Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
left. Keep left again after 2 miles (3km) then continue 14 miles (22km) to Ta Kook Ta
Nel. Turn right after the little row of teahouses then follow the track 3 miles (5km) to
Payagyi. It's a long way to come for one monastery, but the rural scenes en route are very
attractive, especially along the asphalted first 5.5 miles (9km) after Budalin through cot-
tonfields, sunflowers and Palmyra palms to Nyaung Kai/Ywathar, which has a massive
Shwezigon pagoda in a field at its southeast edge.
West of Monywa
HPO WIN DAUNG
Monywa's biggest draw for culture vultures, this rural
complex
(admission $2)
of 492
buddha chambers was carved into a limestone hillside between the 14th and 18th centur-
ies. None of the 'caves' are more than a few yards deep, and many are just big enough
for a single image but a few of the best (notably caves 478 and 480) have retained some
colourful, well-executed murals. The area is fairly large and there's no map so some vis-
itors prefer to engage an informal guide (around K5000) who is likely to be friendly but
not especially informative. Without a guide, just head up and left from the starting point
and don't worry, it isn't necessary to climb nearly as far as the hilltop stupas that loom
high on the ridge above. Around the complex, cheeky monkeys are all too keen to help
you gain merit by donating food to them.
Some 2000ft (700m) beyond the restaurants and souvenir stands of Hpo Win 'village'
lies
Shwe Ba Taung
(admission $2)
, a smaller, contrastingly different set of 46 cave
chambers accessed from pathways cut around 25 ft (8mt) vertically down into the lime-
stone. The buddha images are larger and far newer than those of the main site but the in-
triguing overall effect is of a Buddhist Disneyland set in a miniature Petra. Squint at Hpo
Win Daung as you return and you might see why locals think the hill looks like a reclin-
ing buddha.
Getting There & Away
The fastest access to the sites from Monywa is to cross the Chindwin River by boat then
continue 23km west (the caves are 6km southwest of the main Pale road). From Strand
Rd in Monywa, simple open-top ferry boats take locals across the Chindwin River for
K200 each but foreigners must charter a whole boat, K3000 each way for up to five
people. Boats run approximately 6am to 8pm.
Once across, waiting jeeps (carrying up to six at a pinch) want K20,000 return includ-
ing waiting time. Motorbike drivers on the west bank won't take foreigners due to the
