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ticularly comfortable three-hour trip aroundYangon and the neighbouring countryside.However, it’s a great way to experience commuterlife in the big city. You can always hopoff at any station and take a taxi back to thecity centre. Trains leave at 8.30am, 10.30am,11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm from platform 6/7at the Yangon Train Station (Map p 42 ; BogyokeAung San Rd). Be aware that the trainsdon’t always do the full circuit; after reachinga station two hours from Yangon, ourtrain simply headed back the way we came!Only US$ or FECs (Foreign Exchange Certificates;see p 365 ) are accepted for the fare(you’ll also need your passport), and thetrain is least crowded at weekends.CCoursesMeditationSeveral monasteries in Yangon welcomeforeigners to meditation courses. The mostfamous centre in Yangon is the MahasiMeditation Centre (Map p 48 ; %541 971; http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/mahasi.htm; 16 ThathanaYeiktha Rd, Bahan Township), founded in1947 by the late Mahasi Sayadaw, perhapsMyanmar’s greatest meditation teacher. TheMahasi Sayadaw technique strives for intensive,moment-to-moment awareness of everyphysical movement, every mental and physicalsensation and, ultimately, every thought.The centre only accepts foreigners who canstay for six to 12 weeks.Two of the Mahasi centre’s chief meditationteachers, Sayadaw U Pandita and SayadawU Janaka, have established their ownhighly regarded centres in Yangon: PanditaramaMeditation Centre (Map p 48 ; %535448; www.panditarama.net; 80-A Than Lwin Rd, BahanTownship) and Chanmyay Yeiktha MeditationCentre (Map p38 ; %661 479; www.chanmyay.org; 55-A Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd). Both have secondbranches with private quarters, especiallygeared for foreigners, who must commit toa stay of one week. Panditarama’s forestmeditation centre (%949 450) is 2 milesnortheast off the highway to Bago. Chanmyay’sbranch (%620 321), set among gardens inHmawbi, is a 50-minute drive north of Yangon;one-month stays are preferred.zFestivals & EventsCrowds of pilgrims descend on the Shwedagonfor a paya pwe (pagoda festival), oneof the more important Myanmar holidays.This takes place over the March full moonday, the last full moon before the MyanmarNew Year. In the Western calendar it normallyfalls in late February/early March.Other major festivals in Yangon:Independence Day (4 January) Includesa seven-day fair at Kandawgyi; see p 16 .Water Festival/Thingyan (April) TheMyanmar New Year is celebrated in wetpandemonium; see p 16 for more details.Buddha’s birthday (April/May) CelebrateBuddha’s enlightenment; see p 16 .Martyrs’ Day (19 July) Commemorates theassassination of Bogyoke Aung San and hiscomrades. It's also the only day his formerhome is open to the public – see p 50 .Murugu Festival (March or April dependingon lunar calendar) Held at Yangon’sHindu temples (see p 43 ), it involvescolourful processions.4SleepingThe price of accommodation in Yangon islargely the same as it was a few years ago, and51YANGON COURSESCOURSESYANGON FOR CHILDRENThere aren’t a whole lot of attractions in Yangon meant to appeal directly to the littleones, 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 Zeibranch has indoor tunnels and ball pits, and the Kandaw Mingala Garden branch, locatednear 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 ThaRd; admission K2000; h8am-6pm), although many of the animals were relocated to NayPyi Taw Zoo in 2008. The expansive grounds, which date back to 1901, also include anaquarium and amusement park.Hotels with swimming pools, including the Governor’s Residence, the Parkroyal, the Savoyand the Sedona, charge $10 per nonguest for single-day use of their swimming facilities.