Sightseeing along public transport lines
There are two books that describe along public transport lines. In Thai language, and following the usual pattern:
เที่ยว กิน ช้อป sightseeing eating shoping.
Of these eating and shopping is of absolutely no interest for me, that's why I rarely buy this kind of book as it's a waste of 2/3 of money and 2/3 of dead weight for me.
ลองเรือเที่ยว around BANGKOK
(My translation: Go by boat around Bangkok; strangely English titles and Thai texts are quite common in Thai language publications.) Actitives near the Chao Phraya boat piers. 250 THB, 293 pages, 1st edition 2011.
เที่ยวท้ากรุง
Activities along the BTS and MRT lines, including new purple line. Was given for free with purchase of MRT card, 143 pages, no date but probably 2016.
Copyright 2018 ChristianPFC
Moulmein attractions
Places I have visited during my 25-26dec2017 stay in
Moulmein = Mawlamyine = Mawlamyaing,
in chronological order:
Nowrlaboo Taung Pagoda
Zin Kyaik Waterfall
Unnamed elephant rock shrine
Unnamed Hindu shrine
Kyaik Kabaraye Pagoda
Unnamed brick chedi ruin
Win Sein reclining Buddha in Mudon
Kyauk Ta Lone Pagoda Taung
Thanlwin Bridge
This is just a selection of what Moulmein and environs has to offer. Having rented a car with driver, I skipped walking around town, because I can do that on a repeat visit on my own.
(1 THB = 42 MMK, 1
EUR = 1600 MMK, 1 USD = 1350 MMK)
Night train from Yangon to Moulmein, upper class 5500 MMK, schedule 20:00 - 6:00, real 19:58 - 6:15. My driver is already waiting. Originally I thought 75 kMMK is a bit expensive for one day, but in hindsight it seems a fair price including petrol and a total of over 14 hours (pick up 6:15, bye 20:30).
Nowrlaboo Taung Pagoda
16°38'30.5"N 97°30'10.2"E = 16.641817, 97.502838
Park car at base camp on main road. From there 6.6 km up the mountain by shuttle service (3 kMMK for front seat, cheaper on the back, 8:21-45).
Not just one, but two overhanging rocks, covered in gold, with a pagoda on top!
View west (Gulf of Martaban):
We got there early with only few visitors, but on our way down three full trucks passed on their way up:
Zin Kyaik Waterfall
16°41'23.6"N 97°26'03.4"E = 16.689877, 97.434268
Only a dribble of water in dry season:
There is a roofed stairway to the upper levels, with some stones painted as crocodile or fish:
Aerial picture by a Farang friend's drone in Aug 2017:
Unnamed elephant rock shrine
16°39'12.6"N 97°26'45.6"E = 16.653506, 97.446005
Accidental find, a cluster of rocks that have been made into two elephants, stop on return trip to take picture:
Unnamed Hindu shrine
16°35'40.2"N 97°28'15.8"E = 16.594498, 97.471056
Accidental find, stop on return trip to take picture and record location:
Kyaik Kabaraye Pagoda
16°35'28.8"N 97°28'51.0"E = 16.591324, 97.480827
Another accidental find driving past by car, stopping on return.
A Bodhigaya replica and a garden full of pagodas and statues, can be seen from the railway that passes.
Unnamed brick chedi ruin
16°32'10.9"N 97°35'45.1"E = 16.536371, 97.595872
Pointed out by my driver, and I love ruins, stop for picture.
Win Sein reclining Buddha in Mudon
16°19'24.1"N 97°43'27.9"E = 16.323348, 97.724415
At the time of construction (start 2010, now structure complete but interior not) it was the longest reclining Buddha in the world, at 180 m length.
But since then matters have become more difficult: in Thailand there is one to be 209 m long once construction is finished http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2016/07/wat-pa-sawang-bun-in-saraburi-province.html and the Chinese carved one out of rock that is 416 m long (but the structure is not man-made, and only parts are carved) http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/travel/2015-04/01/content_19964742_3.htm.
So at time of posting this is the longest structurally complete, man made reclining Buddha in the world.
Across, in anti-parallel orientation, facing the complete Buddha, a construction site for another:
Interior is incomplete. Various mural drawings and statues, i.a. depictions of Buddhist Hell.
Mausoleum with the body of the founding monk:
Entrance gate from main road. There is misinformation on the internet, the statue is not visible from afar, you have to get on the premises and close to see it.
Kyauk Ta Lone Pagoda Taung
16°19'03.1"N 97°42'19.4"E = 16.317519, 97.705379
Accidental find on the way to Win Sein reclining Buddha in Mudon. Mountain with various chedis on top. Entrance to stairs:
From there it's 411 steps to junction, and total 491 to left (southern) top (woman not allowed to climb up):
or 522 steps in total to right (north) top (note the gray stone and very sharp edges in second picture):
And there is a cave that passes under the mountain:
Sunset prevented further sightseeing. Following morning walk to
Thanlwin Bridge
which has two lanes for cars and pedestrians and one for railway. Some day I want to walk across the bridge!
The island next to the bridge Shampoo Island has several pagodas and there is a boat service, but will have to wait for another trip.
Aerial picture by a friend's drone Aug 2017:
Some great attractions, and I have packed as much as possible in my short stay. I will be back to explore the town!
Copyright 2018 ChristianPFC
Dawei attractions
Places I have visited during my 26-29dec2017 stay in
Dawei = Tawoy in chronological order:
Lek Khant Hill Pagoda (Launglon)
San Lan fishing village
Kyat Min Pagoda
Shwetalyaung Daw Mu Reclining Buddha Statue
Dawei railway station and abandoned railway line
Myaw Yit Pagoda (Maungmagan)
Hot Spring (Maungmagan)
(1 THB = 42 MMK, 1
EUR = 1600 MMK, 1 USD = 1350 MMK)
Moulmein to Dawei by van, 12 kMMK. There are vans at 6:30 and 10, and a bus at 18. I took the van at 10, dep 10:01, short stops to let passengers in and out, lunch break 13:13-46, one passport control (copies of front and visa page required!), arrive in Dawei bus station 16:53. Out of town, mocy into town 2 kMMK (I should have negotiated down to 1).
Lek Khant Hill Pagoda (Launglon)
With help of a local get van to Launglon (1500 MMK for front seat, 9:34-10:22, then mocy 2 kMMK 10:26-35). The road from Launglon to San Lan fishing village is soil, but the road to the temple is concrete! T-junction to the temple at
13°56'59.1"N 98°05'38.1"E = 13.949735, 98.093926
Walk to top 10:40-11:32 (595 m above sea level, road is fine for mocy or car). Houses for monks, western toilet, free drinking water, and some golden rocks and pagodas (no entry for women):
San Lan fishing village
From T-junction (concrete road to pagoda, soil road between Launglon and San Lan) hitchhike to San Lan fishing village.
Recruit a local boy with mocy to take me to Launglon and give him 3 kMMK, then hitchhike to Dawei.
Kyat Min Pagoda
Has a Buddha statue with 6 fingers on his left hand (lying flat on lap, visible in mirror) which is housed in this building 14°05'07.0"N 98°12'08.9"E = 14.085275, 98.202484
For the next day hire car and driver, 50 kMMK, 10:01-16:55.
Shwetalyaung Daw Mu Reclining Buddha Statue
14°02'36.5"N 98°13'55.4"E = 14.043473, 98.232063
(constructed 1931, 75 m long, 21 high,
data from: Stefan Loose Reisefuehrer Myanmar)
Dawei railway station and abandoned railway line
Southern end of railway line. Passenger trains slow and inconvenient times, so I did take the van (10-17) instead of train (4-17) from Moulmein.
But the track continues, then gets interrupted, and the last trace of construction work is 37 km by air south of the railway station (my investigation on google maps satellite). Several bridges have been built, and track has been laid and is still in place. There must be a fascinating story behind it!
Abandoned railway bridge and crossing:
Myaw Yit Pagoda (Maungmagan)
Temple on an island/peninsula (depending on tide), accessible by a bridge.
What I found most interesting is the eroded granite on the shore:
Hot Spring (Maungmagan)
14°09'20.3"N 98°06'14.7"E = 14.155638, 98.104094
Entry 100 MMK. No locker or changing room. Can't enter the pool, ladle the hot water over your body. And once you are wet, you have to keep ladling, else you will get cold! A small disapppointment.
Next day Dawei to Kanchanaburi http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2018/01/dawai-to-kanchanaburi.html
Copyright 2018 ChristianPFC
