With cool climate, old British architecture along with beautiful nature, Pyin Oo Lwin, the land of flowers, is a wonderful paradise to wander.
Lovely Pyin Oo Lwin is located in Shan Highland, 70 km from eastern Mandalay. This town is at an altitude of 1,070m above the sea level. The previous name of Pyin Oo Lwin is May Myo, which means “May’s Town” (May was the first commander of British Army stationing in Pyin Oo Lwin). Normally in a Burma tour, tourists will travel from Mandalay to Pyin Oo Lwin.
Pyin Oo Lwin has a large population of Angola-Burmese and Angola-Indian. This township is peaceful with appealing streets, nice small houses and roads have less traffic. Many houses have retained old Britain architectural style. Formerly, this area was the hill station and resort of British officials and soldiers to escape from swelteringly summer heat in Burma. Today, these houses are used for restaurants, bars and shops, which serve for tourists.
Purcell Tower stands in the heart of the town, is also the symbol of Pyin Oo Lwin. The construction of this clock based on Big Ben Tower style in London. Nearby this tower, there is bustling Pyin Oo Lwin market, where has fully hot and fragrant traditional dishes for enjoying. Many products from fields, typically wines, strawberry jam and coffee, along with woolen clothes are the best in this market.
Meandering into small lanes of the township, you will encounter wooden houses of Shan people (an ancient tribe in Burma) and Muslims who migrated to here. You can easily recognize mosques with impressive architectural styles at street coners and vibrating prayer sound coming from these chancels. In this plateau, there are numerous lovely villas with stunning rose gardens, where are used for recording romantic scenes in Burma’s films.
Step in Golden Triangle Café & Bakery in evening, you can leisurely sip strawberry smoothie and taste a grape jelly cream-cake in slightly cold air of the plateau. This restaurant was European in design thanks to its boss is a French. The menu of this restaurant also includes French croissant cakes.
Another special place in Pyin Oo Lwin is National Kandawgyi Gardens, built from 1924. Its pre-name was National Botanical Gardens. Kandawgyi Gardens is an ideal location to rest, relax and breathe fresh air. The gardens has sections for growing orchid or nourishing insects. The open time is from 8 am to 6 pm.
Not far away Kandawgyi, there is Pyin Oo Lwin nursery and Pwe Kauk waterfall. Pyin Oo Lwin nursery is one of the oldest garden in Pyin Oo Lwin. It has developed a wide range of seeds and plants that grow well in Pyin Oo Lwin’s climate. In this nursery, lush trees, blooming flowers and cool air in daytime. Pwe Kauk, a pleasant picnic spot for families, is so-called as Hampshire Fall in British times. You can also visit National Landmark Garden, close to Kandawgyi, and Dattawgyaik waterfall located in Ani Sakhan.
In Pyin Oo Lwin, you can try damson, a common fruit of this area. Damson is tart and crunchy, used for making jam. Damsons are also fermented into wine. If try damson wine, you will find it sweet and tastes nice like apricot wine.
Traveling to Pyin Oo Lwin in the harvest season of strawberry, you can stroll in strawberry farms and pick red berry strawberries as much as you like.
