Mawlamyine

The city of Mawlamyine in Mon State is a former colonial centre and while he was here Rudyard Kipling got the inspiration for his poem, ‘’The Road to Mandalay.’’ It still contains architecture from that era and has found fame today because of its markets and certainly its seafood.It sits at the mouth of the Thanlwin River and there is no better place to relax than on the river banks.

The Kyaik Than Lan Pagoda is the major landmark; it was built in 875 and a hair relic of Buddha is supposedly there. There are 34 small stupa surrounding the pagoda which is just one of the religious sites mentioned in this Mawlamyine Monywa travel guide.

Others in the region are St.Matthew’s Church which is now abandoned, St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church and the Soorti Sunni Jamai Mosque.The world’s largest reclining Buddha is 20 km to the south inKyauktalon Taung while Kyaikkami Pagoda sits in a prominent position by the sea.Myanmar tour packages can be tailored to include them all.

mawlamyine travel guide

•    Bilu Island is to the west and provides the chance for tourists on a Myanmar holiday to visit local villages where there are some interesting handicrafts for souvenirs including bamboo hats that are very useful on sunny days.
•    60 km to the south is the Allied War Memorial for those who died building the Burma Railway. It is located in Thanbyuzayat. It is very well maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. There is a museum depicting the horrors of that project.

Myanmar travel packages include plenty of historical content as well as the chance to enjoy the modern day. Monywa on the Chindwin River west of Mandalay is a regional centre with industry, markets and a busy nightlife which is not always the case in places in Myanmar. The Thanboddhay Pagoda to the south east has over half a million images of Buddha and innumerable golden spires. Those wanting good views can climb the watch tower on the site of the monastery. The Standing Buddha at 116 metres tall would have a great view itself if only it had eyes to see. Close by there is a very large reclining Buddha.

Myanmar travel is an education and it is not all manmade. There are theHpo Win Daung Caves on the west bank, almost 1,000 caves with many murals and statues dating from between the 14th to the 18th Century.

TheLedi Kyaungteik monastery contain Buddhist scriptures on 806 stone slabs and is found in Kyaukka and is well worth a visit.

This Mawlamyine Monywa travel guide hopes to fill in the gaps in people’s knowledge of the region and Myanmar in general. A fascinating and interesting experience awaits those who decide to take their next holiday in Myanmar. There are experienced tour companies that are able to make all the arrangements that their clients require. It costs nothing to make an enquiry and to then think about what you hear. At present Myanmar tourismis just developing. It will continue to grow.

Mawlamyine map