Mawlamyine (Moulmein)

This is the capital of Mon State. 

Located south east of Yangon is a seaport and the fourth largest city in Myanmar situated 185 kilometers east of the nation's biggest city across the Gulf of Moketama at the mouth of the Thanlyin river. 

Population is about 500,000 people. Under British colonial times it was the administrative capital of “Lower Burma”, Mandalay was the center of “Upper Burma”. The stream had been fixed as the border between British and Burmese territory after the first war.

How to get there: 

By bus to Mawlamyine
Using the train
By aircraft
Hire car and driver
River Port

The city is 70 km south of Thaton reachable by road, rail, ship and air from Yangon by using the new branded National Airline.For the country’s standard the road is not so bad so a drive down there could be made. When driving down it needs to take the ferry from Moattama (Martaban) because Mawlamyine is on the opposite side of the river. Unfortunately the river is not maintained orderly and only navigable by smaller flat ships.

Interesting places to visit.

First as everywhere in the country are the pagodas and temples. Another highlight are the Limestone Caves in the Zingyaik hills raising up to thousand meters. They dominate the panorama, in between is the Salween river makes its way to sea. Long time ago here was the Castle of Murmulan, where Portuguese adventurer stayed.

From the Kyaikthanlan Pagoda is a great view.

The panorama over the city, harbor and the Thanlwin (Salween) River. Further to the east is Kanchanaburi in Thailand once connected by the “Death Railway” (2015) they try to revive the link between the two countries a bit further south at Dawai. 


Actually they talk since several years now but don’t get anything done. Here was a large colony of English in the 19. Century because of the excellent climate at the Andaman Sea.