Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
AYEYARWADY RIVER TRIPS
The Ayeyarwady River north of Mandalay sees far fewer visitors than the stretch to
Bagan . Although the scenery is largely flat - save for the brief drama of the “second de-
file” , where the hills close in and the river deepens and narrows - the journey between
Bhamo and Mandalay offers more scope for interacting with local people, as well as the
opportunity to jump ship at some interesting and little-visited spots en route.
The river north of Bhamo has been closed to foreigners since fighting between the gov-
ernmentandtheKachinIndependenceArmyflaredupin2011.Sinceyouaren'tallowedto
get to Bhamo by road, the easiest way to do the whole available route is to fly into Bhamo
thentaketheboatdownriver;thecheapest istotakeatraintoKatha(viaNaba),thentravel
upriver to Bhamo and back by boat.
Three types of boat ply this stretch of the river: government-run IWT ferries, privately
operated fast boats (both of which run regularly year-round), and a handful of scheduled
departures on luxury riverboats organized by upmarket tour operators.
IWT FERRIES
The journey by IWT ferry from Bhamo to Mandalay ($12 on deck, $60 in a cabin) takes
aroundthirtyhourswhenwaterlevelsarehigh-duringthedryseasontheboatsmooreach
night to avoid hitting exposed sandbanks and the journey will take longer. Shwegu, Katha
and Kyaukmyaung are the main stops of interest to visitors. Note that while in theory there
are three departures each week ineither direction, inpractice the schedule ismore erratic -
but as long as you have plenty of time, these boats are a great way to experience the river.
FAST BOATS
Between Bhamo and Katha, Shwe Irra ( 09 470 10004) has daily departures that stop
briefly at Shwegu en route. Between Katha and Mandalay, Katha Irra ( 09 650 1155)
runsthemainservice,stoppingatTigyiang,TagaungandKyaukmyaung.Seatingisusually
on cramped, hard wooden benches under an awning, where you may be subjected to a
Burmesepopmusicmarathon.Foodisavailableatmoststops,andwhilethedeparturesare
daily and the service is far faster than the IWT boats, it's as well to be prepared for a few
delays.
GETTING AROUND
Bytuk-tuk Charteringatuk-tuktotheIWTdry-seasonjettyorairportcostsK2000.Thelong
trip out to Kyauk Sakhan or similar will cost around K20,000 including waiting time.
Bybicycle Bikes(K2000/day)areavailabletorentfromUKoLay'sshopdownthealleyop-
posite the Grand Hotel . Breeze Coffee and Cold, opposite the Friendship Hotel , offers bike
rental too but is seldom open.
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