One thing that is welcome in this record-breaking heat is ice—cue Yangon’s latest entertainment centre, which has brought us hundreds of metres of icy cold comfort.
Singers, skaters, the mayor and, uh, an army commander opened Myanmar’s first ice-skating rink at the Royal Sportainment Complex in Mayangone township yesterday.
The complex also houses an 11-lane bowling alley alongside a stand for up to 400 people. Based close to an indoor skydiving centre at Nine Miles, Taw Win street, the area offers a memorable day out.
Some frozen water facts: the ice is nearly 3.5 inches thick and covers 675 square metres—enough to produce Myanmar’s first professional skaters (watch out Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics).
Yangon already has a small, synthetic rink in shopping mall Myanmar Plaza, but the new indoor rink means it joins the ranks of its tropical neighbours Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia, all of who have been ice-skating for some time.
Taking three years to build, the complex describes itself on Facebook as offering “exciting aerobic and fun sports” and charges 15,000 kyats for 90 minutes of ice skating. Bowling cost 6,000 kyats per person for one game, or renting a lane for one hour (up to four people) cost 45,000 kyats It opens to the public on May 1 and will stay open daily from 10am-10pm.
