lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

Captain’s BarHOTEL BAR(Map p 48 ; Savoy Hotel, 129 Dhama Zedi Rd; hto midnight;aW) This bar at the Savoy is popularwith locals and expats, especially on Wednesdayand Friday nights, when there’s live music.Ginki KidsBAR(Map p 48 ; Kan Baw Sa Rd; hto midnight) A cosy barpopular among expats and upper-class locals.ClubsLagging behind Yangon’s already thin barscene is its club scene. There are a few danceclubs, but they’re so full of local quirks thatthey’re more appropriate for anthropologicalinvestigation than a night on the town.JJ CityCLUB(Map p 48 ; Mingala Zei, Set Yone Rd (Mill Rd); h8pm-2am) Just your typical, bog-standard wetmarket by day, multi-storey entertainmentcomplex by night… Enter lifts stained withbetel spit to emerge at one of several floors offun: JJ is ostensibly a disco, but most appearto come for the bizarre 10pm fashion show,in which the ‘JJ Queen’ is chosen on a nightlybasis. Your entrance fee of K3000 gets you abeer. On the fifth floor of the same complexis Channel V, a slightly more downmarketdisco with lots of teenage boys and notenough air-conditioning. This place chargesa K4500 entry fee. Foreign patrons are rare,and so may be given VIP treatment.PioneerCLUB(Map p 48 ; Ahlone Rd; admission K6000; h7pm-3am) This disco sees a relative mix of people,from upper-class locals to profit-seeking‘dancing girls’. Like other clubs in Yangon,it’s similar to your first school dance: ahandful of girls actually hit the floor whilethe guys fidget nervously.YGN BarCLUB(Map p 48 ; Ahlone Rd; no cover; h7pm-3am) Thisplace can’t decide whether it’s a bar or a club.There’s no entrance fee, so you can do as thelocals do and sip a beer while staring at thehandful of girls who dare to dance. On Saturdaynights the place has a distinctly pink vibe.CinemasThere’s no better city for Myanmar cinephilesthan Yangon. By a conservative estimatethere are over 50 cinemas. Half a dozen ofthese cinemas (Map p 42 ) are found alongBogyoke Aung San Rd, east of the Sule Paya.Tickets start at about K600 per seat. Criticallyacclaimed films are in short supply; ratherthere is a succession of syrupy Myanmar dramas,Bollywood musicals and kung-fu smashups,plus a few Hollywood blockbusters.Nay Pyi Daw Cinema(Map p 42 ; Sule Paya Rd) This cinema acrossfrom Traders Hotel and next to CaféAroma has showings throughout the day.It’s one of the busiest cinemas in the city.CINEMAThamada CinemaCINEMA(Map p 42 ; 5 Ah Lan Paya Pagoda Rd) Easily thebest cinema for foreigners, Thamada iscomfortable and shows fairly recent international(including Hollywood) films.American CenterCULTURAL CENTRE(Map p 46 ; 14 Taw Win St) This US-sponsoredcentre shows free American movies at 1pmfrom Tuesday to Saturday.7 ShoppingWhile it isn’t quite the shoppers’ Meccathat Bangkok is, Yangon does offer a moremanageable alternative, as there are fewerand smaller outlets, and prices tend to becheaper all around.Arts & HandicraftsThere is quite a bit of interesting art, furnitureand antiques to be bought in Yangon.Unfortunately much of it is too large to fit inmost people’s luggage.Augustine’s Souvenir ShopANTIQUES(Map p 48 ; www.augustinesouvenir.com; 20 ThirimingalarSt; h11am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 2-7.30pm Sat &Sun) Walk through a garden of abandonedvintage cars into this handsome house, whichdoubles as one of Yangon’s most captivatingshopping destinations. A virtual museum ofMyanmar antiques, there’s a particular emphasison wooden items, including carvedfigures, chests and wall hangings. It’s a shortwalk from the Green Elephant Restaurant.Pansodan GalleryGALLERY(Map p 42 ; 1st fl, 286 Pansodan St; h10am-6pm)This loft-like gallery has a variety of Myanmarcontemporary and antique art, thelatter including some truly unique antiqueprints, advertisements and photos. OwnerartistAung Soe Min is knowledgeable aboutMyanmar art, and can point you in the rightdirection of that special souvenir you didn’teven know you needed.FXB ShopHANDICRAFTS(Map p 46 ; 106 20-B Yaw Min Gee St; h9am-6pm)The showroom of this international NGO,dedicated to fighting poverty and AIDS, has65YANGON SHOPPINGSHOPPING