79DELTA REGIONEATINGAROUND YANGONEATINGAROUND YANGONPATHEINTaan Taan Ta Guest House HOTEL $
(%22290; 7 Merchant St; r $6-10; a) This, the
best and most popular budget guesthouse
with locals and foreigners alike, has tidy and
colourful rooms and friendly staff , but the
secret’s out and it fi lls up quickly. If you’re
not on a shoestring, check out the double
rooms on the top fl oor, which feature air-
conditioning, TV and fridge.
La Pyae Wun Hotel HOTEL $$
(%24669; 30 Mingyi Rd; s/d $20/33; a) The
town’s most prestigious address off ers white-
tiled rooms that are as polished as the staff.
The huge bathrooms, rather bizarrely, only
have cold showers. Breakfast isn’t included
and loving couples will be delighted to hear
that it’s twin rooms only – so we’ll have none
of that hanky-panky, please!
Paradise Hotel HOTEL $
(%25055; 14 Zegyaung St; s/d $14/15; a) Tucked
down a side street away from road noise,
this place features unremarkable rooms in
a large modern building. This wouldn’t be
too bad for Pathein, except for the fact that,
on our visit, there were lots of people seem-
ingly just hanging about, giving the place a
slightly dodgy feel. Perhaps they’re associ-
ated with the attached karaoke lounge.
Sein Pyae Hlyan Inn HOTEL $
(%21654; 32 Shwezedi Rd; s/d with shared bath-
room $5/8, r with bathroom $14-15; a) Certainly
the cheapest hotel in town, and it shows, par-
ticularly in the cheapest rooms. Consider the
slightly nicer double rooms with air-con, TV
and fridge, but ask to see a few, as standards
vary. The owner claims that the hotel uses its
generator 24/7, so you may even get to use
the amenities you’re paying for.
5 Eating
Zone Pan BURMESE $
(Bwetgyi St; meals from K1500; hall day) This
typical Myanmar curry house features a good
range of tasty curries, soups and salads. To
cut the grease of a Myanmar meal, try their
mouth-puckeringly tart shauk-thi dhouq
(lemon salad). There’s no English sign here;
instead look for the light blue shopfront.
New City Tea Centre TEAHOUSE $
(Mingyi Rd; snacks from K200; hbreakfast & lunch)
Next to La Pyae Wun Hotel and perfect for
replacing the breakfasts that your hotel
doesn’t provide. This shady teahouse pro-
vides plates of nan and chickpeas and other
snacks and a morning caff eine kick.
Myo Restaurant BURMESE $
(5 Aung Yadana St; mains from K1000; hlunch &
dinner) A bustling, retro bar and restaurant
that extends a loving welcome to all-comers.
The meals, which focus on all your favourite
Bamar staples, are done with more style
than most places and, to keep you enter-
tained while you wait for your supper, there
is a TV playing all the premiership matches,
and draught beer to boot.Shwe Zin Yaw Restaurant BURMESE $
(24/25 Shwezedi Rd; meals from K1500; hlunch &
dinner) Oh you lucky, lucky taste buds, fi nally
you’re going to get something diff erent,
including goat curry and sardine salad! A
handy place for lunch before hopping on a
bus out of here. 7 Shopping
Most of the ‘umbrellas’ made in Pathein are
actually parasols; that is, they aren’t water-
proof, but are used to counter the hot Delta
sun. There are a few workshops scattered
throughout the northern part of the city,
particularly in the vicinity of Twenty-Eight
Paya, off Mahabandoola Rd, and at the
southern end of Merchant St.
The parasols come in a variety of bright
and bold primary colours. One type that can
be used in the rain is the saff ron-coloured
monks’ umbrella, which is waterproofed by
applying various coats of tree resin; a single
umbrella may take fi ve days to complete,
including the drying process. Parasols and
umbrellas can be ordered in any size directly
from the workshops, and are cheap.
Workshops welcome visitors who want to
observe this craft, which is a lot more inter-
esting than it might sound.Shwe Sar Umbrella Workshop PA RASO LS
(%25127; 653 Tawya Kyaung Rd; h8am-5pm) This
family-run aff air with high-quality work is
just around the corner from the Settayaw
Paya.8 Information
Despite the city being one of Myanmar’s largest,
there are no banks here off ering foreign exchange.
Internet is available at Lynn Internet Café
(Shwezigon Paya St; per hr K400; h9am-11pm).8 Getting There & Around
Boat
For boats from Yangon, see p 70.
To Yangon, boats leave daily at 5.30pm, arriving
in Yangon the next day at noon. Tickets cost $7