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Western

Includes  Why Go? Ngapali Beach. . . . 309 Remote, rugged and rewarding, Myanmar’s westernmost (Aykab) . . . .314 states – Rakhine (also known as Arakan) and Chin – remain ...... 318 staunchly untouristed. Mt Victoria Those travellers who make it to tend to (Nat Ma Taung). . . 326 confine themselves to the pristine sand and turquoise wa- ters of Ngapali Beach on the Bay of Bengal: Myanmar’s pre- Mindat...... 327 mier beach destination. Far fewer venture further north to Kalaymyo (). . 329 the old Rakhine capital of Mrauk U, an amazing archaeolog- Tiddim...... 330 ical site studded with hundreds of temples, and the current Rihkhawdar. . . . . 331 capital, scrappy Sittwe. Falam...... 332 But if you really want to get off the grid, then head to largely unknown and undeveloped Chin State, where breath- Hakha...... 333 taking mountains, forests and traditional villages await. The south of Chin is already seeing a tentative increase in visitors, drawn by treks to and around Mt Victoria. But Best Places to Eat the perhaps more stunning hills in the north of the state – close to Myanmar’s border with India – still see only a hand- ¨¨Aung (p317) ful of foreigners a year. ¨¨Htay Htay’s Kitchen (p313) ¨¨Pleasant View Islet When to Go Restaurant (p312) Western Myanmar ¨¨Green Umbrella (p312) °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm 12/300 ¨¨Moe Cherry (p324) 30/86

20/68 8/200

Best Places to 4/100 Sleep 10/50 ¨ ¨Ngapali Bay Villas & Spa 0/32 0 (p311) J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨¨Yoma Cherry Lodge (p310) Nov–Mar Many of Mid-May–mid- Mid-Dec Rakhine ¨¨Bayview Beach Resort Ngapali Beach’s Oct Monsoon State Day, in Sittwe (p311) hotels are only season in both and Mrauk U, is one open during the Rakhine and Chin of the region’s big- ¨¨Nawarat Hotel (p324) high season. states. gest celebrations. ¨¨Hotel Memory (p317) 1 Meiktila Sitkwin BAGO Gyobingauk Tagaung Paukkaung DIVISION DIVISION Nattalin Taungdwingyi etting ) Getting Ayadaw Hinthada MANDALAY Myingyan Minhla 2 2 Ta Ze Mt Popa Letpandon Pyay (Prome) Myayde Shwedaung

Yesagyo River Kyaukpadaung ady Magwe DIVISION er Nyaung U Yenangyaung Riv 2 Ayeyarw e AYEYARWADY Sinte in Chaung U Thayet w k ) ) Taking (p325) Taking Wethali d (p331 Rih Lake Chauk o p g u Padaung Myan-aung Chin Pakokku Padan g Thandw Minbu River Thet Ke Gyio Thet Ke ng n r way off the map at this heart- off way on the Myanmar– shaped lake India border. 6 5 u u e the emerald-green in both and countryside Rakhine ancient history the state’s from trip here on a half-day U. Mrauk MAGWE Mindon Myaing Pyingaing DIVISION Ngape a

Pauk T KyeintaliRiver

Old Bagan Riv

(Ta Myabyin Salin

Thandwe er

Riv Gwa

i Kyaukkyi

Gangaw -e

iver a nn River

SAGAING M DIVISION Lamu

Tilin

R A Sidoktaya Isarbyin Kalaymyo ) Ann Kyeinthali

alet Sakhanmaw

iver Lontha Kandauntgyi Kan Thar Ya Kanpetlet

D

R Sane Taunggok Thaing–ngin ) Striking Lotaw Falam

Mindat

Andwe Kywe (Andrew Bay) River STATE

Channel Thabyugyaing

Tiddim RAKHINE Lemro Dalet Thobagwin Yebok Mt Victoria Ngapali Beach Rih Lake (Nat Ma Taung) Hakha Wethali Matupi Manaung Nang Gyar Myaungbwe

Kyun Kyun Manaung Bay Hanka Yinnbye Manaung Mindat (p327 (p326 Mt Victoria Mahamuni Paya CHIN STATE Sami Pindawa Kyaukpyu Island out for treks through timeless timeless through treks out for this hilltop from villages Chin town. Climbing Myanmar’s third- Climbing Myanmar’s in southern mountain highest Chin State. 4 3

Baronga INDIA Paletwa Taung Pro Aung Mrauk U

Mayu Wabo River Sittwe Bay of Bengal Kyun Boister

Donpauk Kaladan 50 km 30 miles Kodangauk Teknaf

Maungdaw Taungbyo Aungthabye

I N D I A N O C E A N

BANGLADESH ) Drifting U (p318) Drifting Mrauk (p309) Beach Ngapali

0 0 Western MyanmarWestern Highlights Savouring the seafood, sand sand the seafood, Savouring at Myanmar’s and sunsets beach sophisticated most destination. 2

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around the hundreds of ruined of the hundreds around in and fortifications temples of capital grand the former State. Rakhine

ar RWestern Myanmar Highlights

Western Myanm 308