Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Overnight trips with a stay in either Shwe Daung or Ngwe Daug, both Karen vil-
lages, cost $250 per person for two people; it's also possible to do this trip and
continue onward to Pyay the next day for $375 per person for two people. The doc-
tor provides free medical service to villagers in the area.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Taungoo
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A busy highway town, Taungoo (also spelled Toungoo) is a popular overnight stop for
both tourists and truckers. Sporting several interesting temples, a lively central market
and a pretty lake, it has more places of interest than any other town on the Yan-
gon-Mandalay Expressway, but then there's not a lot of competition. A great guesthouse
on the town's outskirts makes it easy to stay an extra day, and can also be used as a base
for visiting elephant camps in the hills to the west.
King Mingyinyo founded his capital here in 1510, and his dynasty ruled the country
for the next 150 years. However, WWII bombing wrecked most of Mingyinyo's
Katumadi Palace (only sections of the old walls and moat can still be seen). In celebra-
tion of the town's 500th anniversary in 2010 a couple of impressive new gates were built,
as well as a massive statue of the king, unmissable on the old Yangon-Mandalay road,
east of the palace walls.
The Karen hills to the east are famed for their vegetables and coffee. The area is also
known for its numerous areca (betel) palms. In Myanmar, when someone receives unex-
pected good fortune, they are likened to a betel-lover receiving a paid trip to Taungoo.
Kayin State is less than 22 miles (35km) east and Kayah State another 40 miles
(64km) further east. Karen and Kayah insurgents have been known to operate within
these areas. A dry-weather road continues east all the way to Loikaw, but any travel bey-
ond the Sittoung (Sittang) River a couple of miles east of Taungoo requires special per-
mission through a travel agent.
Sights & Activities
Apart from visiting the sights, it's fun to
hire a bike
and spend half a day pedalling
around the town's sights and into the countryside. Bikes can be rented from Myanmar
Beauty Guest House for K2000 a day.
