lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

118BAGAN & CENTRAL MYANMAR BAGANNew Heaven GUESTHOUSE $(%60921; off Yarkinnthar Hotel Rd; s $10-12, d $15-18; a) A quick stroll from Restaurant Row,this place offers clean, compact rooms withsmall decks overlooking the peaceful lawn.The bigger, pricier rooms include a TV.Eden Motel GUESTHOUSE $(%60815, 60812; Anawrahta Rd; s/d from $8/15; a)Split in two by the busy road to the airport,Eden isn’t exactly a garden party. The roomsin the newer Eden Motel II have bigger, tiledrooms and an over-touted bathtub, but weprefer the ones in the original – particularlythe ones with all-bamboo walls and hardwoodfloors. The friendly management told us they‘have an idea’ to upgrade all the rooms.Inn Wa Guest House GUESTHOUSE $(%60902, 60849; Main Rd; s $8-10, d $13-15; a) Ifyou just need a cheap bed, this three-floor,16-room choice near the market works, offeringminigolf-green carpets in boxy roomsand simple attached bathrooms with hotwater. Rooms 206 and 306 have more windowlight (and less street noise). Breakfastis served on the open roof deck. Advancebooking gets you a free transfer from yourpoint of arrival.Winner Guest House GUESTHOUSE $(%61069; Main Rd, Wetkyi-in; s $5-7, d $7-10; a) Ifmoney’s tight, opt for this little family-runguesthouse on the road to Old Bagan. Thecheapest rooms share the common bathroom.Simple concrete-floor rooms with anair-conditioning unit and tiled bathroom attachedare just as good as the cheapies intown. Other pluses are that it’s nearer thetemples, and there are appealing roadsiderestaurants around.Golden MyanmarGuest House GUESTHOUSE $(%60901, 09-204 2064; www.goldenmyanmarguesthouse.com; Main Rd; s $7-8, d $11-15; a)More bare-bone than its neighbour Inn Wa,with the cheaper rooms sharing a commonbathroom. Go with room 108: it’s got morelight and has direct access to the roof deck,where breakfast is served.Golden Village Inn GUESTHOUSE $(%60921; off Yarkinnthar Hotel Rd; s $8-10, d $12-16; a) Behind New Heaven (and with thesame owners), the Village is another shadyspot near the restaurant strip, with comfortablebungalow-style rooms. Higher-pricedrooms have TV, desk and tub.5Eating & DrinkingNyaung U’s Yarkinnthar Hotel Rd (aka RestaurantRow) is a strip of atmospheric openaireateries geared towards foreign visitors.It’s touristy, but easily the hub(bub) of Baganaction. Many of the restaurants are copycats,with similar ‘everything goes’ menus(Chinese, Burmese, Thai, Indian, pizza and‘Western’ options).oAroma 2 INDIAN $$(Yarkinnthar Hotel Rd; dishes K2000-7000; h11am-9pm or 10pm) ‘No good – no pay’ is the mantraof this justifiably confident operation servingdelish vegie and meat curries on bananaleaves (or plates) with an endless stream ofhot chapattis and five dollops of condiments(including tamarind and mint sauces). Ifyou order one day in advance, it can alsowhip up various biryani rice dishes.oBlack Bamboo EUROPEAN $$(%09-650 1444; off Yarkinnthar Hotel Rd; dishesK3500-6000; h9am-9.30pm) Run by a Frenchwoman and her Burmese husband, thisgarden-set café and restaurant is somethingof an oasis: a lovely place to relax over a decentsteak and chips, a well-made espressoor delicious homemade ice cream. Service isfriendly but leisurely.Red Pepper Diner THAI, EUROPEAN $$(%09-4926 0229; cnr Anawrahta Rd & Thirpyitsaya3 St; meal K4000-12,000; h11am-3pm, 6-10pm)Serving a broad range of Thai dishes, freshlymade with an authentic spicy kick, this yellowhouse takes a stab at sophistication withsilky pillows on concrete benches in a courtyardfacing the main road.San Kabar Restaurant & Pub ITALIAN $$(Main Rd; pizza K4000-6000, salads K1500-2700;h7am-10pm) Famous as the birthplace ofBagan pizza, the San Kabar’s streetside candlelitcourtyard is all about its thin-crustedpies and well-prepared salads.Pyi Wa BAMAR, INTERNATIONAL $$(Yarkinnthar Hotel Rd; noodles & dishes K1500-3000; h7am-9pm or 10pm) Slightly less stylishthan some, but Pyi Wa is the operation onRestaurant Row with a Bagan-era zedi (stupa)as a neighbour – staff light up its base atnight. The best dishes are Chinese, but dostart off with the ‘potato cracken’ (fried potatowedges that go particularly well with abottle of Myanmar Beer).