Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ping you at the Myitnge ferry assuming you'll cross then tour by horse cart. However,
Myanmar Upperland
( 02-65011;
www.myanmarupperland.com
; 27th St, 71/72; 9am-6pm
Mon-Sat)
offers an all-day tour by air-con minibus (K18,000 per person, hotel pickup
8.30am) that includes driving into and around Inwa as well as sunset at U-Bein Bridge,
lunch, water and several interesting workshop visits.
Motorbike taxis typically add around K2000 to drive around the Inwa ruins (if you in-
sist). Add another K2000 to see Paleik en route, and K5000 more to include Mingun, too.
Beware that doing the whole lot in one very long day will feel very rushed. Ideally, make
two or three more modest day trips. There are two foreigner-licensed hotels are in Saga-
ing.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Amarapura
02 / POPULATION C35,000
Myanmar's penultimate royal capital, Amarapura (pronounced amuRA-puRA) means
'City of Immortality', though its period of prominence lasted less than 70 years (from
1783). Starting from 1857, King Mindon began dismantling most of the palace buildings
and shipping them 7 miles north to Mandalay, which was to become the new capital ac-
cording to a Buddhist prophecy.
These days Amarapura is essentially a spread-out suburb of Mandalay, but it's leafy
and attractively set on a wide, shallow lake, named for an ogre who supposedly came
looking for the Buddha here. The lake is crossed by an iconic wooden footbridge which
is the main attraction. Several other minor sights are widely scattered and would sensibly
require a bike or taxi to see them all.
