Getting away from Katha

Select different types of transport for information and click on maps to expand.

Getting There

Air

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Bus

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There are regular daily buses to Mandalay, Hopin (for Indawgyi Lake), Shwebo and Myitkyina, although vehicles are basic and roads can be rough – taking the train or boat is usually a better option.

To find out more about bus travel, go to getting around Myanmar by bus.

Train

Katha has a railway station, but it is situated on a short and slow branch line – if you are travelling by train, it is simplest to take a tuk-tuk or pick-up from Katha to the main line at Naba. The journey is about 45 minutes and costs K5000 for your own vehicle or K2000 for a shared vehicle.

There are regular daily trains from Naba to Mandalay (12 hours); Shwebo (8 hours); Myitkyina (8 hours); and Hopin (for Indawgyi Lake) (4 hours). Quoted times are for ‘Express’ trains (there are also ‘Slow’ trains, which are best avoided for long journeys).

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To find out more about train travel, go to getting around Myanmar by train.

Boat

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There is a daily fast boat from Katha to Mandalay; the journey takes 12 to 15 hours (depending on the water levels, which changes through the seasons) and costs K25,000 for foreigners. Be prepared for hard seats and a tiring journey!

There are also slow boats to Mandalay, Bhamo and Myitkyina. These sometimes have options with private sleeping berths, which make for a relaxing way to travel – but the journey times are very long, sometimes taking several days. Access to foreigners by boat to Myitkyina may be restricted due to the security situation in parts of Kachin State.

In Katha, the ticket sales booth and jetty from which boats depart can be found opposite the Ayarwady Guest House on the riverfront Strand Road.

To find out more about boat travel, go to getting around Myanmar by boat.

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