25 Thingyan water festival.

Each of these festivals is important in its own way but they all culminate in the biggest annual Taungbyone nat festival. celebration of all: Thingyan Water Festival in April.

26 2008 Festival Dates

February May November

Sticky Rice Cooking Festival Full Moon Day of Hot Air Balloon Festival Dates: Anytime during Dates: May 19 Dates: November 7-12 Location: Throughout Location: Throughout Myanmar Location: Taunggyi () Duration: 1 day Duration: 6 days Shwesettaw Festival Dates: February 11-15 June Tazaungmone Festival of Light Location: Shwesettaw (Magwe Division) Dates: November 11-13 Duration: 5 days (holiday site remains open Location: Throughout Myanmar until April) Wicker Ball Festival Duration: 3 days Dates: June 19-July 19 Kyaik Khauk Location: Mahamuni Pagoda (Mandalay) Robe-weaving contests Dates: February 14-22 Duration: 1 month Dates: November 11-12 Location: ( Division) Location: and other Duration: 9 days July Duration: From dusk until dawn Mahamuni Pagoda Festival

Dates: February 20-21 Full Moon Festival Location: Mandalay (Mandalay Division) December Dates: July 17 Duration: 2 days Location: Throughout Myanmar Duration: 1 day Taungbyone Brothers Spirit March Festival August Dates: December 12 Location: Taungbyone (Mandalay Division) Mawtinsoun Pagoda Festival Duration: 1 day Dates: March 7-15 Location: Ayeyarwady Division Taungbyone Nat Festival Duration: 9 days Dates: August 11-16 Popa Guardian Spirits Festival Location: Taungbyone (Mandalay Division) Dates: December 12-17 Duration: 6 days Location: Mount Popa (Mandalay Division) Ko Gyi Kyaw Spirit Festival Duration: 6 days Dates: March 9-16 Location: Pakhan (Magwe Division) October Duration: 8 days 9999 Lights on Golden Rock Date: December 31 Hpaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival Location: Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda () Kekku Pagoda Festival Duration: One evening Dates: March 15-22 Dates: October 1-18 Location: Kekku (Shan State) Location: Inle Lake (Shan State) Duration: 8 days Duration: 18 days January Pindaya Shwe Oo Min Pagoda Festival of Light Festival Dates: October 12-14 Location: Throughout Myanmar Ananda Pagoda Festival Dates: March 16-21 Dates: Full moon day to 15th waning day of Duration: 3 days Location: Pindaya (Shan State) Duration: 6 days Location: (Mandalay Division) Kyauktawgyi Pagoda Festival Duration: 15 days Dates: October 13-16 April Location: Mandalay (Mandalay Division) Duration: 4 days Naga New Year Festival Dates: Begins 10th waxing day of Pyatho

Water Festival and New Year Location: Lahe or Layshi (Kachin State or Elephant Dance Festival Dates: April 12-16 Sagaing Division) Dates: October 13-14 Location: Throughout Myanmar Duration: 3 days Location: Kyaukse (Mandalay Division) Duration: 5 days Duration: 2 days

Shwemawdaw Pagoda Festival Kahtein Dates: April 13-26 Dates: October 13-November 12 Location: Bago (Bago Division) Location: Throughout Myanmar Duration: 14 days Duration: 31 days

27 HIANG Mai, Thailand’s ‘Rose of the North’, is often described as the nation’s cultural heartland, known for striking temples, friendly locals, Cauthentic handicrafts and a sense of history. This quaint description may play well in certain tourism markets, but the place is far more complex.A vivacious, modern city is developing around Chiang Mai’s historical backdrop. Its charm lies in a healthy mix of ancient scenery and contemporary life. Chiang Mai city of northern delights

by Kerry Howley

ancient temples that comprise Chiang Mai’s most celebrated tourist attraction. The modern city centre lies farther east, between the eastern gate, Tha Phae, and the river Ping. Here, restaurants, bars and markets vie for the attention of locals and visitors. This is also the site of the city’s nightlife. Orienting oneself and getting the most out of the city is far easier with a good map. You can pick one up at the Suriwong Book Centre on Sri Dornchai Road. We recommend ‘Nancy Chadler’s Map of Chiang Mai’ because it’s easy to use, descriptive and comes with heaps of good advice. The city is fairly easy to navigate, so unless you want in-depth The city was once the capital of an descriptions of the city’s temples, a independent Thai kingdom, Lanna, and guidebook is probably unnecessary. its layout radiates power and royalty. For all of its variety, the city is fairly Founded on the west bank of the Ping compact and getting around is not an River, the “old city” was enclosed by issue. You’ll find getting from A to B is walls and a square moat. The moat often as simple as walking, especially remains, and many sections of the wall between November and January, when have been restored. the weather is dry and cool. For longer Chiang Mai has grown well beyond distances, there are three-wheeled tuk- these boundaries, but they will pop up tuks and song thaew pick-up trucks again and again during any exploration (conventional taxis are a rare sight). of the city. Sections of wall lie just Tuk-tuks are the most convenient — beyond modern department stores, they’re omnipresent, inexpensive and and the moat lines some of the city’s direct. Everything is negotiable, but busiest streets. a typical ride should cost about 40 Inside the walls, the city is thick with 36 baht (US$1.30). As any guidebook will

28 emphatically point out, one has to be very firm when dealing with tuk-tuk drivers, who get kickbacks for taking trusting tourists to certain shops and restaurants. Know where you want to go before you get in, make sure the driver knows the place and demand to go there and only there. Where to go? The surrounding areas are famous for outdoorsy offerings, from spelunking to trekking to rafting. The city itself offers three main attractions during the day — temples, restaurants and shops. Food is generally inexpensive and very good. Chiang Mai is the ideal place to sample Northern Thai food, and the traditional meal — called a Khan Toke dinner - must be sampled. The meal consists of sticky rice and several Chiang Mai small dishes, such as chicken curry, beef curry, chili sauces and fried pork skin. The meal is traditionally served on a small round table - a romantic and authentic way to experience Chiang Mai’s cuisine. There are plenty of small outdoor restaurants and stands that make for a quick, convenient stop during a busy day of temple touring. For more leisurely dining, romantic riverside restaurants abound. We recommend the River Ping Palace, a Thai restaurant operating in a teak house on Charoen Prathet Road. The restaurant’s colourful proprietor offers a menu both creative and traditional and goes well beyond the call of duty – she even offered to drive us back to our hotel after our meal. Antique House, also on Charoen Prathet, is another safe bet for Lanna Thai food and Thai atmosphere. Shopping in Chiang Mai revolves around two words: night market. The Anusarn Night Bazaar on Chiang Khan Road comes alive at 6 o’clock every evening and stays busy

Tha Phae Gate Tuk-tuks are a convenient way to get around town.

29 until midnight. The buzzing, animated market is a must-see even for those who haven’t come to Chiang Mai to shop. The stalls offer an eclectic mix of silver jewelry, textiles, wood carvings, artwork, hanging lamps, dolls and lacquerware among other things. The wares are aimed at tourists and the offerings are souvenir-quality – this is not the place to find priceless, authentic handicrafts. But prices are cheap, haggling is good-natured and, outside of Thailand, the goods – from silk pillowcases to paper-mache lamps – tend to be striking and tasteful. This is a city that has learned to market to foreign tastes, and the result is cheap, appealing goods. More traditional handicrafts can be Narrow roads wind through found along the eight-mile road from the old city. Chiang Mai to Bor Sang, a village locals” described in guidebooks famous for its paper umbrellas. This pale in comparison to the reality of stretch offers factories for high-quality curmudgeonly tuk-tuk drivers, sly silk-weaving, celadon pottery and street sellers, comic restauranteurs silverware. and gregarious hoteliers. In the end, Chiang Mai is more

fun than the static, museum-like city it is often described as. The “friendly

30 31