Page 108 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

106 The DelTa anD wesTern MyanMar Pathein
Destinations Chaung Tha (6 daily; 2hr); Ngwe Saung running at the time of writing, but it’s worth asking
(3 daily; 2hr); Yangon (4 daily; 4hr). around in case it’s restarted.
By boat The IWT Yangon to Pathein ferry was not
GeTTInG arOUnD
Pathein is a very walkable city and everywhere of interest is within a 15min walk away from the centre. There are still
plenty of motorbike taxis and cycle rickshaws – a ride across town on a motorbike taxi won’t cost any more than
2 around K2000.
aCCOMMODaTIOn
Accommodation in Pathein is generally good value, but very few of the cheapest include breakfast in their rates.
Htike Myat San Motel 8 Mahabandoola Rd T042 constructed and currently the top choice in Pathein, the
22742, Ehtikemyatsan@gmail.com. Run by a friendly Naung Yoe has smart rooms with desks, big TVs and comfy
Chinese family, this hotel has small, clean and rather beds. Get a room at the back of the hotel to avoid the road
institutional rooms. The cheaper ($20) rooms share cold- noise. $40
water bathrooms. Opt for a room at the back to avoid the Pammawaddy Hotel 14a Mingyi Rd T042 21165. This
worst of the road noise. Unusually for Pathein, rates include is a functional, concrete hotel with zero atmosphere, but
breakfast on the breezy rooftop, which offers views of the it’s pleasant enough, with a/c rooms equipped with TVs,
quirky Dani Tan Monastery. $35 fridges and hot water. $25
La Pyae Wun Hotel 30 Mingyi Rd T042 24669. This Paradise Hotel 14 Zay Chaung Rd T042 25055. This
comfortable hotel seems as though it’s stuck in a time family-run hotel is set in a compound just back from the
warp, though this gives it more character than most other road, which makes it quieter than most other places, and
places in Pathein. The decent-sized rooms come with a/c, the small, dark-blue rooms are very good value. Even the
TVs and fridges. Top-floor rooms (same price) are brighter cheapest rooms have attached bathrooms – the only
and quieter, but have cold water only. $30 difference between them and the most expensive rooms is
Naung Yoe 7A Mahabandoola Rd T042 25179. Newly that you get a fan rather than a/c. $15
eaTInG
Eating options in Pathein are strictly limited. As well as the places listed here, the night market on Strand Road offers
a bewildering variety of seafood, though it’s rather crammed in alongside the road and not the most relaxing place to eat.
A number of other restaurants can be found beside the waterfront, but they mainly serve as local drinking dives.

PATHEIN PARASOLS
Pathein is famous for its colourful umbrellas, perhaps Myanmar’s most iconic handicraft
– you’ll often see both monks and nuns carrying them and looking absurdly picturesque, as
though dressed up specially for some Burmese photoshoot. Umbrellas have always served as a
symbol of distinction in Burmese life. they once formed part of the royal regalia, while an
architectural umbrella (hti) crowns the top of the spire of all the country’s most important
stupas, often richly decorated with precious stones.
Strictly speaking, the items made in Pathein are parasols rather than umbrellas, since they’re
designed to protect against the sun rather than the rain (although they’re also claimed to be
waterproof – not that you’ll want to test this theory if you buy one yourself). there are two
styles of umbrella: the traditional Pathein-style cotton hti, and the rather Chinese-looking
Mandalay/Bagan-style silk umbrella. Umbrellas take around a week to make. handles, stems
and spokes are crafted from bamboo, with intricate geometrical and floral designs hand-
painted on the top. an extract from the tae fruit (persimmon) is used to waterproof the
umbrellas, and also boiled to create the glue that holds them together. Umbrellas come in a
wide range of colours – rich reds and intense oranges are perhaps the most traditional,
although many other colours can also be found. Monks traditionally carry dark-red umbrellas
(pink for nuns), with no decoration on the underside.
there are a number of workshops in Pathein around the 28 Pagoda – owners are always
pleased to see visitors and happy to explain the umbrella-making process, and prices for
umbrellas bought straight from the maker are a snip compared to what you’ll pay elsewhere.

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