lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

144BAGAN & CENTRAL MYANMAR YANGON–BAGAN HIGHWAYPyay123A ‚To CentralMarket (150m)# ß6#£6# ú7Ayeryarwady RiverMerchant St## ÿ3#ò # ð# ðFire #æBrigade# ú 6 Aung San#á Statue# ú 8# ÿ 2ÿ#4Kan StStrand RdBazaar StMya ZayTann StA‚9Pyay-Yangon RdSwe Nwee Payar StMadaw RdTat St5# ÿoLucky Dragon HOTEL $$(%24222; http://luckydragon.com; 772 Strand Rd;r $30-40; paWs) Leaving all other towncentre hotels standing, this enclave of modern,bungalow-style, wood-floored roomsacross from the river is reasonably pricedand has pleasant, helpful staff. Another plusis the small pool, long enough for a few coolinglaps after touring Pyay’s sights.Smile Motel HOTEL $(%22523, 25169; 10-11 Bogyoke Rd; r $18; a) Thelong corridor leading to the simply furnishedrooms may have a shabby carpet andremind you of The Shining, but it’s all prettyclean and the staff are nice, if a bit surprisedat your existence.Mingalar Garden Resort HOTEL $$(%28662; Flying Tiger Garden, Aung Chan ThaQuarter; s/d standard $30/36, superior $36/42;ai) Near Payagyi Paya and closer toThayekhittaya than the Ayeyarwady River,this quiet garden complex of spacious bungalowsis set in the grounds of a formercheroot manufacturer. It’s worth springinga few extra dollars for the more modernsuperior rooms, all of which overlook anornamental lake.BTo Southern Star (800m);Nawade Bridge (800m)BTikyutson StBogyoke RdElevators# ÚShwesandawPayaHliang Gatt StCC‚0 500 m#e 0 0.25 milesD1To Bus Station (1.5 mi);Payagyi Paya (2 mi);Mingalar Garden Resort (2.2 mi);Thayekhittaya (5 mi)Sethatgyi RdBogyoke Rd# ÚSehtatgyiPaya# Ú 1Myat Lodging House HOTEL $(%25695; 222 Bazaar St; r $6-12; a) This smallback-street guesthouse has well-loved butsimple rooms (green carpet, writing desks)a block from the Pyay ‘action’. The cheapestrooms have fan and shared bathroom(which are kept clean); only the highestpricedrooms come with a private bathroom.Friendly English-speaking staff give outmaps of Pyay and Thayekhittaya.Pyay Strand Hotel HOTEL $$(%24874; Strand Rd; r standard/superior $25/35;a) Offers 32 simple rooms similar to Smile’s,which are thus overpriced compared toLucky Dragon. Higher-priced rooms get hotwater and look out over the river.5Eating & DrinkingThe night market on Mya Zay Tann St, betweenthe Aung San statue and the river, isatmospheric and well worth browsing for itscheap eats.oGrandma Café KOREAN, INTERNATIONAL $$(Mya Zay Tann Rd; dishes K1500; h8am-10pm)Owner Banyar Aung learned to make Koreanfood while working at various restaurantsin Kuala Lumpur, then returned homeand taught his wife. Together they run thisDS etha‚tgyi Rd23