Kan Thar Yar Lake

Picturesque
Published/Last edited or updated: 25th June, 2016

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Scenic Kan Thar Yar Lake lies just on the south side of Hpa-an and aside from making a convenient waypoint for a stroll around town it’s a worthwhile destination in its own right.

Travelfish says:

The northwestern edge of the lake abuts BEHS (School) Road and affords fine views across the tree-lined eastern section of the lake, beyond which some limestone outcrops create a photogenic backdrop. Also at this end of the lake is a picturesque wooden footbridge with a roofed seating area in the middle. Locals will sell bags of bread at the end of the bridge if you want to feed the already well-fed resident catfish population.

Continuing south around the lakeside takes you to the pedal boats for hire. It’s 500 kyat per person or 1,000 per boat for a 40-minute paddle in a fibreglass duck. The boat hire guys also run a very welcome lakeshore cafe with strategically placed tables and chairs, cold beers and rather good and cheap Thai food dishes. They close up after sunset around 19:00-ish and the boss, having worked for more than a decade on Bangkok’s Khao San Road, speaks fluent Thai and good English.

A pleasant stroll around town could take you from the central market past the clock-tower before winding up on School Road to the lake. Heading west from the lake then takes you down to the riverside, where a right turn leads you back to Shweyinhmyaw Pagoda and the town centre.

Reviewed by
Mark Ord

Based in Chiang Mai, Mark Ord has been travelling Southeast Asia for over two decades and first crossed paths with Travelfish on Ko Lipe in the early 1990s.