lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

222MANDALAY & AROUND MANDALAYKALAW & TAUNGGYI (FOR INLE LAKE)BUS Almost all buses to Taunggyi (K10,000to K12,000, around 11 hours) run overnight viaKalaw and the Inle Lake junction. Operatorsinclude the following:» Shwe Taung Yo (Map p 206 ; %09 5311918; 32ndSt, 82/83) At 6pm (K12,000 with 4pm transfer).» Taung Paw Thar (Map p 206 ; %09 91028717;32nd St, 81/82) At 6.30pm (K12,000 with 4pmtransfer).» Shwe Mann Thu (Map p 206 ; %22365; 32nd St,82/83) At 7.30pm (K10,000, no well-timed transfer).» Chandar Aung (Map p 206 ; 24th St, 81/82)Operates the only day-time bus (no airconditioning),but currently refuses to carryforeigners.SHARED TAXI The only public-transport optionfor foreigners that isn’t overnight is a sharedtaxi from Aung Yedana (%24850; 25th St,81/82) leaving for Taunggyi (front/back seatK27,000/25,000) around 8am. Price includespick-up from any central Mandalay hotel. AddK8000 to be dropped off in Nyaungshwe.KYAUKMEYedena (Map p 206 ; %36196; 81st St, 31/32)Has a 1pm bus to Kyaukme (K4000) from thePyi Gyi Myat Shin bus station.MONYWAHourly buses depart between 7am and 4pm(K1700, 3¼ to four hours) from the relativelycentral Thiri Mandalar bus station (Map p 202 ;89th St, 21/22), operated by several companiesincluding Mahanwe, AGB and Yadanabon(%61500). In the past some drivers have provedreluctant to allow foreigners on the bus.PYIN OO LWINSHARED TAXI Regular departures (back/frontseat K5000/6000, two hours) from the cornerof 27th and 83rd Sts (Map p 206 ). Alternativelyhave your hotel book for you with Shwe MannMay (%38685) or other operators.PICK-UP TRUCKS Depart when full. They operate(front/back K3000/2000) till mid-afternoonfrom the corner of 28th and 83rd Sts (Map p 206 ).SHWEBOBuses depart roughly hourly (K1700, threeto four hours) until mid-afternoon from ThiriMandalar bus station. Companies include AungNang Man (%72193).TAUNGOOShwe Mann Thu departs at 9pm (K9000, eighthours) from the main bus station. No ‘ferry’.YANGONCountless companies operate air-conditionedbuses (K10,400 to K12,000, around 10 hours).Most run overnight, leaving Mandalay between5pm and 8.30pm, but there are also daytimebuses. Options include the following:Shwe Mann Thu (Map p 206 ; %22365; 32ndSt, 82/83) Departures at 6am, 7am, 8am, 9am,7pm, 8.30pm and 9.30pm.Shwe Mandalar Express (Map p 206 ; %73211;32nd St, 81/82) Departures at 8am, 5pm, 6pm,7pm and 8pm, with bus-station transfer at 3pm.Mann Shwe Pyi (Map p 206 ; %09 6502246;32nd St, 82/83) Departures at 8.30am, 8pmand 8.30pm, with free bus-station transfer at5pm. Comfy air-conditioned buses with reclinerseats and free drinking water.TrainThe train station (Map p 206 ; 30th St, 78/79)is relatively central, saving a long commute toan outlying bus station. Just inside the mainground-fl oor entrance, an MTT sub-office(h9.30am-6pm) can sell tickets at 10% commissionif the queues upstairs look too daunting.8Getting AroundTo/From the AirportNeither city buses nor pick-up trucks go tothe airport. Seven Diamond Express (p 206 ;%22365; 32nd St, 82/83) charges onlyK10,000/4000 per car/person in private/shared taxis, but booking a day ahead is advised.Cheaper hotels will order you an airport taxi forK12,000. Taxis on the street might charge more,as they’ll fi nd it hard to get a return ride. Fromthe airport, you’ll pay K10,000 to town if you useone of the counters on the arrivals fl oor. Freelancetaxis are liable to charge more.BicycleOn foot, Mandalay’s vast size can rapidly becomeoverwhelming. Buses are confusing andmotorcycle/taxi fares can mount up. Renting abicycle is a good solution for random exploration.You can rent one for around K1500 per dayfrom ET Hotel, a shop opposite the Royal GuestHouse and from Mr Jerry.Motorcycle & TaxiMr Jerry (Map p 206 ; 83rd St, 25/26; h8am-6.30pm) rents drive-your-own motorcycles atK10,000 per day. Motorcycle taxis are reasonablyeasy to fi nd near hotels and on downtownstreet corners. Clunky old Toyota Corolla taxiscan be found outside bus stations, but Mandalay’sdistinctive ‘blue taxis’ cost about half asmuch. These are teeny Mazda pick-up trucks withroom for four or so in the covered cab. Reckon onaround K2000 to the Gawein Jetty from downtown.Charter all day for about K15,000/20,000in town/to the ancient cities (Amarapura, Inwaand Sagaing). Guesthouses can help you fi nd areliable taxi or motorcycle driver.