Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo), Mandalay
Myanmar, Mandalay

A trip to Pyin Oo Lwin is like a trip to no where else in Myanmar: the town was a key economic and military centre for the British colonial rulers has a distinctly less 'Burmese' feel than anywhere else in the country, with its abundance of colonial architecture and far fewer conspicuous pagodas and stupas. Its much cooler climate than the surrounding parts of Mandalay (temperatures rarely reach higher than 30 degrees in summer and can drop to 10 degrees in winter!) made it a favourite holiday location for British colonials in the early 1900s. Pyin Oo Lwin is famous for its horse-drawn carriages, not seen anywhere else in the country, offering a quaint method of transport around the town. One of the main sights is the National Kandawgyi Botanical Gardens. Home to around 300 species of exotic orchids, 514 species of indigenous trees, 25 different roses and a collection of endangered species too, they were originally modelled on London's Kew Gardens.