51(^) COURSESYANGON
COURSES
YANGON
COURSES
ticularly comfortable three-hour trip around
Yangon and the neighbouring countryside.
However, it’s a great way to experience com-
muter life in the big city. You can always hop
off at any station and take a taxi back to the
city centre. Trains leave at 8.30am, 10.30am,
11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm from platform 6/7
at the Yangon Train Station (Map p 42 ; Bo-
gyoke Aung San Rd). Be aware that the trains
don’t always do the full circuit; after reach-
ing a station two hours from Yangon, our
train simply headed back the way we came!
Only US$ or FECs (Foreign Exchange Cer-
tifi cates; see p 365 ) are accepted for the fare
(you’ll also need your passport), and the
train is least crowded at weekends.
C Courses
Meditation
Several monasteries in Yangon welcome
foreigners to meditation courses. The most
famous centre in Yangon is the Mahasi
Meditation Centre (Map p 48 ; %541 971; http://
web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/mahasi.htm; 16 Tha-
thana Yeiktha Rd, Bahan Township), founded in
1947 by the late Mahasi Sayadaw, perhaps
Myanmar’s greatest meditation teacher. The
Mahasi Sayadaw technique strives for inten-
sive, moment-to-moment awareness of every
physical movement, every mental and physi-
cal sensation and, ultimately, every thought.
The centre only accepts foreigners who can
stay for six to 12 weeks.
Two of the Mahasi centre’s chief medita-
tion teachers, Sayadaw U Pandita and Say-
adaw U Janaka, have established their own
highly regarded centres in Yangon: Pandi-
tarama Meditation Centre (Map p 48 ; % 535
448; http://www.panditarama.net; 80-A Than Lwin Rd, Bah-
an Township) and Chanmyay Yeiktha Medita-
tion Centre (Map p 38 ; %661 479; http://www.chanmyay.
org; 55-A Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd). Both have second
branches with private quarters, especially
geared for foreigners, who must commit to
a stay of one week. Panditarama’s forest
meditation centre (%949 450) is 2 miles
northeast off the highway to Bago. Chanmy-
ay’s branch (%620 321), set among gardens in
Hmawbi, is a 50-minute drive north of Yan-
gon; one-month stays are preferred.
z Festivals & Events
Crowds of pilgrims descend on the Shwed-
agon for a paya pwe (pagoda festival), one
of the more important Myanmar holidays.
This takes place over the March full moon
day, the last full moon before the Myanmar
New Year. In the Western calendar it nor-
mally falls in late February/early March.
Other major festivals in Yangon:
Independence Day (4 January) Includes
a seven-day fair at Kandawgyi; see p 16.
Water Festival/Thingyan (April) The
Myanmar New Year is celebrated in wet
pandemonium; see p 16 for more details.
Buddha’s birthday (April/May) Celebrate
Buddha’s enlightenment; see p 16.
Martyrs’ Day (19 July) Commemorates the
assassination of Bogyoke Aung San and his
comrades. It's also the only day his former
home is open to the public – see p 50.
Murugu Festival (March or April depend-
ing on lunar calendar) Held at Yangon’s
Hindu temples (see p 43 ), it involves
colourful processions.
4 Sleeping
The price of accommodation in Yangon is
largely the same as it was a few years ago, and
YANGON FOR CHILDREN
There aren’t a whole lot of attractions in Yangon meant to appeal directly to the little
ones, but there’s no lack of locals willing to provide attention.
The most convenient option is Happy World Kandaw Mingala Garden (Map p 48 ; %243 434;
Shwedagon Pagoda Rd; admission K1200; h9am-9pm); Thirimingala Zei (Map p 48 ;%212 678; 3rd fl ,
Thirimingala Zei, Lower Kyee Myin Dyaing Rd; admission K1200; h9am-9pm). The Thirimingala Zei
branch has indoor tunnels and ball pits, and the Kandaw Mingala Garden branch, located
near the south entrance to Shwedagon Paya, resembles an outdoor amusement park.
A less palatable option is the Yangon Zoological Gardens (Map p 48 ; Kan Yeik Tha
Rd; admission K2000; h8am-6pm), although many of the animals were relocated to Nay
Pyi Taw Zoo in 2008. The expansive grounds, which date back to 1901, also include an
aquarium and amusement park.
Hotels with swimming pools, including the Governor’s Residence, the Parkroyal, the Sa-
voy and the Sedona, charge $10 per nonguest for single-day use of their swimming facilities.