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Monywa & Pho Win Daung: About 136 km to the west of Mandalay lies Monywa, the commercial center of the Chindwin Valley or northwestern Myanmar. Places of interest include Thanbokde Pagoda, with over 500,000 Buddha images; Bodhi-ta-taung (one thousand Bo trees): Ledi Kyaungtaik, a teaching monastery where Buddhist scriptures are inscribed on 806 stone slabs: and Kyaukka Village, known for its own distinctive style of lacquerware. Just on the other side of the Chindwin River and a 30
minutes drive by pick-up is the seldom visited 15th
Phowin Taung temple complex where more than 450,000
sandstone Buddha’s were carved in the hillsides in
caves, alcoves, or tiny niches. The cave murals are
still intact with indigo blues and soft pastels. Many of
the Buddha’s can be seen without entering the caves or
niches and footwear is permitted as long as one is not
entering the sanctuaries. A stunning Buddha not to be
missed is the reclining Buddha resting on a rectangular
stone mosaic which shimmers with cut glass." |
 Pho Win Daung |
Is the main port on the Chindwin River for trading with India just 40 miles (60km) away; here you can visit the lively market or nearby Kalayemo, an interesting town near the Chin State border where there are two good markets.
Kalay:
One of the famous towns in Sagaing Division, named
Kalay can be reached by boat from Monywa. Kalay touches
Chin State and is one of the gateways to enter the
Northern Chin State by road. Kalay (situated 35 km from
the Indian Border) was the administrative capital of
this area rich of Teak forests. It is a pleasant
colonial town with its golf course surrounded by
splendid colonial houses built by the Bombay Burma
Trading Corporation in the 1920’s and 1930’s (there is
still a small community of Indians that used to work for
the Scottish company and their descendents). The
governor’s house, the administrative building, the
school, the hospital, the “Dak Bungalows”, the
headquarter of the company are well preserved, still in
use nowadays and nicely maintained.
Htamanthi:
Was once notorious or famous, depending on your
perspective, as the place of were-tigers. There are
about 200 houses in Htamanthi. You can see some women
weaving the traditional blankets.
Layshi:
Is around 1000ft to 12553ft above sea level. It rises
higher to the south and is a bit flattened to the east
and the south. To the west and the north, the place is
filled with hillocks, mountain ranges and valleys. The
area encompasses approximately 1057 square miles. The
temperature is around 15 degree Celsius in summer (March
to May) and 5 degree Celsius in winter (November to
February). The estimated rainfall is between 60 to 120
inches per annum and the rainy season is from June to
October. The road to Layshi is slippery nearly the whole
year because of the mud and rain. There is even a road
called Myauk Chaw Le Taung (Mountain where even a monkey
slips). It is approximately 56 miles and almost vertical
cliffs on one side with deep gorges on the other. There
are some orange gardens near Layshi. You can also view
the traditional weaving there. The Nagas normally build
their villages on high ground to make it inaccessible
and to protect themselves from marauding enemies.
Mt. Saramati:
Mt. Saramati (3841 meter) is the highest in Nagaland and
it remains snow covered during winter. The mountain
range is covered with rich, natural and diverse forests,
visible at various altitudes, ranging from sub-tropical
ever green and semi ever green to temperate broad leaved
and Alpine vegetation. It also has good bio-diversity
with natural flora and fauna and various kinds of
orchids.
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The Naga Hills: The Naga belong to the Tibeto-Myanmar group that diverted to the west. There are 49 sub-groups differentiated by their spoken language. The southernmost point of the Naga Hill Tracts is the sources of the Chindwin River and the northernmost point is India-Myanmar border. The Naga can be found on both sides of the India-Myanmar border. They live mostly around the Patkoi Ranges and on the western hills of the Chindwin River's sources. The Naga costumes must be among the most colorful in the country. Feathers, fangs, teeth, brass, beads, intricate weaving; they wear everything in every colour. The females tattoo their foreheads and chins. Naga's biggest festival is New Year festival of January 15th, called Kaing Bi and organized by Naga festival committee who choose each year's festival location and details under the control of central government. All Naga tribes send a few delegations to this occasion, thus it is the perfect opportunity to see variety of different Naga people at once. |
 Naga |
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