Eastern Myanmar - Myanmar (Burma) - page 414

Sleeping & Eating
Mong La's hotels are some of the grottiest and dodgiest we've seen anywhere, which
coming from a Lonely Planet author, is saying a lot.
The city's central market is the place to go for food; Chinese-style noodles and
steamed buns are available at breakfast, and at lunch and dinner, open-air Chinese res-
taurants line the perimeter.

Kai Xuan Hotel HOTEL $$$
( ([phone]; no roman-script sign; r Y220-260, ste Y580-680; ) By far the best
hotel we encountered in Mong La. Rooms are new-feeling and come equipped with
thoughtful amenities ranging from a desktop computer to a flat-screen TV with a free
porn channel! There's no English-language sign, but Kai Xuan is the imposing pink
building opposite the northwest corner of the market.

Information

Chinese yuan is the currency in Mong La; be sure to change in advance at Kyaingtong's
central market.
If entering Wa State via private vehicle, you'll need to pay at Y40 car tax at the first
UWSA checkpoint. Arriving in Mong La, it's also necessary to pay the Wa State author-
ities for a site fee (Y36) and a service charge (Y30), payable at Shwe Lin Star Tourism (
([phone]; [e-mail] ; 7.30am-3pm) .

Getting There & Away
Mong La's bus station is about a mile west of town. It's here that you can get a seat on
infrequent vans (K15,000 to K20,000, three hours, from 6am to 5pm) or a bench on a
dangerously overcrowded pick-up (K5000, four hours, from 10am to 3pm) to Kyaing-
tong.

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

» At research time, non-Chinese travellers were not allowed to cross to/from China
at Mong La.
» If you arrived in Myanmar via land at Tachileik and left your passport at the bor-
der, a guide and permits are required to visit Mong La. If you haven't already ar-