Monywa

About 136 km to the west of Mandalay is Monywa, the commercial center of the northwest. Monywa is located on the eastern bank of Chindwin river. Bodhi-ta-taung Pagoda (one thousand Bo trees), Thanbokde Pagoda, Po-win taung Hills and Kyaukka village are some of the interesting places to visit.

The town of Monywa, a trade centre for the Chindwinn Valley, is 135km north-west of Mandalay. Starting at 6 am, buses leave for Monywa regularly from the corner of 83rd St and 27th Rd (near the Clock Tower) in Mandalay, cost around K200 and take about three hours. You can also take a Ye U train from Mandalay for only K50, but this trip takes five or six hours.

The rainy season lasts from mid-May until mid-October. For the next few months, the weather is quite reasonable. In fact, it is actually cool in Mandalay at night and near freezing in Kalaw, near Inle Lake. From mid-February, it gets increasingly hot until the rains arrive once more. The Burmese New Year in April, at the peak of the hot season, means much fun and throwing water at all concerned. November to February are the best months to visit.