THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Myanmar - page 156

By bus There's no central bus station in Pathein - different services arrive and depart in
various places in town (see map opposite). Clapped-out minibuses run to Ngwe Saung and
Chaung Tha, and comfortable express buses to Yangon.
Destinations Chaung Tha (6 daily; 2hr); Ngwe Saung (3 daily; 2hr); Yangon (4 daily; 4hr).
By train Pathein lies on a branch line off the main Yangon-Bagan route, connecting to the
mainline at Pyay. There are rumours that a direct train to Yangon will be introduced in the
future, although at present services are of little practical use to foreign travellers, however,
and to reach even Pyay you'll have to change en route at Kyangin (2 trains daily; 14-18hr),
making for a journey of at least 24hr in total.
By boat The future of the ferry from Yangon to Pathein is currently wrapped in uncertainty .
ACCOMMODATION
AccommodationinPatheinisgenerallygoodvalue,althoughunusuallyforMyanmarnoneof
the following include breakfast in their rates, unless specifically stated otherwise. Note that
theelectricitysupplyisdecidedlyerratic.Powerisprettymuchguaranteedfrom6pmto6am,
but goes off fairly regularly during the day.
Htike Myat San Motel 8 Mahabandoola Rd 042 22742, [e-mail] .
Smart new hotel run by a charming Chinese family and with pleasant modern rooms - but
avoid those close to the noisy main road. Cheapest rooms have shared bathrooms ($5 extra
for en suite); all come with a/c and wi-fi (more expensive ones with hot water). Unusually
for Pathein, rat es include breakfast on the breezy rooftop with views of the quirky Dani Tan
Monastery. $20
La Pyae Wun Hotel 30 Mingyi Rd 042 24669. Comfortable if somewhat lifeless hotel
which appears to have fallen into a coma sometime in the mid-1990s and never quite woken
upagain.Thedecent-sizedroomscomewitha/c,TV,fri dge andwi-fi.Top-floorrooms(same
price) are brighter and quieter but have cold water only. $30
PammawaddyHotel 14aMingyiRd 04221165, [e-mail] . Func-
tional concrete-box hotel with zero atmosphere but providing pleasant a/c rooms equipped
with TV, fridge, hot water and wi-fi. Rooms, bizarrely, get cheaper the higher you go - those
onthethirdfloorarebrighte r,q uieterandcost$10lessthanthoseonthefirstfloor.Trytoget
a room away from the road. $25
ParadiseHotel 14 Zay Chaung Rd 042 25582. Bright tiled rooms with a/c, TV and fridge
in a biggish modern building right in the centre. Cold water only, and no wi-fi fi (or breakfast),
but excellent value, if you don't mind the slightly moribund atmosphere. $15
Taan Taan Ta Guesthouse Merchant St 042 22290, [e-mail] . Wel-
coming and well-run backpacker favourite - don't be put off by the shabby paintwork and
grubby appearance, rooms are actually much cleaner and more comfortable than they imme-