Page 157 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

Hpa-an and around SoutheaStern MyanMar 155
each generation scraping away some of the old to make room for the new. While the
shallow cave’s walls are an impressive sight, many of the oldest statues have been
destroyed by tremors resulting from work at the nearby cement factory, leaving only
a few sandstone tablets of late Bagan-style carving and the rather average modern
statuary intact. At weekends it gets very busy with local pilgrims and tourists, who
help imbue a bit of life into the caves.

Yathepyan Cave
• Daily 7am–dusk • Free • Motorbike taxi from Hpa-An K2500; tuk-tuk K5000
Near Kawgun village, 12km southwest of Hpa-An, the small Yathepyan Cave is
filled with newish statues and a few timeworn reliefs, and has good views of Mount
Zwegabin. Its most notable feature is the hole in the cavern roof, which has a pagoda
covered in bird droppings directly below it. During King Anawrahta’s eleventh-century
campaign in Lower Burma, a hermit took refuge here with a golden Buddha statue.
Newly converted to Theravada Buddhism, Anawrahta coveted the statue and tried to 3
wrest it from the hermit, who burst up through the cave roof with the statue under his
arm and flew to safety, supposedly creating the hole you see today.

Kawka Thaung Cave and around
• Daily 8am–5.30pm • Free • Motorbike taxi from Hpa-An K2500; tuk-tuk K5000
Ten kilometres southeast of Hpa-An, a short distance east of the road to Mae Sot,
is Kawka Thaung Cave. The cave itself is a shallow affair, its single chamber narrowing
to a cramped meditation space for monks, and it has a shrine containing some tiny
fragments of bone relic. The area beyond the cave is likely to hold your attention for
longer – a photogenic row of monk statues leads to a second Buddhist cave (usually
locked), a creepy-looking nat shrine and a swimming hole filled with cool, clear spring
water, surrounded by teahouses.
arrIVaL anD DeParture hPa-an anD arounD
By bus The bus station is 4km southeast of the central Naypyitaw (2 daily; 9hr); Yangon (6 daily; 9hr).
clocktower on Myawaddy Road. Many buses stop at both By pick-up Pick-ups to Thaton (frequent; 1hr) leave from
the bus station and near the clocktower, but check this a small lane just north of the mosque. A pick-up to
when you buy your ticket. Bus tickets are available from the Kyaiktiyo (stopping in Kinpun; K3500) leaves from Zay Tan
bus station, at the bus company offices near the clocktower St daily at 7am.
and in most hotels. All Yangon-bound buses make stops at By shared taxi Cars to Myawaddy (5–6hr) leave when
Bago and Kyaikhto (for Kyaiktiyo). Buses to Mawlamyine full from the clocktower.
run until 4pm. By boat The boat journey between Hpa-An and
Destinations Bago (6 daily; 6hr); Dawei (daily; 8hr); Mawlamyine is one of southern Myanmar’s most attractive
Mandalay (daily; 15hr); Mawlamyine (1–2 hourly; 2hr); journeys (see box, p.162).
GettInG arounD
By tuk-tuk or motorbike taxi Taking a tuk-tuk to the Motorbike Rental Center (Thitsa St) for K6000–8000 per
sights that are farther afield is K5000 each way, although day, depending on the type you want.
the drive to Saddan Cave is usually a little more expensive. By bicycle Bikes are available to rent from Soe Brothers
A motorbike taxi will cost half that each way. Guesthouse for K2000/day (see p.156).
By motorbike Motorbikes can be rented from Good Luck
InForMatIon anD tourS
Maps Both Soe Brothers and Galaxy Motel offer decent Tours Most guesthouses organize day-trips around the
photocopied maps to guests. There’s a fancier English map Hpa-An region, but perhaps the most popular one is the
available from bookshops around town, but it’s less useful tuk-tuk tour led by Soe Brothers. The trip costs K30,000
than either of the free ones. per vehicle per day, so the more people you manage to

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