lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

238AYEYARWADY RIVER TRIP PLANNINGNORTHERN MYANMAR MYITKYINA & THE UPPER AYEYARWADYWhich Boat?IWT FERRIESThese two-/three-storey craft are the cheapest option and the best for interacting withlocals but they’re slow, unreliable and government-owned.» Routes They run three times a week between Bhamo and Mandalay with stops inShwegu, Katha, Ti Kyaing, Tagaung and Kyaukmyaung. They do not proceed furthernorth than Bhamo. Timetables are guesswork and ferries can be a day or more late sodon’t be in a hurry.» Tickets Ticket purchasing procedures vary by port but foreigners always need topay with pristine US dollar bills, sometimes at the relevant IWT office. Agency bookingsaren’t possible and there are no seat reservations, indeed no seats whatever, just coldmetal decks.» Comfort You’ll generally need to sleep aboard at least one night, maybe three nightsnorthbound from Mandalay to Bhamo. A few simple cabins are available ($54, sharedtoilet) but most folk travel deck class (maximum fare $9) for which you’ll need your ownmat and bedding.» Provisions Snacks and drinks are sold aboard but they are comparatively pricey.Cheaper provisions are available once or twice a day when the ferry docks at intermediateports: sales-folk swarming aboard peddling fish on a stick, noodles and curries whileother vendors await on the shore.FAST BOATSLong covered motor boats carrying between 30 and 80 passengers. Departures are predictableand regular, either daily or at least every second day.» Routes Fast boats make one-day hops on the following sectors, always travelling byday (each sector will be in a different boat): Myitkyina–Sinbo (daily), Sinbo–Bhamo(daily), Bhamo–Shwegu–Katha (daily) and Katha–Mandalay (every second day).» Tickets Usually purchased just before departure, or one day before for Katha–Mandalay.» Comfort The wooden bench seats are small and often partly broken. Sitting on the flatroof can be more comfy if you have sufficient sunscreen but that’s not always an option.You’ll need to sleep at local hotels and guesthouses, which are very basic in Sinbo andKatha.» Provisions Bring plenty of drinking water. North of Bhamo there may be a lunch stopbut this can be cancelled if they are behind schedule and there are no vendors en route,so bring your own snacks. South of Bhamo, villagers aggressively peddle cheap mealbagsduring brief intermediate halts.LOCAL BOATSSimilar to fast boats but making shorter, local journeys and often dangerously overloaded.Foreigners are typically forbidden to use these.CRUISE BOATSSeveral cruise companies offer Ayeyarwady trips, albeit rarely more than a few times peryear. On such journeys your interaction with locals will be minimal. See the boxed text onp 214 for full details.Which Direction?Southbound: The rare handful of travellers who venture this way generally head south.That’s a sensible decision as you’ll be going with the current and each leg is quicker, thoughif you’re sticking with fast boats, the total number of days you’ll need remains the same.Northbound: Each leg takes more of your day and IWT ferries will take up to two days longernorthbound. You will almost certainly not meet any other foreigners on northbound boats.When to Go?Boats run all year between Mandalay and Bhamo.