Lei Thar Gone Guest House

It’s a little away from the main road, though the road there is well paved. The rooms are wonderfully big, with colonial-style decor, and the welcome is warm. I loved the glass bottles for refilling and the reusable baskets. There’s also a lovely view over the Ayeyarwaddy river bank and the small, steep hills typical of middle Myanmar.

There’s plenty to discover around here, even without famous attractions nearby. We had a wonderful time relaxing, eating great food, and getting to know the super friendly staff. The owner Eric also runs a school close to the guest house, and part of your stay supports it. We visited and spent a little time playing with the students, which was great.

The setting is beautiful, and the hospitality is so warm. I liked that they provide glass bottles instead of mineral bottles, and that staying here supports the school. You can visit the school next door and spend time with the kids, or take a cottage tour that’s about a two-hour walk. It is quite out of the way, though. WiFi is only available at reception, not in the rooms, and the hot bath water supply can be erratic.

There isn’t much to do nearby beyond experiencing the country’s culture. There’s a village and a small town close by, but they don’t offer much else. If you’ve already visited other parts of Myanmar, you may feel you’ve seen what this area has to offer, and might be bored or disappointed if you expect activities like in yangon, mandalay, or bagan. As a place to begin a vacation and get acquainted with the culture, it’s lovely, though. The guest house itself has nice rooms, a pool, an amazing view, tasty dinner and breakfast, and a friendly pet dog named abbo.