Mawlamyine Travel Essentials

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Ideal duration: 1-2 Days

Best Time: October to January

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"Melange of Landscape, Beauty, and Melancholy"

Mawlamyine Tourism

Mawlamyine is a city located at the mouth of the Thanlwin (Salween) River in Myanmar. The city is the capital and largest city of Mon State, and also the fourth largest town in Myanmar. Tourism is growing in the area, attracting tourists looking for a quiet town, Myanmar countryside and Buddhist pagodas.

Pa Auk Taw Ya Monastery is a unique attraction for tourists to witness the lives of the Buddhist monks, and you can even share a meal with them if you plan a trip around 11 AM every day. Kyaik Tan Lan Pagoda, located on a hill-top, is the best spot to witness gorgeous sunsets over the town. Mawlamyine has all the comforts of big cities and also receives fewer tourists, making it a perfect destination for people interested in offbeat cities.

Mawlamyine is a valuable trading centre and seaport in southeastern region in the country. It is the centre of industries in Myanmar, with the famous Kyauktan industrial zone home to hundreds of several small scales and large enterprises, which handles high volumes of exports of metals, machines, fibres and others. Mawlamyine is the centre for the Mon community, whose culture has been preserved very well, alongside other ethnic groups in the town. 

Things to do in Mawlamyine

1. Hpa An

Hpa An
Hpa An is a city located in the south of Myanmar, and is the capital of Kayin state and is one of the upcoming tourist destinations. Hpa An is known for its remote location surrounded by paddy fields, (Read More) karst limestone mountains, many ancient caves and Buddhist pagodas. It is one of the recommended towns to visit if you want to experience the untouched countryside of Myanmar and the natural beauty it is blessed with

2. Mudon

Mudon
Mudon is a town in the Mon state located in southern Myanmar. The main attraction in Mudon is the Win Sein Buddha, which is the largest reclining statue of Buddha in the world. Hills surround the town (Read More) dotted with paddy and rice fields. Its remote location attracts tourists who love uncrowded places and want to experience the countryside of Myanmar.

3. Setse Beach

Setse Beach
Setse Beach is located on the Gulf of Martaban of the Andaman Sea close to Mawlamyine in Mon State, in southern Myanmar. It runs for over 5km long, but the beach is brown watered due to the silts that (Read More) flow from the Salween river. It is popular among the tourists for a heritage resort that has been around for more than 50 years. The beach is popular among the locals who enjoy walks and hangout out the time of sunset on weekends and holidays.

4. Setse Beach

Setse Beach
Setse Beach is located on the Gulf of Martaban of the Andaman Sea close to Mawlamyine in Mon State, in southern Myanmar. It runs for over 5km long, but the beach is brown watered due to the silts that (Read More) flow from the Salween river. It is popular among the tourists for a heritage resort that has been around for more than 50 years. The beach is popular among the locals who enjoy walks and hangout out the time of sunset on weekends and holidays.

5. Death Railway Museum

Death Railway Museum
Death Railway Museum is located at Thanbyuzayat, the last stop of the Burma-Siam railway close to Mawlamyine in Myanmar. It is infamous as the death railway because of the death of hundreds of thousa (Read More)nds of locals and prisoners of war who died during the construction of this 415 km long railway line during World War II.

6. Kyaikthanlan Pagoda

Kyaikthanlan Pagoda
The Kyaikthanlan Pagoda is an old Buddhist temple located in the city of Mawlamyine in Myanmar. It is home to the tallest Buddhist Pagoda in Myanmar. Also, its commanding location atop hills provides (Read More)splendid panoramic views of the horizon comprising of green fields amidst Karst mountains, making it a famous attraction for tourists visiting Mawlamyine. Kyaikthanlan Pagoda was built in 875 AD during the reign of Mon King Mutpi Raja.

7. Bilu Island

Bilu Island
Bilu Island, also called Ogre Island, is located close to Mawlamyine in Mon State in Myanmar. It is known for its green scenic landscapes consisting of palm trees and paddy fields, and small hills su (Read More)rrounding communities. Bilu Island is a popular day trip for tourists exploring Mawlamyine to experience the countryside of Myanmar.

8. St. Matthew's Church

St. Matthew's Church
St. Matthew's Church is an old catholic church located close to the city centre of Mawlamyine in Myanmar. It was built during the British rule and is one of the important landmarks in the city, but is (Read More) poorly maintained. It is one of the worth checking out attractions for tourists visiting Mawlamyine.

9. Win Sein Taw Ya - Reclining Buddha

Win Sein Taw Ya - Reclining Buddha
Win Sein Taw Ya is a Buddhist pagoda located close to the city of Mawlamyine in Myanmar. It is known for the world's largest statue of reclining Buddha, and is among the attractions in the city worth (Read More)visiting for tourists. There is a small temple consisting of paintings, inscriptions and statues of Buddha.

10. Mon Cultural Museum

Mon Cultural Museum
The Mon State Cultural Museum, also called Mon Ethnic Cultural Museum, is located in the city centre of Mawlamyine in Myanmar. It houses artefacts depicting the history, traditions and culture of the (Read More)Mon community. The displays include handicrafts, silverware, coins, Buddhist statues, sculptures and manuscripts. It is worth checking out for tourists visiting the city to know about the Mon community.

11. Kyauktalon Taung

Kyauktalon Taung
Kyauktalon Taung is a rocky cliff surrounded by paddy fields, located close to the city of Mawlamyine in Myanmar. It is over 300 meters high and is topped with a Buddhist pagoda, which can be reached (Read More)by a small hike. There is also a Hindu temple close to this shrine. The excellent views of the horizon comprising of the green countryside makes Kyauktalon Taung worth visiting for tourists.

12. Gaung Se Kyun

Gaung Se Kyun
Guang Se Kyun, also famous as Shampoo island, is located amidst Thanlwin River close to the city of Mawlamyine in Myanmar. It is home to a few Buddhist pagodas, and monasteries and a boat trip to the (Read More)island is one of the preferred activities of the tourists.

13. Myo Ma Night Market

Myo Ma Night Market
Myo Ma Night Market is located close to the city centre in Mawlamyine in Myanmar. It is a concrete building housing a few shops, which sell everything from household appliances to cheap clothes. The (Read More)interesting things for tourists are outside the building, where scores of shops selling excellent street food, souvenirs, handicrafts, lacquerware and handmade bags, clothes and jewellery.

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Centre of the Mon Culture

A majority of the people of Mawlamyine belong to the Mon community, yet the city is multicultural. Long years of the British colonization has resulted in the influence of Christianity, because of which you will find many cathedrals. A large number of Chinese immigrants have resided in the city as well, and so are Indians. So Mawlamyine is home to Hindu temples and mosques. The Mon State Cultural Museum mainly is about the traditional community of the Mon and is a recommended place to visit to get to know about their culture, language and traditions.

History of Mawlamyine

Mawlamyine is derived from the word Moulmein, which means the damaged eye in the Mon language. It refers to the legend of an older man with a third-eye, which was destroyed by his wife. There is no historical evidence regarding the origin of the city, but it finds a mention in the 14th-century administrative record. Mawlamyine became a part of the Mon dynasty in 1594 and faced several conquests over the next decades from the neighbouring Siamese and the Portuguese. It fell into their hands for brief periods before becoming a part of the Burmese kingdoms.

After the British annexation of Burma, they made Mawlamyine their first capital for many years due to its excellent location by the coast. It overgrew as a seaport, along with other towns that were developed by them for overseas trade of precious stones, gems, textiles, silk, spices and more.

Other countries of Europe like Norway, Germany, France and others set up their consulates during this time establishing sovereignty as well as carrying out massive trades. A lot of wealth reached these lands during the last two centuries. After the independence of Burma in 1948, Mawlamyine faced political tension by the locals, but eventually became a part and is now a major seaport.

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FAQs on Mawlamyine

What is famous about Mawlamyine?

Mawlamyine offers the charm of a small town while allowing its visitors to experience the untouched countryside, pagodas, and also beach life all at better prices compared to bigger towns in Myanmar.

What is not so good about Mawlamyine?

Mawlamyine might disappoint if you have high expectations as the town has basic amenities for tourists, or don’t prefer quieter and smaller towns.

What are the things to do in Mawlamyine?

The top things to do in Mawlamyine are Hpa An, Mudon, Setse Beach, Setse Beach, Death Railway Museum, Kyaikthanlan Pagoda. You can see all the places to visit in Mawlamyine here

What are the places near Mawlamyine?

The top places near to Mawlamyine are Chiang mai which is 296 km from Mawlamyine, Dawei which is located 270 km from Mawlamyine, Bangkok which is located 429 km from Mawlamyine, Pattaya which is located 524 km from Mawlamyine, Siem reap which is located 749 km from Mawlamyine

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