Approximately 6 hours south of Yangon Mawlamyine is a great place to head to if you want to get off the main tourist trail and is perfect as a stopping off point if you're heading to the beaches of the Myeik Archipelago.

British Capital of Lower Burma

Squeezed between the Salween River delta and Andaman Sea and surrounded by pagoda-dotted hills, the city rose as the British Capital of Lower Burma. Its rich history is reflected in its faded colonial architecture, links to George Orwell & Rudyard Kipling and close proximity to the infamous Siam-Burma "death railway". Life revolves around the lively waterfront where fishing boats and passenger ferries converge and the tree lined back streets of once grandiose Victorian buildings give a real sense of a bygone era. Take a trip out to the surrounding hills and you’ll discover a collection of Pagodas looking out over the town out to the Gulf of Martaban. A great place to end the day.

Off the Tourist Trail 

The following day head back down to the waterfront early morning to explore the photogenic local market and take a 4 hour boat ride through limestone Karst countryside to Hpa An. A very enjoyable diversion that reveals another layer of this beautiful country. A great combination with The Golden Rock and perhaps the beaches of the Myeik Archipelago.