This stop on the Irrawaddy River is a quintessential Myanmar village, populated by peanut farmers, palm climbers, and candy makers. An excursion into Shwe Pyi Thar reveals a long-established way of life, where chickens roam freely, oxen pull carts of hay, and cooking is done on open fires.
Life at Port
See It for Yourself
What We Love
Frozen-in-Time Feel: Oxen drinking from troughs, farmers scaling palm trees with earthenware pots, stacks of peanut plants and hay — there are no signs of a fast urban pace here (nor are there any on the horizon).
Best Known For
Sugar Palm Candy: The chalky, smoky confections made from the sap of toddy palms are sold all over Myanmar, but here you can taste the hand-shaped treats straight from the source. Find a spot in the shade and watch villagers thicken the sugary mixture in iron pots and mold the sweets piece by piece.
Who It's Good For
Fans of Artisanal Products: This village is a paradise for those nostalgic for the ways things were in a more innocent era. The residents carry out a day-to-day life of simplicity, practicing the same trades and traditions as their ancestors did generations ago.
Don't Say We Didn't Warn You
Watch Your Step: Where there’s livestock, there’s bound to be some evidence (more precisely, mounds of it). It’s a good idea to scan the ground as you walk.