Monywa Travel Essentials
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Ideal duration: 1-2 Days
Best Time: October to January Read More
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"The City of Neem & Poetic Centre of Myanmar"
Monywa Tourism
Monywa is a city located close to Mandalay on the eastern banks of the River Chindwin in Myanmar. It is the largest city in the Sagaing region. Monywa is known as a centre for poets, often described as the poetic centre of the north of Myanmar.
Because of the plenty of neem trees found in the town, Monywa is called Neem City. The name translates to Miss Pancake town, the legend being that the prince met a woman here who fried pancakes. Here married her, and the city got its name Monywa.
Monywa is a prominent industrial town due to the presence of many small and large scale industries surrounding the outskirts. The city is also an important port for sea trade and famous fishing centre. Monywa is worth visiting attraction for tourists for the ancient Buddhist pagodas, two Buddhist monasteries located near each other SouthEast of town, caves and the boat trips in the Chindwin River.
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Things to do in Monywa
1. Pleasant Island
Pleasant Island is located in the city of Monywa in Myanmar at the centre of a lake. It is one of the most popular places to hang out for locals who come in the evening for a quiet boat trip around. A (Read More) narrow wooden bridge leads to the island by foot. There is nothing much to do on the island itself, which has a few restaurants offering essential cuisines.
2. Shwe Ba Taung
Shwe Ba Taung is a cave home to a Buddhist shrine located in the village of Hpo Win close to Monywa in Myanmar. It consists of a group of 46 caves, situated at the edge of a hill, which can be accesse (Read More)d by hiking to the top. These ancient caves contain hundreds of images of Buddha and remains of paintings on the wall, which are from the 13th century.
3. Shwezigon Paya
Shwezigon Paya is a Buddhist temple located close to the clock tower in the city centre of Monywa in Myanmar. It is a small ancient temple known for impressive gilded work on the exteriors. The pagoda (Read More) consists of an image of a seated Buddha and also many murals depicting Jataka tales. Shwezigon is worth visiting for tourists exploring Monywa.
4. Thanboddhay Paya
Thanboddhay Paya is a Buddhist pagoda located in the city of Monywa in Myanmar. It is one of the worth visiting attractions for tourists visiting Monywa, which houses hundreds of images of seated Budd (Read More)ha enshrined, surrounded by mirrors.
It is a large temple known for its stylish architecture consisting of tiered roofs including gilded stupas which are adorned with golden and red tiles.
5. Pho Win Hill
Pho Win Hill is located on the banks of Chindwin river in the city of Monywa in Myanmar and is known for the beautiful limestone caves from the 14th and 18th centuries. It is one of the recommended at (Read More)tractions for tourists visiting Monywa, to explore more than 900 caves.
These caves consist of intricately carved sculptures, hundreds of images of Buddha and extensively detailed paintings depicting Jataka tales.
6. Htan Ta Loke Stream
Htan Ta Loke Stream is a natural cold water spring located in Kyaukka village close to the city of Monywa in Myanmar. It is the most visited picnic place for the locals and recently has become popular (Read More) among the tourists. There is a waterfall as well as a pagoda, and its beautiful location surrounded by forests make it an excellent place for hiking.
7. Laykyun Sekkya Standing Buddha
Laykyun Sekkya is located in the city of Monywa in Myanmar. At over 110 meters in height, it is the second-largest statue of standing Buddha in the world. Laykyun Sekkya is situated on top of a hill w (Read More)hich can be accessed by stairs. The pagoda is one of the attractions worth checking out for tourists as well as locals. The best time to visit is in the late afternoon to enjoy some lovely views of the sunset over Monywa city.
8. Kyaukka Village
Kyaukka is a small village located in Kale Township close to Monywa city in Myanmar. It is known for the production of lacquerware accessories manufactured by the locals, which is popularly known in t (Read More)he country as black Kyaukka lacquerware.
Tourists can take a tour of the village to visit the lacquer workshops which give an insight into the process. There are also shops selling souvenirs.
9. Twin Taung
Twin Taung or Twin hill is located in Budalin Township close to the town of Monywa in Myanmar. It is known for the natural lake, which is a popular hangout place for tourists as well as locals. It is (Read More)worth visiting to take a walk in the evenings.
10. A Myint Village
A Myint is an old city village in Chaung-U township, located in Monywa in Myanmar. It was the central city during the Inwa dynasty and consisted of a few sites belonging to the time of this kingdom du (Read More)ring the 11th century.
A Myint also functioned as an important administrative city during Bagan, Pin Ya, Nyaung Yan kingdoms later on as well, and thus, it is a recommended attraction for tourists interested in the history of the Burmese dynasties.
11. Shwe Gu Ni Pagoda
Shwe Gu Ni Pagoda is a Buddhist temple located close to the city of Monywa in Myanmar. It houses the large image of seated Buddha in gold and is one of the famous landmarks for tourists and a place of (Read More) pilgrims for the locals.
The 14th-century temple is the venue for Shwe Gu Ni festival, which happens in May every year when thousands of locals offer gold leaf to the Buddha.
12. Yadanar Zedi Sin Myar Shin Pagoda
Yadanar Zedi Sin Myar Shin Pagoda is an ancient Buddhist Pagoda located in Sagaing hill in Myanmar. It was built in 1403 by King Mohnyin of Innwa, and houses the tooth relic of the Buddha. One of the (Read More)five relics is enshrined in this pagoda out of the five that were brought by Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka.
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Boat Trips & Ancient Buddhist Pagodas
Monywa is home to rich Buddhist temples, the most popular of them being Thanboddhay Pagoda. This mammoth complex consisting of over 500,000 Buddhist images, is like a small town in itself. The golden gilded stupas surrounded by these images will take you through some of the best works of Buddhism found in Myanmar. Some of the vibrant murals adorning the walls of the central temple are from the 10th to 15th centuries, which have been surprisingly well-preserved. Pho Win Hill is another famous attraction, home to more than 900 caves comprising of ancient images of Buddha.
The Chindwin River is the heart of Monywa, along which kingdoms have flourished. Today, the banks of the river are home to villages thriving on fishing. The sunsets and sunrises are magical. The best way to witness all these is through boat trips that take you through the little-explored countryside of Myanmar. Whether you have an hour or days, you can easily fit in a boat tour on the Chindwin. You can directly book these tours at the pier with the tour operators. The price starts from MMK 100000 per person.
The Chindwin River is the heart of Monywa, along which kingdoms have flourished. Today, the banks of the river are home to villages thriving on fishing. The sunsets and sunrises are magical. The best way to witness all these is through boat trips that take you through the little-explored countryside of Myanmar. Whether you have an hour or days, you can easily fit in a boat tour on the Chindwin. You can directly book these tours at the pier with the tour operators. The price starts from MMK 100000 per person.
History of Monywa
Monywa was founded during the 14th century and was a centre for trade, cultivation and industries because of its location. Farming of paddy, rice, jute and cotton has been in practice for centuries. After the British conquered Burma, they developed Monywa into an industrial centre as well. During WWII, the town suffered massive destruction bringing down many industries including textiles and lacquerware.
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FAQs on Monywa
What is famous about Monywa?
Monywa is a stopping point when looping north between Bagan and Mandalay. This small town offers the best of typical experiences of Myanmar - temples, caves and monasteries, along with the riverviews and boat trips.
What is not so good about Monywa?
If you are looking for something unique or different than the other cities like Mandalay, you would be disappointed. Also, it’s not worth a visit if you are short on time.
What is the best time to visit Monywa?
The best time to visit Monywa is between October and January. The weather is not very hot, and the humidity is manageable during these months. It is the best time to be outdoors as well as for boat cruises in the Chindwin river. The hottest months are from late February to May, while Monsoon begins in late July and lasts until September. The monsoon is not a good time because of heavy downpours and floods.
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What are the things to do in Monywa?
The top things to do in Monywa are Pleasant Island, Shwe Ba Taung, Shwezigon Paya, Thanboddhay Paya, Pho Win Hill, Htan Ta Loke Stream. You can see all the places to visit in Monywa here
What are the places near Monywa?
The top places near to Monywa are Mandalay which is 98 km from Monywa, Sagaing which is located 86 km from Monywa, Inwa which is located 90 km from Monywa, Bagan which is located 109 km from Monywa, Mrauk u which is located 264 km from Monywa
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