Page 265 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

TAUNGGYI AND AROUND INLE LAKE AND THE EAST 263
and east of the main road south to Maing Thauk, so keep Ngwe Zin Yaw Near Phaung Daw Oo Paya T095
an eagle eye out for the sign. They serve organic dishes, 211996. A cheery-looking place with lime-green
most of them using veggies grown in the surrounding tablecloths and dangling parasols, this is the best option
fields. It’s one of those places where the menu rarely near the Phaung Daw Oo Paya. The menu itself holds few
bears much resemblance to what’s actually on offer – surprises, but simple mains are yours for around K2500,
although whatever is available is always good, with plus fruit juices and beer. It’s located just over one of the
flavoursome Burmese dishes (mains K3000–4000) several footbridges you’ll see around the pagoda: just look
including fish, stir-fries and salads. Daily 6am–10pm. for the sign. Daily 5am–10pm.
6

Taunggyi and around

The capital of Shan State and Myanmar’s fifth-largest city, TAUNGGYI can come as a bit
of a shock after the sleepy hinterlands of Inle Lake – at least to the few foreign tourists
who make it here. Most who come do so for the spectacular Taunggyi Fire-Balloon
Festival (see box, p.264), while the city also makes the most convenient starting point
for trips to the remarkable complex of Aythaya Vineyard (8km)
Kakku, with its thousands of densely 0 250 EATING
massed stupas – one of Shan State’s metres Maxim Cafe & Restaurant 1
Sein Myanmar 2
most memorable sights. Taung Chyune 3
Originally a small village, Taunggyi ACCOMMODATION
became capital of the Southern Shan B O G Y O K E AU N G S A N R D Eastern Hotel 1
States under British rule in 1894 after A N AW YA H TAR RD Golden Win 2 2 3
Shwe Kyun Hotel
they relocated their administrative CHI N THA E S T UCT Taunggyi Hotel 4
headquarters from Maing Thauk (Fort N
Stedman as was) on the eastern shores Yan Aung Store M A H A R B A NDULA
Taxis
of Inle Lake, preferring Taunggyi’s more NA GA PWAT MONASTERY RD
elevated and salubrious climate. The Bus MYA KAN TAR ST
company
new colonial centre expanded rapidly offices
thereafter, while more recently the city Pick-ups to Pick-ups Yoma BEHS Y E H T W E T O O S T
Nyaungshwe Bank KBZ School
has attracted large numbers of illegal S AO S A N TU N R D Market Bank no.4
Y E HT WE T OO ST
Chinese immigrants, who now mingle Wet Market
with the local Pa-O and Intha population. B O G Y O K E A U N G S A N R D
Taunggyi’s best feature is its dramatic W CIRCULAR RD KBZ Bank E C I R CUL AR R D KYOUT TALONE ST
location below a steep and rocky ridge of Air KBZ
the Shan hills, from where the city gets St Joseph’s Cathedral
Sikh Temple
its name (meaning “Huge Mountain” CB Bank
and pronounced, roughly, as “town-ji”) W C IRCULAR RD Stadium Sunflower
Yangon
– best appreciated during the drive down Airways
the spectacular hairpins of the main road
Bogyoke Park
in from Kalaw and Nyaungshwe, or from Mayflower, Air Bagan
the Shwe Phone Pwint Pagoda. Down at and Asian Wings
street level the city is a mainly modern SAO SAN TUN RD
affair, with few mementos of its colonial W C I R C U LAR RD
origins in evidence, bar the eye-catching,
spikily spired St Joseph’s Cathedral. The Shan State
Cultural Museum
huge, grimy and borderline anarchic
central market is the best place to enjoy B O G Y O K E A U N G S A N R D
the town’s enjoyably workaday E C IR C U L A R R D
atmosphere and diverse ethnic mix and W C IRCULA R R D
also hosts a comparatively tourist-free
turn on Inle’s rotating five-day market TAUNGGYI
schedule (see box, p.241).
Sulamani Pagoda (1km)