Destination

Pyin Oo Lwin

During the British annexation of Myanmar, Pyin U Lwin was renamed Maymyo after a British Colonel May (Maymyo means’ May town’), and among many older locals (and tourist touts) the town is still known by its colonial name. Pyin U lwin was long a British hill station where, during the hot season, the British went to escape the heat and dust of the plains. It is 67 km east of Mandalay and, at 1070 meters, considerably higher. The altitude makes all the difference. Even at the height of the hot season Pyin U Lwin is pleasantly cool and at certain times of the year it can get quite chilly. Best of all, the air is fresh. A number of Indian and Nepalese gurkhas, whose forebears entered the country with the Indian army, have settled here, retaining many of the old colonial traditions in their work as hoteliers, carriage drivers and gardeners. They also run many of the tea shops in the hill resort. Getting around Pyin U lwin can be equally enjoyable; the standard transport around town is a miniature, enclosed wagon pulled by a pony. You’re never sure if it’s a half-scale replica from the Wells Fargo days of the American West or something from the British ‘stand and deliver’ era. The lodgings can be the most fun of all – see Candacraig in the following Places to Stay section, or read Paul Theroux’s delightful account of Pyin U lwin in his book ‘The Great Railway Bazaar’. Pyin U Lwin also has a 175-hectare Botanical Garden where you can take a relaxing stroll or picnic by a lake