Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Referred to by almost all of the travellers who see it as the “Leaning Tower of Inwa”, the
wonky
Nanmyint
tower is the only surviving structure from King Bagyidaw's palace. The
tilt came as a result of the 1838 earthquake which eventually resulted in Inwa finally losing
its status as capital forever (unless the powers that be get sick of Naypyitaw and fancy mov-
ing to the countryside). It's possible to ascend the structure for superlative views of the Inwa
area.
Maha Aungmye Bonzan
Daily 6am-7pm • Covered by
Mandalay combination ticket
Cart drivers usually round up their tour with a visit to the
Maha Aungmye Bonzan
, a gor-
geous structure located on a slight rise. The place looks like it's ready to fall apart, with the
stucco slowly turning to powder and breaking from the brick walls. A harbinger of doom if
ever there was one, a colony of bats has taken roost in the eaves - given Inwa's location,
you're unlikely to be around in the evening when they flit off, en masse, for a bite to eat.
If you fancy a walk, head towards the rear of the complex, which eventually backs onto the
river; the many golden spires of
Sagaing
glisten beyond the opposite bank.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: INWA
YoucanvisitInwaaspartofa
motorbikeortaxitour
,
ona
bicycle
(justover1hrfromcent-
ral Mandalay) or by public transport:
pick-ups
from Mandalay (corner of 29th St and 84th
St; 30min) can drop you at a junction from which it's a 10min walk southwest down a long,
straight, tree-lined road to the jetty. Whichever way you arrive, you'll have to take a very
short
ferry
ride (regular departures daily 6am-6pm; K800 return, K1000 with a bicycle, or
K1500 with a motorbike) across a river; horse-and-carriage drivers lie in wait on the other
side.
GETTING AROUND
By horse-drawn carriage
The easiest way to get around Inwa's scattered sights is on a
horse-and-cart tour - for some it's this experience that sticks in the memory, rather than any
of the sights in particular. Drivers typically ask for K6000 for a 2hr tour (penny-pinchers
could try the walking-on technique, which usually results in the driver following you along
the road and willing to accept a little less). The horses probably need little commandeering,
since they essentially trot the same course every time.
EATING
Ava Small River
09 9100 1921.
A friendly little open-air place selling regular Chinese
mains, with their veggie dishes particularly good; expect to pay around K4000 to fill up.
Daily 8am-6pm.
Ave Maria
09 26328.
Pleasant and more local in terms of its menu than the
Ava Small
River
.Goforoneoftheirsurprisinglylargecurrysets(K2000);staffwilloftencomebytore-
fillthevariouscomponents,meaningthatyoucaneatalotforverylittle.
Daily8.30am-6pm.
