lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

278

WESTERN MYANMAR

RAKHAING STATE

$6/12) English-speaking staff with some

handy travellers’ advice make up for the

rather dingy rooms (small, with a fan and

a mosquito net and coil) and shared bath-

rooms you’ll want to wear sandals in. Check

a few rooms before choosing – some are bet-

ter than others. There’s also a lone ‘family

room’ with private bath and air-con (run-

ning from 7pm to 11pm only) that is $10/$15

per single/double.

New Palace Hotel HOTEL $

(%21996; 5 Main Rd; s/d from $10/16) Is every-

thing else full? Little is new about the Palace.

Rooms are rundown and a bit depressing.

Spring a few extra dollars for the brighter

rooms on the upper fl oors.

 5 Eating & Drinking

oGisspanadi CHINESE, RAKHAING $

(Minbargyi Rd; dishes K2000-4500; h6am-10pm)

This friendly, family Chinese-Burmese res-

taurant – along a strip of eateries, just east of

city hall – is a standard spot, busy with local

men sitting over tables of fried fi sh fi ngers

(better than they sound), grilled prawns and

Myanmar beer bottles.

Mondi Stand RAKHAING $

(May Yu St; bowl K200; h6am-6pm) Mondi is the

Rakhaing-style fi sh noodle soup downed by

locals for breakfast. It’s similar to mohinga

but comes with chillies not peanuts, and of-

ten eel not fi sh. Sittwe’s best – many claim –

is served at the tiny mondi stand facing the

city hall. If you’re feeling frisky ask for the

ultra spicy abu shabu. Students from the

nearby university pour in for lunch.

Mya Teahouse BAMAR $

(51/6 Bowdhi Rd; tea K200; h6am-5pm) Sit on

bright-blue plastic chairs under shady trees

amid the potted plants and fl owers at this

delightful teahouse: a perfect place to revive

over a cuppa with various sweet and savoury

snacks. Good for a breakfast of fried rice or

mohinga, too.

Utingdameer INDIAN $

(Main Rd; meal K1000; h10am-3pm) At the back

of the compound in which the Jama Mosque

sits, this family-run canteen dishes up a bar-

gain lunch of several tasty curries and veg-

etable dishes with rice.

Moe Plearl TEAHOUSE, BAKERY $

(80 Main Rd; cakes K100-200; h6am-7pm) Run

for 20 years by the same Chinese family, this

smart little bakery and cafe is a good spot to

stock up on biscuits, cakes and savouries for

journeys, or to rest and enjoy a tea or coff ee.

River Valley Seafood

Restaurant CHINESE, RAKHAING $$

(5 Main Rd; set meals K300-5000; h7am-10.30pm)

Popular with many foreigner visitors,

Sittwe’s fanciest restaurant off ers open-air

space and wall murals, including a large

blown-up photo of a tattooed-faced Chin

woman. The menu lists many seafood op-

tions, plus a handful of spicy Rakhaing-style

dishes. Some waiters wear bowties.

May Yu CHINESE, RAKHAING $$

(Strand Rd) Seafood spot done up like a

Caribbean shack, with a blue-and-green

wood house and plank-board deck facing

the water.

View Point RAKHAING $$

Simple restaurant on Bay of Bengal, 1.5

miles south of the centre via Strand Rd.

8 Information

You are highly likely to encounter a certain local

tout (at the time of research going by the name

of Mr Learn) when you arrive (and no matter

how you arrive, he’ll fi nd you). His rates for boat

transfers are not above the norm but he will try

to secure commissions for arranging whatever

you do (such as boats to Mrauk U or hotels in

Sittwe). He’s harmless, but persistent enough to

annoy some travellers. Also see http://www.lonelyplan

et.com/myanmar-burma for further information

on travelling in Myanmar.

Outside the generator-run midrange hotels,

electricity runs generally from 6pm to 11pm only.

In the rainy season, clouds can sometimes cut

telephone communication. Sittwe’s hospital

DAY TRIPS FROM SITTWE

Have a day to spare? Consider taking

one of the following boat trips, both of

which can be arranged by Khine Pyi

Soe (p 279 ). The most potentially inter-

esting is to the weaving village Wabo

(K60,000, plus $20 for an English-

speaking guide) a 90-minute boat ride

from Sittwe, to see Rakhaing-style longyi

being made; the Rakhaing are known

in Myanmar as skilled weavers who can

produce intricate designs in their cloths.

The other is to hilly Baronga Island

(K60,000), across the wide Kaladan

River, to see a typical fi shing village.