Nyaung-u Travel Guide

 
by nyxxx
 
  •   Nyaung-u
    by nyxxx
  •   Nyaung-u
    by nyxxx
  •   Nyaung-u
    by nyxxx
  • Schools out, Nyaung U, Myanmar.
      Schools out, Nyaung U, Myanmar.
    by planxty
  • Mt. Popa, Central Myanmar.
      Mt. Popa, Central Myanmar.
    by planxty
 

Explore Nyaung-u

Things to Do  

Shwezigon Paya.

Shwezigon Paya., Nyaung-u

 planxty Says:  The picture you see was taken from just outside my hotel (see seperate tip) - not a bad view, eh? It is the Shwezigon Paya, one of the oldest in the Bagan region, and believed to be the prototype for the shape of so many of the paya you see all over Myanmar.In an area with... 

The locals hangout.

The locals hangout., Nyaung-u

 planxty Says:  I would tell you the name of this place, but, unfortunately, my knowledge of Burmese script isn't sufficient to translate the sign. To be honest, my knowledge of Burmese script is non-existent!Whilst this place is a restaurant, and the food does look very good, I never... 

Hotels  

Aung Mingalar Hotel.: A very pleasant stay.

Aung Mingalar Hotel.: A very pleasant stay., Nyaung-u

 planxty Says:  Arriving battered and bruised from an excruciating 5 hour jeep ride (see seperate tip), I was indeed a weary traveller when I staggered through the gate.What met me, apart from the extremely courteous, English speaking staff, was a pleasant bugalow style hotel with well-kept... 

Restaurants  

Shway Yoe restaurant.: A very good newcomer.

Shway Yoe restaurant.: A very good newcomer., Nyaung-u

 planxty Says:  I would think I'm the first to write about this place, as it had only been open two days when I first visited. I actually only went in for a beer one evening and was much taken with the friendliness of staff and patrons alike. They happened to be showing English football at... 

Pho Cho restaurant.: Not hugely impressed.

Pho Cho restaurant.: Not hugely impressed., Nyaung-u

 planxty Says:  I visited here as my guidebook recommended the Thai food (although Bamar, Chinese and Indian are also served), and I must say I came away a little disappointed. The Thai dish I had was, almost unbelievably, very bland. I don't now whether they have "toned down" the food for... 

Aroma restaurant.: Good, but not the best.

Aroma restaurant.: Good, but not the best., Nyaung-u

 planxty Says:  The Lonely Planet guidebook rates this as the best Indian food in Myanmar, and it relies on this very heavily in it's marketing (have a look at the upper sign in the photo). I don't often disagree with LP, and I invariably use their guides for travelling, but this time they... 

A little bit of Bagan restaurant.: Very good in a town of good restaurants

A little bit of Bagan restaurant.: Very good in a town of good restaurants, Nyaung-u

 planxty Says:  I have categorised this place as other, because it does just about everything - Thai, Shan, Bamar, Indian, Chinese etc. etc.I ate there one evening and had a wonderful mutton curry with all the usual accompaniments. It was served promptly b friendly staff, in a pleasant... 

Transportation  

DO NOT DO THIS.

DO NOT DO THIS., Nyaung-u

 planxty Says:  I make no apologies for the use of capitals in the title of this tip, I cannot stress enough that, if you are travelling the "low road" from Magwe you do NOT want to take the Hilux jeep option. As I didn't fancy a really early start to get the bus, I had heard that there was... 

A jeep's cheap.

A jeep's cheap., Nyaung-u

 planxty Says:  If you are heading out of the Bagan area, beyond the range of the horsecarts, you have two options. you can either get a taxi, or do as i did, and ask about for a jeep. You can get one of these pretty easily. I was charged 10USD for a trip to Mt. Popa and back (I'd been... 

The ubiquitous trishaw

The ubiquitous trishaw, Nyaung-u

 planxty Says:  Like just about anywhere else in Myanmar, for short journeys, the trishaw is available. I must say, I have certain reservations about trishaws (and rickshaws and all the other types of human powered transport). I just feel slightly uncomfortable with the concept of a man who... 

A lovely way to travel.

A lovely way to travel., Nyaung-u

 planxty Says:  You have several options for travelling about Nyaung U, although, to be honest, you can walk almost anywhere in a few minutes, the place isn't that big. A lovely way to get about, though, is the horse cart, so popular here and elsewhere in Myanmar. Whilst there are no seats,... 

Off The Beaten Path  

The mount and monkeys.
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3.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

planxty 1603 reviews
Mt. Popa, Central Myanmar.
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This place is not really in Nyaung U at all, but, unfortunately VT does not find Mt. Popa as a destination. It is a feasible half day trip from any of the Bagan resorts and is well worth doing. The main attraction is a monastery and pagoda built on Mt. Popa which towers more than 2000 feet over Popa village. It is some sort of volcanic plug (basalt, perhaps), rising out of the flat plain and is very inpressive.

Be aware, that there are no lifts, and the climb can be quite arduous, especially in the heat of the day (although the majority of the ascent is shaded). the views from the top, however, more than compensate for the exertion. Be even more aware of the extremely forward monkesy, who will come and grab things off you. This is especially true if you buy food for them from the numerous vendors about the place.

The best way to get here is by taxi or jeep. I paid 10 USD for a trip and this included a few stops along the way to see things of interest.

Written Mar 5, 2006

Related to:
 Religious Travel
 Architecture

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Map of Nyaung-u