Page 155 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

Hpa-an and around SoutheaStern MyanMar 153
Most ascend the less direct and more scenic western side of the mountain, along
a trail starting from Lumbini Garden (K1000), 3km east of Kyauk Kalat Pagoda,
where 1100 Buddha statues have been arranged in picturesque rows. From here,
it takes around two hours to climb the steep and winding path to the summit, with
water and drinks available from a single stall en route and plenty of macaques for
company. The trail down the eastern flank of the mountain is more direct, with
relentless staircases leading to a small restaurant at the foot of the mountain, from
where it’s a straight, flat 1km walk to the Myawaddy Road. Whichever way you cross
the mountain, it’s advisable to arrange a pick-up at the other end to avoid a long wait.
For many people, staying overnight at the mountaintop monastery to watch sunrise
is the highlight of a trip to Hpa-An. The monastery has two twin-bed rooms, which
go to the first people to get to the summit, and a hall with sleeping mats. In either case,
a payment of K5000 is expected. Simple meals are available at the monastery, but it’s
best to take snacks and water with you. Also, keep in mind that it can get surprisingly
chilly at the top, so bring some extra bedding.
Note that Hpa-An’s immigration department periodically clamps down on the 3
practice of sleeping at the top – check at the Soe Brothers Guesthouse (see p.156) before
you drag your backpack up here. There was also a proposal to build a cable car to the
top of the mountain at the time of research, although whether it’ll ever get off the
drawing board is anyone’s guess.

Kyauk Kalat Pagoda
• 10km south of Hpa-An, between Kaw Kyaik and Taw Bon villages • Daily during daylight hours • Free •
Motorbike taxi from Hpa-An K2500; tuk-tuk K5000
Balanced on a bizarrely shaped limestone pinnacle with frangipani trees sprouting
from cracks in the rock, Kyauk Kalat Pagoda, 7km south of Hpa-An, is the area’s most
arresting sight. On an island in the centre of an artificial lake, the site is part of a
working monastery and is a shoe-free, vegetarian zone. Revered monk U Winaya
(see box below) was a novice here in the 1920s, before he founded a monastery at
Thamanya, 40km southeast of Hpa-An.

Saddan Cave
• Daily Nov–April • K1000; boat trip K1500/person • Motorbike taxi from Hpa-An K3500, tuk-tuk K5000–7000
In a hard-to-find spot 28km south of Hpa-An, at the southern end of the jagged
limestone ridge, lies Saddan Cave, the most dramatic of the region’s caverns.

THE THAMANYA SAYADAW: U WINAYA
Years after his death, U Winaya, sayadaw of Thamanya Monastery, remains one of Myanmar’s
most respected religious figures – pictures of him decorate taxis across the country. a spiritual
adviser and supporter of aung San Suu Kyi, u Winaya was renowned for his humanitarian
work. during decades of vicious fighting between the Karen national Liberation army and
government forces, the area surrounding Thamanya Monastery was a sanctuary of non-
violence until the abbot passed away in 2003 at the age of 93.
Shockingly, in 2008 u Winaya’s tomb was broken into and his body disappeared. Four days
later, the monastery received an anonymous phone call notifying them that the abbot’s body
had been burned, and his remains left outside a small zedi near the edge of the monastery
grounds. Many believe that this violation was part of a yadaya-inspired plot to help the
government win a crucial referendum on constitutional reform that was held a few weeks
later. Yadaya is a uniquely Burmese practice where steps taken now on the advice of an
astrologer are believed to prevent future bad luck – a practice that senior generals in
Myanmar’s military government have been known to indulge in for years.

138-177_Myanmar_B2_Ch3.indd 153 30/06/17 2:20 pm