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Mawlamyine
Capital of Mon State, Myanmar

Mawlamyine

Mawlamyine, formerly Moulmein, is the fourth-largest city in Myanmar (Burma), 300 kilometres (190 mi) southeast of Yangon and 70 kilometres (43 mi) south of Thaton, at the mouth of Thanlwin (Salween) River.

Plan a trip to Mawlamyine→From Yangon

Mawlamyine was an ancient city and the first capital of British Burma. It also serves as the capital of Mon State.

Get in

Getting to Mawlamyine

Coming in from Yangon, Naypyidaw, Mandalay or Bagan with any of the following transports, don't miss out on Bago and/or the Golden Rock in Kyaiktiyo. An overnight stop resting with thousands of other pilgrims on top of the mountain is a great opportunity, but bring ear plugs and a warm sleeping bag. Alternatively, just stay in a guesthouse in Kinpun, the "base camp".

See

Worth seeing

Many of Mawlamyine's famous sights are outside of the city, but visiting all sights in the city (including the markets and restaurants) can take a day.

  1. 01
    Kyaik Tan Lan Pagoda

    Up on the hill and famous for its nice views and a great sunset point is this pagoda on the hill in the north(east)ern part of the city.

  2. 02
    Mahamuni Paya
  3. 03
    Ogre Island
  4. 04
    Thanlwin Bridge

    This 2-mile long bridge was built in 2005 and is the second longest in Myanmar.

  5. 05
    Nwa-La-Boh Pagoda

    The main attraction of this pagoda is a golden rock formation, similar to Kyaiktiyo, but on a smaller scale.

Do

Things to do

Rent a scooter or motorbike and explore the surrounding area, especially south. Take a boat up or down the river.

Eat

Where to eat

  1. 01
    Night market &

    This place offers a great opportunity to mix with the locals.

  2. 02
    Yunnan / Yuu Nan Pan Tay Restaurant

    Strand Rd.

  3. 03
    YKKO Restaurant

    Chinese and Thai dishes in a professional setup.

  4. 04
    Shwe Nandaw

    Lower Main Rd (600 m north of Aurora Guest House).

How locals move

Getting around Mawlamyine the local way

  • Get inThe trip from Myawaddy is about 12,000 kyat (shared taxi) and a very bumpy ride, taking somewhere between 3-5 h.
  • Get inShared taxis will drop you off at your lodging.
  • Get inThere are boats travelling between Hpa-An and Mawlamyine, but they're more expensive than bus or train: 70,000 kyat (private charter) or 10,000 kyat per person (shared, still this price as of Feb 2019).
  • Get aroundTuk-tuk drivers might ask up to 3,000 kyat for the two mile ride, which is too much.
  • Get aroundYou can also take a tour with a tuktuk around the area for 25.000 Kyat (3-4 hr)—but half of that is probably more reasonable.
  • Go nextWhen going to the bus station by taxi ask whether you will be dropped off at the bus station or at the (the former/old bus station) in the city along Anauk Tart Myei Rd, which offers free shuttles or so called "ferries" to the main bus station, at least for buses to Hpa-an.
  • Go nextThere is also a boat available (70,000 kyat private or 8,000 kyat shared per person, 5 hr) Myawaddy – For Mae Sot (Thailand), bus (5,000 kyat) or shared taxi (10,000 kyat), 3-5 hr.

From Wikivoyage: Mawlamyine, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-08.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.