lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

32PLAN YOUR TRIP REGIONS AT A GLANCESoutheasternMyanmarCaves Temples Culture CavesFor those who love the darkside, this is your region,particularly the countrysidesurrounding Hpa-an. Thereare countless caves, somewith ancient Buddhist art,others largely untouched, allripe for exploration.TemplesThere are enough templesin and around Mawlamyinealone to keep you busy fora lifetime, but the indisputablehighlight of the regionis Mt Kyaiktiyo (GoldenRock) – a must-do religiouspilgrimage for every man,woman, child and tourist inMyanmar.CultureYou will probably neverhave heard of the Monpeople before, so let one ofthe excellent Mawlamyinebasedguides introduceyou to the culture via thearea's tidy sugar-palm-linedtowns, seaside temples andisland-bound villages.p 91Bagan &CentralMyanmarTemples Shopping Elephants TemplesYou’ll find thousands ofthem in Bagan, but alsoworth seeking out are theNat shrine at Mt Popa andthe pilgrimage temples ofShwesandaw Paya in Taungoo,Shwesandaw Paya inPyay, and ShwemyetmanPaya in Shwedaung.ShoppingBagan is also famous forits exquisitely decoratedlacquerware; watch artisanscreate it in workshops inMyinkaba and New Bagan.Across the AyeyarwadyRiver, Pakoku is famous forits patterned blankets.ElephantsThe new capital, Nay PyiTaw, has a couple of whiteelephants beside its giantUppatasanti Paya, as well asa herd of regular elephantsat its zoo. You can alsowatch elephants workingat jungle logging camps ontrips to teak plantationsoutside Taungoo.p 111EasternMyanmarOutdoors Culture Food OutdoorsTramping between tea plantationsin Pindaya; buzzingaround in a boat on InleLake; scaling mountainsoutside Kalaw; visiting a Loilonghouse outside Kengtung...These are just a fewof the outdoor options possiblein eastern Myanmar.CultureThe country’s far east boastsexceptional cultural diversity– even by Myanmarstandards. Visit and learnabout Pa-O culture aroundInle Lake or learn aboutShan culture and languageand their similarities withthose of neighbouring Thailandin Kengtung.FoodFrom shàn k’auq-swèh,Shan-style noodle soup, tongà t’ămìn jin, a turmerictingedrice dish, a stay ineastern Myanmar is yourchance to try authenticShan food at the source.p 166