On the Pathein waterfront

Pathein’s waterfront as seen from out on the Pathein River, with Shwemokhtaw Pagoda in the background.

Pathein – the fourth biggest city in Myanmar and the capital of Ayeyarwady Region – is not considered a huge draw for tourists. On the contrary, it’s mostly known as a place travelers pass through on the way to the beaches at Chaungtha or Ngwe Saung, with perhaps a brief stop to see the workshops where the famous Pathein parasols are made by hand.

This week three Burmese friends and I decided to spend a couple of days exploring the city and the surrounding area. Monsoon was still in full swing, but we didn’t let the frequent rainfall dampen (nyuk nyuk) our efforts to take photographs.

The most interesting way to reach Pathein is by boat from Yangon, but the overnight journey takes about 20 hours and we didn’t have that much time to spare. Instead, we drove a hired car, which took about 3.5 hours each way. The frequent buses from Yangon make the trip in about four hours.

More views of the waterfront: