Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
receive foreign guests, but whether that optimism is well founded or not remains to be seen.
The
Northern Rock Guesthouse
( 082 40660), opposite
A Yone Oo
, was one of the con-
tenders. As for food, during market hours the small noodle shops inside the
covered mar-
ket
are one of the most interesting places to eat, serving up
moun-di
and
mi-shay
noodles to
hungry shoppers.
AYoneOo
ShwePyiOoRd 08240669.
Arangeofroomsonaquietstreetrunningparallel
to the railway line between the station and the market. The cheapest fan-cooled rooms are
noisy and faintly depressing and it's worth forking out a bit more for the good-value rooms
ina1940sbuilding($24),whilefo
rth
emostcomfortgoforthoseinthemodernblock($56).
Singles are available at half-rates.
$12
Thiripyitsaya
4/54ShwePyiOoRd 08240340.
Opposite
A Yone Oo
,thisbarelittleplace
has an English menu and serves simple snacks - things like omelettes (K1000) and Shan
noodles (K500) feature heavily.
Daily 7am-9pm.
ShweMaeSong
AungSanRd.
OneblocksouthofthemainmarketalongAungSanRd,this
busy Shan Chinese restaurant serves up tasty stir-fries (K1500) along with platefuls of fried
rice that are particularly popular with locals.
Daily 8am-9pm.
DIRECTORY
Bank
KBZ Bank on the south side of the market offers currency exchange, but as yet
Kyaukme has no ATMs.
Doctor
English-speaking Dr Khin Mg Nyo runs a small clinic (daily when he's in town,
8-10.30am and 4-7.30pm; 09 527 5292) and lending library just opposite
A Yone Oo
.
Internet
Internet Access, next to
A Yone Oo
, has wi-fi (K200/hr) and computers (K400/hr)
available.
Hsipaw and around
Known in Burmese as Thibaw,
HSIPAW
is the former seat of an independent Shan state.
Today the small town has an attractive air of tranquillity - venerable tamarind and rain trees
line the main street, the
Dokhtawady
(or Namtu) River flows languidly to the east of town
andthenearbyhillsconcealthatch-roofedPalaungandLisuvillages.Addtothisagoodrange
of accommodation and some excellent cafés, and it's unsurprising that Hsipaw is a popular
base for
trekking
into the surrounding countryside.
The town itself is an engaging place to explore, with a worthwhile
morning market
along
the riverbank if you can get up early enough to see it, and many small workshops around
town, where it'spossible towatch tea being sorted andcheroots being rolled. The most inter-
esting sights all lie on the outskirts of town, a short bike ride away.