University, where hundreds of fruit
bats slumber during the day then head off
at dusk – there’s a great view of their migra-
tion from the roof of the Shwe Thazin Hotel.
Nearby, at the foot of Main Rd is New Clock
Tower, a painted concrete pillar topped with
pagoda style hat. The Victorian-era Old Clock
Tower is a rusting, yet handsome iron aff air
on Main Rd, just west of the Central Market.
z Festivals & Events
The Rakhaing State Day (a Saturday in mid
December) is staged at Lokananda Paya, with
traditional wrestling, bamboo pole climbing
and tug-of-war – it’s well worth delaying a
departure to see it. Locals may tell you the
real Rakhaing day is December 31, ‘when
Mrauk U fell – it’s more a day to grieve’.
4 Sleeping
At the three budget options, all of which could
use more love, electricity runs from about
6pm to 11pm. The far more comfy midrange
options include round-the-clock generators.
oShwe Thazin Hotel HOTEL $$
(%23579; http://www.shwethazinhotel.com; 250 Main
Rd; s/d $30/35; a) A bit more polished than
Noble, the Shwe Thazin is proud of a 5th-
fl oor restaurant, and (higher up) a lookout
deck, good for glimpses of those fruit bats
at dusk. Rooms are clean and modern (with
mini-balconies), if not overly stylish.Noble Hotel HOTEL $$
(%23558; 45 Main Rd; [email protected];
s/d $25/35; a) This modern hotel has small
but clean carpeted rooms with a desk, a
teapot and a satellite TV with a few movie
channels. Nothing fancy, but the best deal
for recovering from the boat ride back from
Mrauk U. There’s no lift, so ask for a room on
one of the lower fl oors – unless you need a
workout climbing the stairs.Mya Guest House GUESTHOUSE $$
(%22358, 23315; 51/6 Bowdhi Rd; s/d $20/30) A
bit off Main Rd, this guesthouse and tea gar-
den is dominated by a century-old, blue-and-
red mansion once home to a British lawyer
who is said to have put the fi rst Mercedes on
Sittwe streets. The main building now hous-
es students, but a new brick building to the
side off ers simple, spacious, tiled rooms, with
fans and private bathrooms (no hot water).Prince Guest House GUESTHOUSE $
(%22539, in Yangon 09 503 4780; http://mrauku
prince.com/sittweprince.htm; 27 Main Rd; s/dTHE ROHINGYAOne controversial topic of conversation
on Sittwe’s streets is the state’s Ro-
hingya minority. The Myanmar govern-
ment denies the existence of this group,
which consists of anywhere between
750,000 and 1.5 million Muslims (and
not to be confused with another local
Muslim group, the ‘Rahkaing Muslims’).
According to Amnesty International
and the Arakan Rohingya National
Organisation (www.rohingya.org), Ro-
hingya – who speak a Bengali dialect –
are routinely subjected to persecution
in Myanmar, including arbitrary taxes,
forced labour, forced relocation, rape
and murder. Within Rakhaing, Rohingya
must seek permission just to travel to
the next village. For more about this
issue, see the Kaladan Press Network
(www.kaladanpress.org).