Monywa Travel Guide
Monywa is appealing to many visitors in that not many visitors make it here, despite its relatively close proximity to Mandalay. It is around 130kms west of Mandalay and lies on the Chindwin River.
- Worth It?
- Yes, if you are in the Mandalay region.
- What to Do
- visiting Mohnyin Thambuddhei Paya temple.
- Best Time to Go
- November through February during the dry season.
- How Long?
- One or two days max are fine for Monywa.
- Trivia
- Monywa was the center of the Burmese Communist Party.
The main thing that puts people off traveling to Monywa is the military presence and the past insurgency by the Burmese Communist Party (BCP) in this region of Myanmar. They are no longer active though, luckily.
Monywa's main tourist attraction is the Buddhist temple, Mohnyin Thambuddhei Paya. It boasts a massive stupa (a Buddhist dome-shaped shrine) that resembles Borobudur in Indonesia. The stupa goes right back to the early 1300s and contains an amazing half a million or so Buddha images.
Travel to Monywa - Getting There
You can get to Monywa by bus, train or ferry, with the bus from Mandalay the fastest option - the road is pretty good for Myanmar. The Mandalay to Budalin rail line also serves Monywa, while the Chindwin River is served by long-winded ferries from Mandalay. Mandalay International Airport is 46kms from its city so allow 1 or 2 hours transfer time. Here you will find connections to Yangon.
Monywa Things to Do
Monywa Attractions
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