Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [302]
There is little to do in Tachileik apart from sample Burmese food and shop – the prices are about the same as on the Thai side and everyone accepts baht. There’s an interesting morning market and it can be fun to hang about in the teashops.
If going further afield than Tachileik (you’re limited to Kengtung and Mong La), proceed directly to Myanmar Travel & Tours, next to the immigration booth. You’ll need to pay the same $10/500B fee, and will also need three passport-sized photos and a copy of your passport. You’ll be asked to state how far you wish to travel and will be given a temporary ID card; this card is stamped at every checkpoint along the route. This same office also gives out free rough maps of Kengtung and Mong La.
KENGTUNG
Kengtung (called Chiang Tung by the Thais and usually spelt Kyaingtong by the Burmese), 163km north, is a sleepy but historic capital for the Shan State’s Khün culture. The Khün speak a northern Thai language related to Shan and Thai Lü, and use a writing script similar to the ancient Lanna script. It’s a bit over halfway between the Thai and Chinese borders. Built around a small lake and dotted with ageing Buddhist temples and crumbling British colonial architecture, it’s a much more scenic town than Tachileik and one of the most interesting towns in Myanmar’s entire Shan State.
Harry’s Trekking House (21418; 132 Mai Yang Rd; r US$5-15) is the best choice for budget travellers. The guesthouse is about 1km north of the lake in Kanaburoy village. Guests have a choice of simple wooden rooms at the back or smarter doubles with TV in the annexe. All sorts of treks can be arranged and you can rent motorcycles for US$10 per day. New Sam Yweat Guest House (21643; 21 Airport Rd; s/d from US$8/16) is near the pond on the airport road, and was built to cater to visiting tour groups. Princess Hotel (21319; kengtung@mail4u.com.mm; s US$20-25, d US$28-35; ) has a great location near the market, and the rooms have TV, air-con, fridge and phone.
MONG LA
About 85km north of Kengtung, Mong La (Mengla) straddles the border between Myanmar and China. Until recently, the town was Myanmar’s answer to Las Vegas, with dozens of casinos, luxury hotels and hostess bars catering to a steady stream of ‘vice tourists’ crossing the border from Yunnan. The bubble burst in 2005 when the Chinese government banned its citizens from visiting Mong La to prevent the laundering of millions of yuan by Chinese crime syndicates. The ban also extends to foreigners, and Mong La is no longer a legal border crossing into China.
Since the closure of the big casinos, the main sights in town are the huge and busy central market and the towering Shwedagon Pagoda, which offers great views over the town and Chinese border post. Nearby is a Drug Eradication Museum (free admission; daylight hr).
There are several modern hotels in Mong La, none accustomed to dealing with English-speaking tourists. Try the business-like Haung Faun Hotel (r 60 yuan) beside the market or the flashy-looking Powerlong Hotel (r 150 yuan) by the river.
The best place to eat is the central market – there are dozens of stalls here.
For a complete description of Kengtung and Mong La, see Lonely Planet’s Myanmar (Burma) guidebook.
Getting There & Away
From Tachileik there are two daily air-con bus departures to Kengtung (5000 kyat, four hours, 9am and 1pm). During the day there are also shared taxis (front/back seat 500/700B, three hours) and srng·ta·ou (3000 kyat, four hours). A motorcycle taxi ride to the bus station costs 20B.
From Kengtung there are buses and taxis to Mong La (bus/shared taxi 7000/12,000 kyat, three to four hours), but remember that you’ll need to have arranged permission beforehand in Tachileik.