lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

33Mandalay &AroundTemples Culture Shopping TemplesAs Burma’s last royal capital,Mandalay has retained manyfine monastic buildings. Arguablymore interesting arethe older stupas and templeson the sites of several olderformer capitals, includingwhat would have been theworld’s biggest stupa (Mingun)had it been finished.CultureMandalay is consideredMyanmar’s cultural capital,so it’s a convenient placeto see intimate traditionaldance performances andmarionette shows, while thedissident Moustache Brothers’vaudevillian rants arean eternal talking point.ShoppingNumerous antique shopsdon’t necessarily stock realantiques, but even if you’reonly window-shoppingthere’s an impressive rangeof craft work, notablystuffed embroidery, silk,stone carving and themanufacture of gold leaf.The stone carving and thehammering of gold leaf arefascinating to watch.p 199NorthernMyanmarOutdoors Culture Boats OutdoorsLace up your boots and hiketo unspoilt hill-tribe villagesthat are easily accessible onshort yet easy-to-arrangehikes from Hsipaw andKyaukme. Given permitsand serious money, intrepidtravellers can trek deep intoMyanmar’s Himalayan foothillsfrom Putao.CultureImmerse yourself in this region’scultural panoply. Observethe contrasts betweenthe predominantly ChineseLashio, Palaung and Shanvillages around Hsipaw andKachin, and Lisu populationsin Myitkyina, home totwo of Myanmar’s biggest‘minority’ festivals.BoatsBump elbows with locals inno-frills public boats chuggingdown the mighty AyeyarwadyRiver. You'll barelysee another foreigner here.But if you want somethingeven remoter, you couldjoin a relatively exclusivetour that takes you raftingor boating on the dramaticMalikha River near Putao.WesternMyanmarTemples Beaches Boat Trips TemplesExplore the ruined andfunctioning temples andpalace remains scatteredacross the lush hillsides ofthe old Rakhaing capital ofMrauk U. Sittwe’s giant LokanandaPaya and the teakbuildings of the ShwezediKyaung monastic complexare also worth searchingout.BeachesIdyllic stretches of palmfringedsand hardly comemore perfectly formed thanthat at Ngapali Beach. Youcan also watch the sunsetover the Bay of Bengal fromthe beach and viewpoint ashort walk or cycle south ofSittwe.Boat TripsThe only way to reachMrauk U or the remoteChin village further up theLemro River is by a leisurelyboat ride. For the reallyadventurous there’s also theday-long coastal hop fromSittwe to Taunggok via theisland port of Kyaukpyu.p 268PLAN YOUR TRIP REGIONS AT A GLANCEp 233