lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

BUSES FROM MAWLAMYINE101DESTINATION FARE (K) DURATION (HR) DEPARTURE TYPEYangon 5100 8 8am, 9am, 7pm, 7.30pm air-con busesBago510068am, 9am, 7pm, 7.30pmair-con busesKyaikto 5100 4 8am, 9am, 7pm, 7.30pm air-con busesHpa-an105026am-4pmnon-air-con-busesfl ights are anything but consistent. Tickets canbe purchased at the Myanma Airways office(%21500, 09-871 8220; h9am-3pm), locatedin a colonial-era building (no English-languagesign) behind the park on Baho Rd.BoatDouble-decker ferries leave from the KyaikHpa Nai Jetty in Mawlamyine at 12.30pm onMondays and Fridays for the trip up the ThanlwinRiver to Hpa-an ($2, at least fi ve hours).For boats from Hpa-an, see p 107 .BusFor information about reaching Mawlamyineby bus from Yangon, see p 70 . It’s worth notingthat if you are coming from Yangon on anevening or night bus you will have the pleasureof getting to the edge of the bridge linkingMawlamyine with the north only to fi nd that youhave to wait until dawn before being allowedto cross! If you happen to be reading this bitwhile you’re on the night bus, well, don’t getdisheartened – it’s only another fi ve hours untildaybreak…TrainFor trains from Yangon, see p 71 .Foreigners travelling south by train are allowedonly as far as Ye, due to insurgency in the area.Trains from Mawlamyine:YANGON Ordinary $5 to $7, upper $14 to $16;nine hours; departures 6am, 8.15am, 11.25am.BAGO Ordinary $5 to $8, upper $7 to $10; sixhours; 6am, 8.15am, 11.25am.KYAIKTO Ordinary $3 to $5, upper $6 to $7;four to five hours; 6am, 8.15am, 11.25am8Getting AroundMOTORCYCLE TAXI AND TRISHAW Themain form of public transport around the city,most found on South Bogyoke Rd (Lower MainRd) in front of Zeigyi (short trips, K500; longerjourneys, K800). Motorcycle taxi from train/busstation to town costs K1000.CHEVY TRUCK Old WWII-era American styleand used as a minibus. for the town and itsenvirons. From the train/bus station into town(K150).Around MawlamyineIf you’re finding Mawlamyine a bit toosleepy, you’ll be delighted to find that thetown functions a great base for a variety ofday trips.Many people save themselves time andhassle by hiring a car (K45,000 per day) andguide ($12) for two or three days in order toexplore fully. The best place to organise thisis through the Breeze Rest House, where MrAntony and Mr Khaing are both highly informedand entertaining guides.BILU KYUN.IlU"kâJn'"Bilu Kyun (Ogre Island) isn’t quite as scary asit sounds. Rather than a hideaway for nastymonsters, it’s a fascinating self-containedMon island directly east of Mawlamyine. Itcomprises 64 villages linked by rutted dirttracks that promise adventure.Some of the villages on this large island areinvolved in the production of coconut fibrematsand even coconut-inspired and createdcutlery and teapots. You can spend an interestingday exploring by taking the daily ferry($1) at 9.45am and 10.45am from the pierat the northern end of Strand Rd. Once onthe island, all local transport is by horse andcart, though the more distant villages can belinked by one of the few rattling buses.To get back to Mawlamyine you mustbe at Nut-Maw village by 3pm in order tocatch the final ferry back to town. Foreignersare not allowed to stay overnight on theisland (that’s when the ogres come out toget you) and, in order to keep things runningsmoothly, it’s a good idea to go with MrAntony or Mr Khaing at Breeze Rest House.They charge $12 for the tour, which typicallyruns from 9am to 5pm.MON SOUTHEASTERN STATE 8MYANMAR 8 AROUND MAWLAMYINE