lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

Taan Taan Ta Guest House HOTEL $(%22290; 7 Merchant St; r $6-10; a) This, thebest and most popular budget guesthousewith locals and foreigners alike, has tidy andcolourful rooms and friendly staff, but thesecret’s out and it fills up quickly. If you’renot on a shoestring, check out the doublerooms on the top floor, which feature airconditioning,TV and fridge.La Pyae Wun Hotel HOTEL $$(%24669; 30 Mingyi Rd; s/d $20/33; a) Thetown’s most prestigious address offers whitetiledrooms that are as polished as the staff.The huge bathrooms, rather bizarrely, onlyhave cold showers. Breakfast isn’t includedand loving couples will be delighted to hearthat it’s twin rooms only – so we’ll have noneof that hanky-panky, please!Paradise Hotel HOTEL $(%25055; 14 Zegyaung St; s/d $14/15; a) Tuckeddown a side street away from road noise,this place features unremarkable rooms ina large modern building. This wouldn’t betoo bad for Pathein, except for the fact that,on our visit, there were lots of people seeminglyjust hanging about, giving the place aslightly dodgy feel. Perhaps they’re associatedwith the attached karaoke lounge.Sein Pyae Hlyan Inn HOTEL $(%21654; 32 Shwezedi Rd; s/d with shared bathroom$5/8, r with bathroom $14-15; a) Certainlythe cheapest hotel in town, and it shows, particularlyin the cheapest rooms. Consider theslightly nicer double rooms with air-con, TVand fridge, but ask to see a few, as standardsvary. The owner claims that the hotel uses itsgenerator 24/7, so you may even get to usethe amenities you’re paying for.5EatingZone Pan BURMESE $(Bwetgyi St; meals from K1500; hall day) Thistypical Myanmar curry house features a goodrange of tasty curries, soups and salads. Tocut the grease of a Myanmar meal, try theirmouth-puckeringly tart shauk-thi dhouq(lemon salad). There’s no English sign here;instead look for the light blue shopfront.New City Tea Centre TEAHOUSE $(Mingyi Rd; snacks from K200; hbreakfast & lunch)Next to La Pyae Wun Hotel and perfect forreplacing the breakfasts that your hoteldoesn’t provide. This shady teahouse providesplates of nan and chickpeas and othersnacks and a morning caffeine kick.Myo Restaurant BURMESE $(5 Aung Yadana St; mains from K1000; hlunch &dinner) A bustling, retro bar and restaurantthat extends a loving welcome to all-comers.The meals, which focus on all your favouriteBamar staples, are done with more stylethan most places and, to keep you entertainedwhile you wait for your supper, thereis a TV playing all the premiership matches,and draught beer to boot.Shwe Zin Yaw Restaurant BURMESE $(24/25 Shwezedi Rd; meals from K1500; hlunch &dinner) Oh you lucky, lucky taste buds, finallyyou’re going to get something different,including goat curry and sardine salad! Ahandy place for lunch before hopping on abus out of here.7 ShoppingMost of the ‘umbrellas’ made in Pathein areactually parasols; that is, they aren’t waterproof,but are used to counter the hot Deltasun. There are a few workshops scatteredthroughout the northern part of the city,particularly in the vicinity of Twenty-EightPaya, off Mahabandoola Rd, and at thesouthern end of Merchant St.The parasols come in a variety of brightand bold primary colours. One type that canbe used in the rain is the saffron-colouredmonks’ umbrella, which is waterproofed byapplying various coats of tree resin; a singleumbrella may take five days to complete,including the drying process. Parasols andumbrellas can be ordered in any size directlyfrom the workshops, and are cheap.Workshops welcome visitors who want toobserve this craft, which is a lot more interestingthan it might sound.Shwe Sar Umbrella Workshop PARASOLS(%25127; 653 Tawya Kyaung Rd; h8am-5pm) Thisfamily-run affair with high-quality work isjust around the corner from the SettayawPaya.8InformationDespite the city being one of Myanmar’s largest,there are no banks here offering foreign exchange.Internet is available at Lynn Internet Café(Shwezigon Paya St; per hr K400; h9am-11pm).8Getting There & AroundBoatFor boats from Yangon, see p 70 .To Yangon, boats leave daily at 5.30pm, arrivingin Yangon the next day at noon. Tickets cost $779DELTA AROUND REGION YANGON EATING EATING PATHEIN