Page 308 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

306 Mandalay and around SAGAING

THE SAGAING–MINGUN COMBINATION TICKET
In theory, to enter Sagaing or Mingun you’ll need to buy or show a Combination Ticket
(K5000), valid for both towns. At the time of writing ticket checks were being rigorously
enforced at Mingun but not at all in Sagaing – although don’t be surprised if the situation has
changed by the time you read this.

chinthe rather than the customary pair) and gets steeper as you go – if you can make
it to the top without pausing for a breather you’re officially in decent shape.
The Sone Oo Pone Nya Shin Pagoda crowns the summit of the hill, its 30m stupa
fancily decorated with colourful tiling and rich turquoise-and-green tessellated glass.
A pair of large seated Buddhas sit in shrines inside – note the quirky donation boxes
next to the Buddhas, including two in the form of a frog, plus another of a carrot-
munching rabbit. In addition, the views of the river are quite superb from here, and
7 in clear weather you’ll see Mandalay’s grey sprawl way to the north.
There are several other religious structures on the hill, the most interesting of which
is Umin Thounzeh, a curved chamber containing 43 seated and two standing Buddha
images, a twenty-minute walk from the Sone Oo Pone Nya Shin Pagoda.

Kaunghmudaw Paya
• 7km northwest of central Sagaing • Daily 24hr • Covered by Sagaing-Mingun Combination Ticket (see box
above) • Motorbike taxis charge K6000–8000 return from Sagaing Hill
Some way to the northwest of Sagaing but easily visible from a distance,
Kaunghmudaw Paya is the town’s most interesting religious monument. Looking
somewhat like a whitewashed, 50m-tall mammary gland, it was completed in 1648,
its decidedly non-Burmese design based on the Ruvanvalisaya stupa in Anuradhapura,
Sri Lanka. Like its counterpart, it is said to house a number of relics of the Buddha,
including a tooth – actually an ox-bone fake – and several strands of hair.
arrIVal and dEParTurE SaGaInG
By pick-up It’s possible to get to Sagaing on one of the By taxi or motorbike tour Most travellers arrive in
smoke-belching pick-ups from Mandalay (see p.299), but Sagaing on a motorbike or taxi tour (see p.299). Some
these drop off near the market – nowhere near Sagaing drivers will take you to the base of Sagaing Hill, and others
Hill, but fine if you’re planning to stay in or otherwise make to the top – ask about this when arranging your trip, since
use of the town itself. It’s a 2km climb from the market to you might be asked extra for the latter, unless your driver is
the hill – walkable, though it’s far easier to hop on a also planning to visit a commission-friendly silversmith on
motorbike taxi. the way down.
aCCoMModaTIon and EaTInG
Outside Mandalay, Sagaing is the only place in the area with foreigner-licensed accommodation – and there’s one
whole hotel to choose from. While a day-trip is enough for some, staying the night gives you the chance to soak up the
atmosphere and explore some of the many other pagodas dotting the riverside, and come nightfall you may well be the
only foreigner in town.
Minn Wun Valley Café & Restaurant Bayint Naung St although – as with most restaurants in Sagaing – you’ll
T09 252 444 229. Popular drop-in spot for tour groups have curious locals gazing at you throughout your meal.
buzzing through Sagaing, with a wide range of well- Daily 8am–9pm.
prepared Asian food plus a few Western dishes (mains Shwe Pyae Sone Ohe Tan Lay Rd T072 22781. If you
around K5000). Service can be slow. Daily 10am–8pm. feel like staying in the Mandalay area but not in Mandalay
Pyi San One road north of Ohe Tan Lay Rd T072 itself, here’s your only option. It’s actually a very nice little
34505. A passable place to eat, located one street place, with courteous staff and presentable a/c rooms with
parallel to the Shwe Pyae Sone hotel, serving hefty-sized flatscreen TVs and minibar. They also rent out bicycles
Chinese staples (from K2000) and draught Dagon beer, (K3000/day). $30

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