THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Myanmar

Travel Reference

In-Depth Information

thirtybrightstandardroomsandashinynewelevator.It'shousedonthetopthreefloors(you

can expect to pay a little more for a pa god a view) of a building that also contains a shopping

centre, hair salon and a doughnut café. $40

Myananda 10MainRd 05222275. Thecheapestroomsherearesimpleboxeswithsha red

bathroomsandthindividingwalls,butallhavea/candthere'sevenrumouredtobewi-fi. $15

SanFrancisco 14MainRd 05222265. Withtwentyfan-cooledrooms,thecheapestsingle

startingatK6000andknowledgeable(ifsomewhatbossy)staff, San Francisco isunderstand-

ably popular with backpackers. The rooms are acceptable, althou gh som e at the back bear

more than a passing resemblance to caves. Breakfast not included. K13,000

EATING AND DRINKING

199 Strand Rd. In a quiet spot facing the river just off the main road, this beer station is one

of the few places in Bago to offer riverside seating. It serves up basic Burmese and Chinese

dishes, icy draught beer and incredibly moreish onion rings. Just remember to bring your

mosquito repellent. Daily 10am-10pm.

Ba Maung 13 Main Rd 052 21447. Ba Maung is one of the better Chinese restaurants

along Bago's main strip. The standard fried dishes on the cute English menu start from

K2000, with bottles of Myanmar beer costing a reasonable K1300. Daily 8am-9pm.

Hanthawaddy 192 Hintha St 09 4921 7309. Bago's most upmarket dining option,

Hanthawaddy is housed in a villa with good views of Shwemawdaw from the upstairs bal-

cony. The menu covers Burmese, Thai and Chinese dishes - the Burmese dishes being the

best executed - for K4000-6000. It's popular with tour groups, and if it's busy you may be

directed to their nearby sister restaurant, Century . Daily 11am-9pm.

Millionaire 5th St. Bago is home to a few branches of a local teashop chain. The 5th Street

branch is busy throughout the day, making it one of the more interesting places to stop for a

bowl of mohinga or a cup of sweet tea. Look out for their Burmese-only sign - white charac-

ters on a blue and red oval. Daily 6am-9pm.

Min Htet Shwetaungyoe Rd, just north of Shwe Taung Yoe Pagoda. Locals flock to this

simple restaurant at lunchtime for tasty Burmese-style curries (usually with one vegetarian

option on offer), accompanied by the usual trappings of salad, ngăpí and vast quantities of

rice. Expect to pay K1200 for a meal with tea. Mon-Sat 9am-6pm.

Star King Yangon-Mandalay Rd 052 21298. It may be a bit dingy inside, but the young

owners serve up simple Western food, plus ice cream and drinks (their coffee with lime is

particularly good), and the wi-fi is the fastest in town. Daily 9am-9pm.