Page 154 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

152 SoutheaStern MyanMar Hpa-an and around
Ferry to
Hpar-Pu Shweyinhmyaw Paya HPA AN
Thanlyin River THIDA STREET THIDA STREET Night Market THIDA STREET N
THIDA STREET

Pick-up MYAE TADAR STREET
to Thaton THITSA STREET Main
KAN NAR STREET Dentist’s Office Market

Good Luck
Motorbike
Rental ZAY TAN STREET
CB Bank KBZ Bank
EATING 3 to Kyaiktiyo Bus PAGODA ROAD
Pick-up
Kyauk Kalat Pagoda (11km), Kawgun Cave (12km) & Yathepyan Cave (12km) Hotel Gabbana 5 2 BOG YOKE ROAD
Famous Coffee & Bakery
3 San Ma Tu 5 4 1 2 B O G Y O K E R OAD Clocktower Ticket OHN DAW STREET Thit Hta Man KA LAR TAN STREET Bus Station (4km), Mount Zwegabin (8km) & Kawka Thaung Cave (10km)
Offices
Aung Paya
Shwe Htone Maung
Shwe Myint Mo
White
BOGYOKE ROAD
DAMA PI YA S T REET
ACCOMMODATION
Galaxy Motel
4
Parami Motel
0
100
Soe Brothers Guesthouse
3
1
Than Lwin Pyar Guesthouse
metres
PADOMAR ROAD
SCHO OL ROAD
(100m), Mount Zwegabin (8km) & Lumbini Garden (9km)
Hpa-An’s name, which means “Frog Vomit”. Kayin legend tells of a naga swallowing a
frog that had a gem in its mouth. The gem magically stopped the naga from keeping
his dinner down, and it vomited the frog onto the banks of the Thanlyin where
Hpa-An stands today – immediately bestowing Myanmar’s most memorable and least
poetic place name upon the town.
Mount Hpar-Pu
• Ferry across the river K500/person (every 30min: daily 6am–6pm)
The nearest limestone peak to downtown Hpa-An, Mount Hpar-Pu is a quick boat
trip across the Thalwin River from Shweyinhmyaw Paya. Once you’re on the
opposite bank, it’s a short walk through vegetable fields to the nearest village, where
there’s an English sign pointing the way. The road leads to the foot of Hpar-Pu,
before swinging right towards the river. Follow the road around to the bottom of
the steps up the mountain – a sweaty twenty-minute climb from here ought to see
you close to the summit. Note that as a landslide swept away a chunk of the
mountain during the 2013 rainy season, it is no longer safe to climb to the very top,
but it is still possible to get high enough for wonderful views of the river and out
towards Mount Zwegabin.
Mount Zwegabin
• 10km south of Hpa-An • Tuk-tuk from Hpa-An K5000; motorbike taxi K2500
From certain angles, the limestone bulk of Mount Zwegabin erupts from the landscape
like a giant molar tooth. While the 725m-high mountain may look impossibly steep
from downtown Hpa-An, there are two beautiful paths to the summit that make it a
rewarding half-day hike.

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