75DELTA REGIONSIGHTSAROUND YANGONSIGHTSAROUND YANGONTWANTEis a low-key industrial town as well as the
home of a large Hindu community.
1 Sights
Thanlyin is a relaxing place, with shaded
streets and a busy market to stroll through,
but there is little of the ancient city to be
seen.
A short bus ride out of town will take you
to the Kyaik-khauk Paya (admission $1), a
scaled-down Shwedagon with stupendous
views from its hilltop location. It’s said to
contain two Buddha hairs delivered to the
site by the great sage himself. Most likely
the fi rst stupa on this hillock was erected by
the Mon 600 to 800 years ago. A Kyauktan-
bound bus can drop you off here, or if you
were dropped off at Thanlyin’s market, a
motorcycle taxi will take you for K1000.
Thanlyin was also the fi rst place in
Myanmar to receive Christian missionaries
and the fi rst place to have its own church.
You can visit the remains of the Portuguese-
built church, which was constructed in
1750.
Yele Paya (admission $2) at Kyauktan, 7.5
miles southeast of Thanlyin, is a sparkling
fl oating temple adrift on a chocolate river.
You can re-enact Jaws by feeding the mas-
sive catfi sh splashing about at the temple
complex’s edge. To reach the islet, catch one
of the launch ferries (K5000 return) reserved
for foreigners from the riverbank. Also in
the town is a small pagoda perched on the
top of a hill beside the river and a hectic,
fl yblown and rather fi shy market, which
reaches its climax in the morning.
In the third week of January Thanlyin’s
Hindu community celebrates (or endures
depending on your opinion) Thaipusam,
the ritual of penitence in which devotees re-
pent bad deeds by impaling themselves with
hooks and nails and walking over hot coals.
4 Sleeping & Eating
There is no licence for foreigner accom-
modation in either town. For eats, Pwint
(%21400; set meals K2000-6000; hlunch & din-
ner), a self-proclaimed ‘high-class’ Myanmar
restaurant, about a mile from Thanlyin’s
market, is allegedly the best in town (there’s
no roman-script signage).
If you’ve hired a driver, ask to refresh
at Shwe Pu Zun (%553 062; 14A Minnandar
Rd, Dawbon Township; ice cream & drinks from
K650;a), a huge modern complex located
between Yangon and Thanlyin specialis-
ing in sweets; the faluda (‘fa-lu-da’ on the
menu; a mixture of custard, ice cream and
jelly) here is famous.
Near the ferry landing in Kyauktan are
several food vendors.8 Getting There & Away
The most convenient way to visit both Thanlyin
and Kyauktan on the other side of the river is to
hire a taxi in Yangon (K25,000 for a half-day).
By taxi, it takes about 30 minutes to get to
Thanlyin.
However, if you’re passionate about Myan-
mar’s uncomfortable local transport or are
counting kyat, buses to Thanlyin (K200, one
hour, 16 miles) leave frequently throughout the
day from Sule Pagoda; look for lines 173 (^173 ),
189 (^189 ) and 217 (^217 ).
In Thanlyin, motorcycle taxis can take you
to Kyaik-khauk Paya (K1000) and Yele Paya
(K3000).Twante
tâ®et"
%045 / POP C5000
The small town of Twante was noted for
its pottery, cotton-weaving and an old Mon
paya complex. Much of the town was de-
stroyed by Cyclone Nargis in May 2008, but
in the years since, life has largely returned
to normal.
The journey to Twante, by rickety ferry,
is the best reason for coming. You’ll glide
past fi shers in little wooden boats hauling
in nets, larger cargo boats steaming towards
Yangon and, on land, small villages where
kids spill out from thatched huts to play. 1 Sights
Shwesandaw Paya BUDDHIST STUPA
er ̄z®et;'.urC"
(camera fee K200) Standing 250ft tall, the Shwe-
sandaw Paya is a Mon-built zedi (stupa), just aGETTING AROUND
THE DELTA
» Due to slow and infrequent public
transport in the Delta, this is one re-
gion where you might consider hiring a
driver (p 71 ).
» If you’ve bought a deck ticket for the
ferry to Pathein (p 79 ), consider buying
a mat and/or a blanket.