Published on : Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Starting this month, the tourists will now be allowed to visit Kyauk Pya That, Pan-lin and Bernard villages along the old Mandalay-Matta-Singu and Mogok road, which has been repaired, said U San Yu, regional assistant director of the ministry.
U San Yu said that they have to consider tourists’ convenience and safety. After reviewing all the factors, they decided to expand tourism in Mogok. Since 1996, tourist travel to Mogok, famous for its rubies and other gems, has been suspended off and on for security reasons. Travel to the area was opened again at the end of last year, though permission from the ministry is required. Some 40 tourists used to visit Mogok every month on average, but now the number has ballooned to around 700 a month, including tourists from western countries.
One of the new areas open to tourism, Bernard village, has a British cemetery and old munitions storage facility from World War II. The villages in the area are expected to attract foreign visitors with their diverse ethnic people and traditions and mountainous landscape. The hotels for foreign visitors will be developed with the cooperation of business. According to the regional government, the area has three privately owned hotels and one motel, with 100 rooms.
Tags: Mogok, World War II