Monywa lies on the eastern banks of the Chindwin River, 140-km northwest of Mandalay. It is the gateway for excursions to the natural cave temples of Phowin Taung and Shwe Ba Taung , situated across the river and reached by ferry. The caves are famous for their Buddha statues, mural paintings and wood carvings. There are quite a few legends about the caves, related mostly to nats (the Myanmar spirits). There are supposed to have been over 400,000 Buddha image carved out in the caves. Another highly important attraction is Thambuddhe (or Sambuddha Kat Kyaw) Pagoda, completed in 1951 after 12 years of construction with over 800 small stupas on and around the pagoda. There are also reportedly 582,357 Buddha statues on the ceiling, walls, and archways and in niches in and on the temple compound.

Entrance fees:

US $ 3 (Thanboday)
US $ 2 (Phoewin Taung, Shweba Taung)


Bawdhitataung (Thousand of Pagodas)

Bodhi-ta-taung (one thousand Bo trees): Ledi Kyaungtaik, a teaching monastery where Buddhist scriptures are inscribed on 806 stone slabs.

Kyaukka

Kyaukka is far about ten miles to the east, second only to Bagan as a center for the Myanmar lacquer-ware cottage industry. A few hours drive will also bring you to Twintaung hill, an extinct volcano whose crater now forms a beautiful lake. The surrounding area has lush vegetation, and views of the area from the rim of this Crater Lake are breathtaking.