Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and, Malaysia and Indonesia, are even worse. It is thought that 80,000 Asians,
6540 British, 2830 Dutch, 2710 Australians and 356 Americans died in the area.
East of Mawlamyine
Sights & Activities
Kyaikmaraw
VILLAGE
This small, charming town, 15 miles southeast of Mawlamyine, is the site of
Kyaikmaraw Paya
( daylight hours)
, a temple of serene, white-faced buddhas
built by Queen Shin Saw Pu in 1455. Among the temple's many outstanding features are
multicoloured glass windows set in the outside walls, an inner colonnade decorated in
mirrored tiles, and beautiful ceramic tile floors.
Covered brick walkways lead up to and around the main square sanctuary in typical
15th-century Mon style. The huge main buddha image sits in a 'European pose', with the
legs hanging down as if sitting on a chair, rather than in the much more common cross-
legged manner. A number of smaller cross-legged buddhas surround the main image, and
behind it are two reclining buddhas. Another impressive feature is the carved and painted
wooden ceiling. Perhaps as impressive as the temple is the route there, which passes
through bright green rice fields studded with sugar palms and picturesque villages.
Kha-Yon Caves
CAVES
( daylight hours)
Spirited away in the back of the little-known, dark and dank
Kha-Yon Caves are rows of ghostly buddha statues and wall paintings that come lurching
out of the dark as the light from a torch catches them. Close by is another, smaller, cave
system with an open cavern and a small cave-dwelling stupa. Bring a torch or buy
candles from the stall near the entrance.
Getting There & Away
Pick-ups nip between Mawlamyine's Zay Gyo bus station and Kyaikmaraw (K800, one
hour, hourly from 6am to 4pm).
For Kha-Yon Caves, head to Mawlamyine's Mye Ni Gone bus station, take any bus to-
wards Hpa-an and ask to be dropped at the junction for the caves (K1050, 30 minutes,
hourly from 6am to 4pm).
