Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
062
A transit point for wayward travellers on the west side of the Ayeyarwady River,
Pakokku was a quiet backwater until 2007, when it found itself front-and-centre in inter-
national headlines. Monks from the Myo Ma Ahle monastery here kickstarted the nation-
wide protests against rising petrol prices that became the 'Saffron Revolution'. While the
monks' uprising failed in the short-term, observers argue its brutal suppression was an
important watershed and a key element in pushing the generals to kickstart the reform
process.
Pakokku is a friendly town famed for its tobacco and
thanakha,
but few guests stay
here now with the new bridge connecting it to Bagan, 16 miles south, in just 30 minutes.
Should you choose to linger, there's a riverside homestay that's basic, but which many
guests rank as a highlight of their trip. One of the town's biggest
pwe
(festivals),
Thi-
hoshin
, is held during Nayon (May/June).
Sights
If time is limited, the most rewarding activities in Pakokku include browsing the
market
,
checking out some of the
temples
and
monasteries
- including one monastery with a
giant clock tower - or just wandering amid the tropical torpor of its picturesquely decrep-
it side streets, which feature old homes backing onto the Ayeyarwady River.
About 17 miles northeast, on the way to Monywa, are the remains of
Pakhangyi
, a
19th-century wooden monastery. About 3 miles east of Pakhangyi (via the road behind
the big modern pagoda) is the destroyed frame of
Pakhanngeh Kyaung
, which was once
the country's largest wooden monastery. Many of its 332 teak pillars still stand, and the
area, near the fork of the Ayeyarwady and Kaladan rivers, makes for rewarding explora-
tion. A taxi here from Pakokku is about K30,000.
Sleeping & Eating
Mya Yatanar Inn
HOMESTAY $
( 062-21457; 75 Lanmataw St; s with shared bathroom K7000, d with bathroom K14,000; )
Charming, English-speaking grandma Mya Mya, her daughter and granddaughters will
welcome you to their 100-year-old home on the river, a couple of blocks east of the mar-
ket. Rooms are super-basic and rather rundown, but bearable once you fall under the hos-
pitable spell of these women. Electricity is patchy by day and most rooms share the cold-
water bathroom and squat toilet. Cheap meals are available and bicycles are available for
K1500.
