Page 266 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

264 INLE LAKE AND THE EAST TAUNGGYI AND AROUND

THE TAUNGGYI FIREBALLOON FESTIVAL
Mention Taunggyi to a Shan local, or perhaps even Burmese from other states, and they’ll likely
rhapsodize about the city’s famed balloon festival – a local manifestation of the nationwide
Tazaungdaing Festival of Lights, held annually over a week around the full-moon day of the
lunar month of Tazaungmon (usually falling in November). Vast crowds assemble to watch
thousands of unmanned hot-air balloons being launched into the sky, decorated with all
manner of images and text (often made up of cleverly arranged candles), although the
6 fire-balloons themselves aren’t the safest of objects – fireworks are attached to many of them
and the balloons occasionally catch fire, so it’s a good idea to keep your distance. Most visit on
a day-trip from Nyaungshwe, though traffic can get snarled up when heading back in the late
evening, partly down to the fact that many of those on the road will be rather drunk. If staying
in Taunggyi, book accommodation well in advance.

Shan State Cultural Museum
Bogyoke Aung San Rd • Tues–Sun 10am–4pm • K5000
At the southern end of town, the dusty Shan State Cultural Museum hosts the usual
array of traditional clothes worn by local ethnic groups, assorted weapons and artefacts,
musical instruments and the like – barely worth the effort of getting to, and certainly
not worth the hiked-up foreigners’ entrance price.

Shwe Phone Pwint and Sulamani pagodas
Sitting atop a rocky spur high above the eastern side of town, the Shwe Phone Pwint
Pagoda offers stunning views over Taunggyi and the surrounding hills (and even, on
a clear day, Lake Inle itself). The temple itself is little more than a modest cluster of
gilded stupas, although it’s worth hunting out the atmospheric, Buddha-filled Ruby
Cave on the west side of the complex. It’s a steep one-hour walk from town up an
interminable covered staircase, or catch a taxi (around K6000).
At the southern end of the town is Taunggyi’s biggest temple, the Sulamani Pagoda,
modelled after the great Ananda Pahto in Bagan, and constructed in 1994 to
commemorate the city’s centenary.

Aythaya Vineyard
About 10km from Taunggyi by road, just off the main road to Kalaw • Daily 8.30am–9.30pm • T081 208653, Wmyanmar-vineyard.com
Undeservedly overshadowed by the much better-known Red Mountain Winery (see
box, p.256) just outside nearby Nyaungshwe, the Aythaya Vineyard offers an idyllic
respite from the rush of downtown Taunggyi. Set amid undulating hills northwest of
town, the vineyard was established by German entrepreneur Bert Morsbach in 1999
and now produces around 300,000 bottles a year, sold under the Aythaya label and
including Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc reds, whites and rosés. Daily
tastings can be had of four different grapes (K2000, or K1000 if you take lunch or dinner),
and tours of the vineyard and winery can also be arranged. There’s also a good on-site
restaurant, plus attractive bungalow accommodation if you fancy staying the night.

Kakku
• Around 45km south of Taunggyi • Daily 6am–6pm • K5000 or $3 • It’s a 1hr 30min drive from Taunggyi
(around K35,000–40,000 by taxi – ask around at the taxi stand outside the Kan-Tone Hotel in Taunggyi) • You’re free to explore the site
independently, although local Pa-O guides give informative tours for $5 • No footwear
Off-limits and largely unknown due to ethnic conflict until as recently as 2001, KAKKU
is one of Shan State’s most magical sights: a dense mass of well over two thousand
slender white and rose-tinted stupas rising from a remote hillside some 45km south of