When I arrived in Pyin Oo Lwin
my good luck concerning the weather had left me. It was raining non-stop. But that is obviously the risk, if you decide to travel in South East Asia during rainy season.
Nevertheless I can give you some advise if you decide to visit the place.
Getting around
It is very easy to get lost in Pyin Oo Lwin. The street names are displayed in Burmese only. Main roads and side roads look the same. So there are no hints at all to help you find your way. Take a motorbike taxi. They bring you to most places for 1000 Kyat. If you want to walk, ask your hotel to write the destination down in Burmese (and the hotel card in Burmese for the way back) and ask someone every 500 metres along your way.
Botanical gardens
They are the main reason to come here. The biggest one is “National Kandawgyi Gardens”. Besides a lot of flowers and trees it also contains the Nan Myint Tower. You can climb the stairs and enjoy the views from the top. If one garden is not enough for you, you can also visit the “National Landmarks Garden”.
Outside Pyin Oo Lwin
Anisakan Falls: Several waterfalls can be visited here.
Peik Chin Myaung: A cave filled with Buddha images. Inside it takes about 15 minutes to walk to the end of the cave.
For both places arrange a motorbike taxi to bring you there.
Free (and quite quick) wifi
Woodland on 53 Circular Road offers free wifi, if you order something to eat or drink of course. It is a 35 minute walk from downtown.
Where to stay
I stayed at the Bravo Hotel, phone 085/21 223 or 21826, E-Mail info@bravo-hotel.com, on Mandalay-Lashio Road, but I cannot really recommend it. The room had the typical stench of too much humidity and staff was not helpful. Maybe you should consider another place to stay.
How to get there
The easiest way from Mandalay is a shared taxi for 10’000 Kyat. You can go any time of the day and if you consider having to take a taxi to and from the bus- or train-stations it might even be cheaper than taking the bus. The journey lasts 1,5 to 2 hours.
A place similar to Pyin Oo Lwin is Hsipaw. Read the article on Hsipaw and hiking in Myanmar here!
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