Page 87 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE Yangon and around 85
War Cemetery (the largest of three such sites in Myanmar) provides a moving and 1
sombre monument to the many thousands of Allied and Commonwealth soldiers
(including large numbers from India and Africa) who lost their lives fighting the
Japanese in Burma and Assam during World War II. There are 6374 named soldiers
buried here, with a further 867 graves containing unidentified bodies, as well as the
cemetery’s Rangoon Memorial, inscribed with the names of 27,000 further soldiers
whose bodies were never recovered.
arrIVaL and dEParTurE Yangon
BY PLANE Hlaing Thar Yar terminal, in the northwest of the city, which
Yangon International Airport (T01 533 0316, is the starting point for buses to the Delta; and Aung
Wyangonairport.aero) is around 15km north of downtown Mingalar terminal in the city’s north, which is where most
Yangon, with separate domestic and international other services depart.
terminals around 500m apart. You’ll find a handful of ATMs Transport to/from the city Both terminals are
as you exit the building, plus several moneychangers all around 20km from the centre – the journey to either can
offering very similar rates. take anything from 40min to over an hour depending on
Transport to/from the city A taxi to downtown costs a traffic, so allow plenty of time. Most companies also
fixed K8000 if booked through the taxi counter in the require you to check in for your bus half an hour
international terminal, or K8000 at the domestic terminal. beforehand. Given how large both terminals are, make
You may be able to negotiate a slightly cheaper fare with sure your taxi driver takes you to the relevant bus office.
one of the freelance drivers outside the terminals, but Failing this, you’ll have to put yourself in the hands of
check the latest official fares before doing so. The journey one of the touts working the terminals, who will expect
to downtown usually takes around 40min, although it can a tip in return for walking you to your bus. A taxi to
be considerably longer during rush hours. There’s no direct either terminal from downtown should cost around
bus between the airport and downtown, although it’s K8000; arriving in Yangon, you’ll have to bargain hard to
possible, albeit tricky, to do the journey using a get a reasonable fare since the cab drivers who work the
combination of buses. First you need to walk or take a taxi terminal are (by Yangon standards) an unusually
from the airport south to Pyay Rd (1.7km from the rapacious and pushy bunch – you might be asked
international terminal, 1.2km from the domestic terminal) K12,000 or more for the ride downtown. You can reach
then catch a #37 bus (colour-coded blue) to Myinigone (on the bus station by bus from Sule Pagoda by catching bus
Pyay Rd a little south of the Drug Elimination Museum), 7 (colour-coded red) and then changing at Zawana to
then catch bus #61 (blue) which will take you to bus 18 (red) – although check the latest information at
downtown. It’s time-consuming, although the buses your guesthouse since it’s possible a direct service will
won’t cost more than K300 each. have started by the time you read this.
Tickets Plane tickets can be booked through many travel Tickets Most bus companies have offices on Kun Chan Rd,
agents around town including the reliable Dana Moe and near the Aung San Stadium, although everything is signed
May Flower Travels & Tours (see p.87). in Burmese and hardly any English is spoken. It’s much
Destinations Dawei (1–2 daily; 1hr); Heho, for Inle Lake easier to book bus tickets either through your hotel or
(6–7 daily, plus additional services via Mandalay and/or through one of the numerous travel agencies which dot the
Nyaung U; 45min); Kawthaung (1–2 daily via Mawlamyine city – although note that hotels/travel agents might not
and/or Dawei; 2–3hr); Lashio (4 weekly, plus additional sell tickets for all bus companies (or even be aware of all the
services via Heho, Tachileik and Mandalay; 1hr 45min); services available), so shop around if you can’t find a service
Mandalay (around 10 daily; 1hr); Mawlamyine (1 weekly; that suits. The tourist office at 122 Mahabandoola Rd (see
40min); Myeik (1 daily; 1hr 30min); Myitkyina (1–2 daily, p.86) can also help book bus tickets.
plus additional services via Mandalay, Heho and Nyaung Aung Mingalar destinations Bagan (10 daily; 10hr);
U; 2hr 15min); Naypyitaw (5 daily; 45min); Nyaung U, Bago (8 daily; 2hr); Dawei (11 daily; 12hr); Hpa-An
for Bagan (10 daily; 1hr 20min); Thandwe, for Ngapali (6 daily; 8hr); Hsipaw (1 daily; 16hr); Kalaw (6 daily; 10hr);
(3–4 daily; 50min); Sittwe (2–3 daily, plus additional Kinpun for Kyaiktiyo (15 daily; 5hr); Mandalay (18 daily;
services via Thandwe; 1hr 20min); Tachileik (1–2 daily, plus 8–10hr); Mawlamyine (10 daily; 8hr); Naypyitaw
additional services via Heho and/or Lashio; 1hr 40min). (10 daily; 6hr); Ngapali (2 daily; 16–18hr); Pyay (6 daily;
6hr); Shwenyaung, for Inle Lake (6 daily; 12hr); Taungoo
BY BUS (4 daily; 5hr); Thaton (3 daily; 7–8hr).
Bus stations Most buses to and from Yangon arrive at/ Hlaing Thar Yar destinations Chaung Tha (2 daily; 6hr);
depart from one of the city’s two enormous bus stations: Ngwe Saung (2 daily; 6hr); Pathein (4 daily; 4hr).

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