lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

20PLAN YOUR TRIP ITINERARIESINDIABANGLADESHBay ofBengal#• MyitkyinaSinbo#•Katha#•#•#• BhamoShweguKyaukmyaung#•Shwebo#•Monywa #•#• Hsipawyin Oo Lwin#• #• #•MandalayPPakokku #•AmarapuraÉ Bagan #• #• MeiktilaMYANMARÉPyay#•ÉÉÉ#•TaungooChaung PatheinTha Beach #• #•NgweThanlyin#• #•#•Saung Yangon#• KyauktanÉÉÉÉÉÉANDAMANSEAÉCHINALAOSTHAILANDVIETNAMNo Fees Please!RDown the AyeyarwadyCAMBODIA24-28 DaysDown the AyeyarwadyFly to Myitkyina, capital of KachinState and home to two of Myanmar’smost colourful festivals. A pair of onedayriver-boat rides descend throughthe Ayeyarwady River’s first defile to attractiveold Bhamo with an overnight stopalong the way in the delightful car-less villageof Sinbo. Choose a fast boat or slow ferryto historic Shwegu through the grander,shorter second defile, and then continue onto Katha, a former colonial outpost whereGeorge Orwell based his Burmese Days.From Katha express boats can zoom southall the way to Mandalay in one day. Alternatively,continue down river by slow ferry,spending a couple of nights aboard, and possiblyjumping ship at Kyaukmyaung withits fascinating riverside pottery factories.An hour’s drive west is the former Burmesecapital Shwebo, from which you can head byroad to Mandalay or to appealing Monywaand colourful Pakokku. From Pakokku youcan board a ferry to Myanmar’s multi-templemasterpiece, Bagan. If you head direct fromKatha to Mandalay, visit the nearby ancientcity sites, including Mingun and Inwa, beforejumping on an Ayeyarwady boat to Bagan, oreven a plumping for a bargain four-day riverodyssey all the way to Pyay.18 DaysNo Fees Please!Limit the amount of money that goesto the government by following thisitinerary; it ventures off the beatentrack and covers mainly private businesses.In Yangon visit the 2000-year-oldSule Paya while on a downtown walkingtour. Hop on a ferry to explore nearby ruralvillages Thanlyin and Kyauktan, returningto Yangon to catch an overnight bus toMandalay. Skip the $10 government fee byvisiting alternative sights, such as YankinPaya, and by making a day trip to Amarapura.Bus or taxi into the Shan Hills atHsipaw and take a privately guided trekto Palaung villages. After two nights, taxidownhill to Pyin Oo Lwin for a night in theold British hill station. Bus hop from Mandalayback to Yangon via the lakeside townof Meiktila and the 16th-century capital ofTaungoo, which offers a delightful guesthouseoverlooking a beguiling rural scene.From Yangon, take either a boat or a bus tolow-key Pathein to pick up a sun parasolfrom private workshops, then finish with acouple of days sunning yourself with the localsat either Chaung Tha Beach or NgweSaung Beach.