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Hill town in Mandalay Region, Myanmar
Photo: Jialiang Gao www.peace-on-earth.org, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Pyin U Lwin (formerly Maymyo) is a hill station in the Mandalay Division of Central Myanmar.
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Now the Thiri Myaing Hotel
Colonial mansion built as a guest house of The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation in 1904. Made famous by Paul Theroux in The Great Railway Bazaar, it is a good place to stop and see how the colonials lived. But, be aware that the house and hotel are now owned by the government. Other colonial houses remade into government run hotels include The Croxton and Craddock Court.
A large and colourful Chinese temple built by the many Yunanese immigrants to the town.
Maymyo Christian Cemetery
The cemetery is in very poor condition having been "nationalized" by the junta and most of the headstones are in disrepair with unreadable inscriptions. Still, a few survive and will be worth the time spent if you are a history buff. St James Church, once Anglican but now Catholic, lies across the road. Drop in and see the plaques to the various British lives lost in various wars. The friendly chaplain will show you around. Take a bike or a horse carriage since the cemetery is quite far.
Established in 1915 by Alex Rodger as the Maymyo Botanical Gardens, the garden has a rich and diverse collection of flora, including many English plant varieties, and is without a doubt among the most beautiful botanical gardens in the world. A rose garden, a stupa in the middle of a pond and an orchid garden are among the highlights. Seeds are available for sale. A popular spot for locals. Open from 08:00 to 18:00.
The clock in this tower is reputed to mime the chimes of Big Ben (or so says Lonely Planet).
Hindu temple to the god Shiva.
A grandiose collection of large models of Burma's landmarks. Generally pretty boring but has interesting touches like proudly displaying oil wells in the middle of a line of stupa. Entrance fee for foreigners is US$4 (or the kyat equivalent).
In a rugged gorge and framed at the base by a Buddhist temple, Anisaken Falls makes a good half day hike from Pyin U Lwin. Mandalay-bound pick-ups (300 kyat) drop you at the village of Anisakan (tell the driver you're going to the falls and he'll drop you at the road to the falls rather than in the village itself). From there, follow a long road (about 2 km) through the village, across a railway line, by a monastery, and through fields to the start of the trail. Alternatively, take a taxi from Pyin U Lwin to the trailhead and back (about US$15). It's also possible to get there by bicycle, since it's only 12 km from town centre, but it's not a very nice ride as the road is steep, with a lot of traffic. Stalls at the trail head sell water, soft drinks, and snacks. The path is very steep but short, 35-45 minutes from the trail head to the bottom of the falls. You can then return the way you came or hike up to the top of the falls on a steep trail that runs along the falls itself. If you hike up the falls, you'll notice (with heart pounding from the steep climb) that the falls are actually three falls and the view of the lowest level becomes increasingly delightful as you head up. Once on the top, it is a short walk back to the trail head. If you came by pickup, walk back to the main road and flag a Pyin U Lwin-bound pickup, there are plenty.
Known as Hampshire Falls in British times. Not much to look at by the standards of falls elsewhere, but they are a popular picnic spot and seeing Burmese families picnicking and enjoying themselves is the main reason to go. A precarious bridge crosses the stream and disappears into a fig tree. The falls are on the way to Lashio so you'll need to hire a taxi but, if you want to save money, hang around long enough at the Lashio taxi stand and you'll find a share taxi (share taxis to the falls wait for you and bring you back). A one hour hike from the falls (take a guide, it is easy to get lost) gets you to the natural caves of U Naung Gu where you'll find several Buddhas.
Further along the road to Lashio are these deep caves full of Buddhas. A large pool a little way down is a popular swimming hole. Share taxis to Pwe Kauk Falls often make the trip.
You can cross the viaduct and come back the same day. Take the Lashio bound train at 08:22to Naung Paing (700/1,600 kyat ordinary/upper class), the first stop after the viaduct. You will arrive there around 11:50. Get out and take the Mandalay-bound train at 12:30. At around 10:30 the train will stop in Naung Che (Naung Hkio) for about 10 min. This is the stop just before Gokteik and your chance to buy lunch: Rice and chicken in banana leaf is sold on the platform by a couple of ladies. Make sure to tell the conductor that you want to cross the viaduct and take the train back to Pyin U Lwin. Sometimes the train delays and has to wait at Gokteik station (before crossing the viaduct) for the train from Lashio. This means you can't cross the bridge without missing your return train. They will then tell you to change the train there at Gokteik station. Although you are not able to cross the viaduct by train, you can still watch the other train doing so and best of all: you can walk on the viaduct and photograph the spectacular scenery. The local officers will guide your way and take care of your safety.
This is possibly the best Indian restaurant in all of Myanmar.
An unmarked Indian restaurant serving Indian curries with lentils, chapatis and rice. Well-priced, good home cooked food.
A depressing looking family establishment that nevertheless does amazing thali-style curry meals at low prices. There are numerous small, cheap Indian restaurants around town that also do similar meals.
This restaurant has no English sign or transcripted Burmese name. But it does have an English menu! Go for a traditional set Burmese menu and choose any of their delicious curries. The curry is accompanied by 8 side dishes, 1 massive veggy plate with dressing, a soup, rice and a bowl of more rice to go for seconds or thirds. Plates are refilled by the attentive staff for no extra charge when empty.
Fans, shared/private bath. A very nice up-scale place to stay with budget prices and a rooftop deck. The room was very clean and modern with a nice bathroom and TV.
Fans, shared/private bath. Dirty, dark and does not provide sheets (along with Grace Hotel I) one of the oldest hotels licensed for foreigners in Pyin U Lwin. Buckets of hot water available on request. It can be noisy.
Fans, hot water, private bath. Grace Hotel I is threadbare but clean, and is a good place to relax in when in Pyin U Lwin on a budget. It has a nice garden, ideally suited for breakfast provided. A nice, though nameless, Nepali stall nearby provides quick and tasty daal bhaat, and there are several restaurants a little further away including an interesting Chinese one with private booths in the garden.
Fans, shared/private bath, no hot water. Better kept than its sister hotel but it comes with all the noise associated with being on the old Burma road. The noise starts early, so beware.
Fans, shared/private bath. This hotel had cleaner sheets then many of those charging US$10. There is no breakfast, but it's clean and they charge in kyat.
Family-run guesthouse. Rooms are clean, relatively large, comfortable and bright, with en suite bath (with hot water). Very friendly and helpful staff, generous breakfast, on a quiet street. Very good value/price ratio.
Social hostel with very and helpful staff and a very cute puppy. Dorms and private rooms available. The owners can explain all the nearby sites or organise tours. Bicycle and scooter rental available.
Privately run (to the extent that anything in Burma is privately run), but partly lodged in a colonial bungalow. This is the upscale choice in Maymyo.
A well-equipped hotel consisting of 16 rooms with satellite TV. Popular with middle class citizens of Myanmar.
Bungalows situated in a quiet area have spacy, clean, bright rooms with private bathroom attached. Spring mattress, wifi, TV and hot water (from a solar heater at the roof). The compound is super green and gives you some kind of jungle feeling. Everywhere flowers and trees. The gardeners really do a great job there. And you will have you own veranda to relax and enjoy the greenery. Breakfast is included and taken outside under a grass-thatched roof and you can choose between traditional or western breakfast. And of course, a cup of local coffee. The staff is very attentive, provides a map and helps to organize trips.
By bus
There are no scheduled bus services to/from Pyin U Lwin. Buses to and from Hsipaw will drop you off but you have to pay the fare for the entire trip.
By pick-up
There are two pick-up stations in Pyin U Lwin.
By taxi
Shared taxis to/from Mandalay (8,000 kyat) and to/from Hsipaw (10,000 kyat) will drop or collect you at your hotel.
By plane
An airstrip is under construction nearby.
It is easy to get around on foot or on bicycles (1,200-2,000 kyat per day from your hotel) or even on foot in the city centre.
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