THEGUIDE
yangon
134
FAHTHAI
1 _
WHAT WE
RECOMMEND
Check out a country-
style festival at Kyaik
Khauk Pagoda in nearby
Thanlyin. Just 30 minutes
from the heart of Yangon,
the festival takes place on
14 February. Don't miss it.
2 _
KNOW THE
NUMBER
76 – the mass in carats,
of the diamond that tops
Yangon’s Shwedagon
Pagoda
3 _
SERI BEAUTY
AND HEALTH
Don’t want to blow your
budget on massages at
hotels or luxury spas?
Seri offers very affordable
treatments ranging from
traditional massages and
reflexology to facials and
other beauty treatments,
all delivered in a cool,
quiet environment.
(103
Dhammazedi Rd, Bahan)
COUNTRY
CODE
+95
EXCHANGE
RATE
MMK970 = US$1
FREQUENCY
4 flights per day
STUNNING
LANDMARK
No
visit is complete
without a visit to
Shwedagon
D I V I N E P A G O D A
Top 3
insider
travel tips
Rest Your Head
ALAMANDA INN
If you’re looking for serenity
in the heart of Yangon, look
no further than Alamanda.
Located in the exclusive Golden
Valley neighbourhood near Inya
Lake, this hotel in a renovated
mansion has just a handful of
rooms. The adjoining restaurant
offers a range of reasonably
priced French dishes and has
become a cultural hub for
the French expat community,
with regular unplugged shows
and film screenings.
(hotel-
alamanda.com/overview.php)
Top Tables
WATER LIBRARY
Hailed by many as one of
Thailand’s top restaurants,
Water Library has opened its
doors in Yangon. The restaurant
is located in painstakingly
renovated, century-old colonial
mansion. While still aspiring
to meet the standards of its
Bangkok counterpart, Yangon’s
Water Library has succeeded
in raising the bar for fine dining.
(mywaterlibrary.com)
Bottoms Up
VISTA
This new watering hole could
get by on its location alone: its
rooftop terrace looks out over
Shwedagon Pagoda. Happily,
it also boasts a wide range of
drinks, a wonderful ambience
and is one of the few places in
Yangon where you can share
a shisha with friends. Get in
early though as the few tables
normally fill up quick.
(facebook.
com/vistabaryangon)
Stop To Shop
SHAYI
Ethnic Kachin designer Sann
Bawk Rar has created a
unique collection of women’s
outfits that fuse traditional
elements – particularly natural
materials and adornments –
with international-style cuts.
Her talents are such that she
designed the outfits for the
opening ceremony of the
Southeast Asian Games and
takes part in many fashion
shows.
(45B Yadashe Rd)
Yangon
TEXT: THOMAS KEAN
