Maymyo Travel Guide

Maymyo (Pyin Oo Lwin) is Burma's best-known colonial hill station and a worthwhile 2-hours-trip from Mandalay. You can enjoy beautiful scenery, a cool climate and nostalgic atmosphere of former days with its old buildings and botanical gardens. The British called it Maytown, after Colonel May. It stands on a plateau, 1,000m up in the Shan Hills. The town, with its brick and timber houses-complete with English-style gables, turrets and chimneys-remains as a ghost like memento of empire. Botanical Gardens were laid out by Sir Harcourt Butler, former Governor of Burma. The plants and trees are labelled in Latin and Burmese. A wide range of fruits (including strawberries), vegetables and coffee can be grown in Pyin U Lwin. There are few interesting sights to check out: the Pwe Kauk and Anisakan Falls and to go to the Shibaa Village.