Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
- the metal table-top on the right as you enter is actually an original copper roof tile from
the old Mrauk U palace, one of the few pieces of the royal residence to have escaped being
looted when the city was sacked in 1784.
Shwetaung Pagoda
Open access 24hr • Entry covered by main temple ticket
It's worth climbing the hill up to the
Shwetaung Pagoda
not for the temple itself (which
is just an average-sized, bog-standard stupa) but for what is probably the definitive view of
MraukU-particularlymemorableatdusk,andarounddawn,withthemysteriousoutlinesof
myriadstupasemergingfromtheearly-morningmistsineverydirection,andflashesofwater
between.
To
reachthetemple
head for 100m down the side road which runs south off the main road
betweenthecentreandthe
Prince Hotel
,lookingforapinkarchway(leadingtoasmallmon-
astery complex) on your left. Turn left off the road, go up to the arch (but not through it) and
turnleftagainalongthewidedirttrackimmediatelyinfrontofthearchwayskirtingthemon-
asteryboundarywall.Followthisforaround20m,justpasttheendofthewall,andyou'llsee
a small steep path onyourright snaking its way upthe hill. Follow this to reach the temple at
the top - a brisk ten-minute walk.
Around Mrauk U
The remains of two more of ancient Arakan's former capitals -
Dhanyawadi
(former home
of the revered Mahamuni Buddha) and
Waithali
- can be visited close to Mrauk U, while
trips down the scenic Lemro River to visit the nearby
Chin villages
are also popular, thanks
tothepresenceofthefamousoldladieswithtattooedfaces-avanishingrelicofoldBurmese
culture and customs past.
