Pyin Oo Lwin
Founded in 1915 and carved out by Turkish prisoners captured by the British during WWI, this lovingly maintained 435-acre botanical garden features more…
Must-see attractions in Northern Shan State
Northern Shan State
A highlight of the long, slow Mandalay–Lashio train ride is the mighty Gokteik Viaduct. It spans the Gokteik Gorge, a densely forested ravine that cuts an…
Northern Shan State
As the epicentre of the gem trade in Myanmar, Mogok has many marketplaces for gems. The early-morning market is known as the Cinema Hall Market, as it is…
Hsipaw
At the northern edge of town, Hsipaw’s oldest neighbourhood has a village-like atmosphere, two delightful old teak monasteries and a collection of ancient…
Pyin Oo Lwin
Finished in March 2000, this dazzling pagoda is by far the region's most impressive religious building. It enshrines an enormous 17-ton white-marble…
Pyin Oo Lwin
Just north of Anisakan village the plateau disappears into an impressive, deeply wooded amphitheatre, its sides ribboned with several waterfalls. The most…
Pyin Oo Lwin
Dating from 1904 and formerly the British Club, this colonial pile comes complete with side turrets and is set in attractively manicured gardens…
Hsipaw
Five miles west of Hsipaw, beside the Hsipaw–Kyaukme road, this pagoda is of great significance to Shan people and gets overloaded with pilgrims who…
Hsipaw
Built in 1924, the fading Hsipaw Palace is an English-style mansion set in run-down grounds. But if the building is infused with a melancholic air, the…
Pyin Oo Lwin
Many Buddhist caves are little more than rocky niches or overhangs, but Peik Chin is much more extensive. It takes around 15 minutes to walk to the cave’s…
Hsipaw
For sweeping views across the river and Hsipaw, climb to Thein Daung Pagoda, also known as Nine Buddha Hill or, most often, Sunset Hill. It’s part of a…
Pyin Oo Lwin
This extensive hilly park is dotted with representations of famous landmarks from around Myanmar. It's pretty tacky, but if you haven't got time to tour…
Pyin Oo Lwin
After descending a loop of hairpins from Pyin Oo Lwin, the Hsipaw road reaches attractive Myaing Gyi, where a rickety monastery climbs a wooded hillside…
Northern Shan State
The British War Cemetery at Ywar Thar Yar, about 12 miles from Mogok, is a stark reminder of the remote battle sites that once dotted the world during the…
Northern Shan State
The holiest of the many temples dotting the Mogok skyline, Phaung Daw U Paya has a dais that conceals some ornate pedestals encrusted with priceless gems,…
Hsipaw
South of the central area, Mahamyatmuni Paya is the biggest and grandest pagoda in the main town. The large brass-faced buddha image here was inspired by…
Northern Shan State
If you walk towards the Hsipaw bus stand, you’ll pass the pretty 1994 Maha Bodayaong temple, whose unrefined seven-storey church-like tower offers decent…
Northern Shan State
Forget the golden spire of this temple – the real reason to come up here is the classic calendar view over Mogok and its central lake, created from the…
Northern Shan State
At the afternoon market, there are tables for buyers and sellers, while brokers mingle in between trying to establish a sale. It's very interesting to…
Northern Shan State
Between the large main market and the Nannhaewon Amusement Park is the eye-catching Mahamyatmuni Paya, an open-sided pavilion enshrining a dazzle-faced…
Hsipaw
Most interesting before dawn, when the road outside is jammed with hill villagers selling their wares; all will have cleared away by 7am, although the…
Hsipaw
The main market in town is a busy affair in the morning when locals come to shop for produce. By the afternoon, it is usually pretty sleepy.
Hsipaw
The principal Buddhist temple in the heart of Hsipaw has a shimmering golden stupa visible from several blocks away.
Church of the Immaculate Conception
Pyin Oo Lwin
Built in 1906 along classic lines, this is one of the earliest churches in Pyin Oo Lwin.
Hsipaw
This is an important local shrine for traditional nat (spirit being) worship.
Pyin Oo Lwin
Called Hampshire Falls in British times, Pwe Kauk is more small weirs and splash pools rather than a dramatic waterfall, but the forest glade setting is…
Pyin Oo Lwin
This red-brick church was founded in 1912 and while there's something of the English country village look to its shape, in colour and atmosphere it's a…
Northern Shan State
This pretty waterfall has been turned into a bit of a circus with the establishment of an amusement park below. Visitors can choose from bumper cars, a…
Pyin Oo Lwin
Around 6am the pretty Maha Aung Mye Bon Thar Pagoda broadcasts Buddhist suttas (lectures) through its loudspeakers, just in case your alarm clock is…
Pyin Oo Lwin
This large, classically styled if mostly modern, Chinese temple comes complete with ornate stucco dragons, rock gardens, a vegetarian buffet restaurant,…
Pyin Oo Lwin
Grand, off-pink building that's now used by the government (so it can't be entered) dating back to the colonial era.
Hsipaw
These four column-fronted 19th-century godowns (warehouses) are located between the riverfront and Central Market.
Hsipaw
Looking a little like the clock tower in Pyin Oo Lwin, this is an underwhelming landmark in the centre of town.
Pyin Oo Lwin
The most important central pagoda is Shwezigone Paya, though it’s not really worth a special detour.
Pyin Oo Lwin
Marking the town centre, this 1936 clock tower thinks it’s Big Ben, judging by its hourly chimes.
Pyin Oo Lwin
Landmark central mosque, with a tower that resembles a lighthouse more than the average minaret.
Pyin Oo Lwin
Up near the Shan Market, this fine half-timbered mansion is a Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
