Begin your Nay Pyi Taw sightseeing with a visit to its stateliest attraction, the Uppatasanti Pagoda. It’s a replica of the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, but here, you’ll have the advantage of relative solitude to appreciate your surroundings in silent serenity. 

If you have time, make your way to the lesser-known Thatta Thattaha Maha Bawdi Pagoda, which is a 12-minute drive away. This replica temple is modelled after the sacred Mahabodhi temple in India, which marks the spot of Buddha’s enlightenment. (Google Maps has an approximate location for Thatta Thattaha Maha Bawdi Pagoda, but your driver should have no problems getting there.) 

Like anywhere else in Myanmar, dress codes apply at all temples within Nay Pyi Taw, and you should ensure that your shoulders and knees are covered. To have a pleasant viewing experience, schedule temple visits early in the day or closer to the evening. Check with your hotel concierge for updated opening hours.

Feeling famished after your temple visit? Consider patronising the highly rated eateries around the Uppatasanti Pagoda—they include Family Hot Pot, Moe Pyan Biryani, Tarmoekyaw Restaurant Pobba Thiri (Chinese), and Feel Restaurant (international).

Post-lunch, spend your afternoon in one of Nay Pyi Taw’s capacious museums. Experience for the first time what it feels like to be outnumbered by staff, and presumably receive the royal treatment. (Past visitors have even estimated that there were 20 staff on hand to attend to a single visitor!) 

Your top pick should be the National Museum, which spans five buildings narrating how Myanmar came to be—from its prehistoric period (the time before events were documented) and protohistoric period (during which a culture’s existence was recorded by other cultures), to its historic period from the 11th to the 14th century. In addition, there are cultural galleries showcasing the development of Myanmar’s visual and performing arts.

Visitors have also enjoyed the Defense Services Museum, which details Myanmar’s historic battles, its independence struggles, and the actions of its Armed Forces from its incorporation in 1945 to the present. You’ll be able to see the royal items belonging to ancient Myanmese kings, vintage and present-day military equipment, and the fabled furniture used by the Thirty Comrades—this was the group who led Burma’s struggle against British colonial rule after they took an oath of allegiance by drinking blood! 

Both museums have eateries within easy reach (by car), so you can grab a bite after your visit.

To cap your first day in Nay Pyi Taw, head to Myoma Market. It’s one of the city’s buzzier spots, where you might actually see something approximating a crowd. There, you can buy thanaka, a yellowish-white cosmetic paste made from ground bark—it’s been called nature’s purest sunscreen, and it’s also believed to improve your complexion. Other highlights of the market include a chance to sample mohinga (rice noodles in fish soup) and purchase a souvenir longyi (the traditional dress of Myanmar).

Prefer a conventional shopping and dining experience? The three-storey Junction Centre shopping mall has everything you need—restaurants, shops, a supermarket, and even a cinema. For guests at PARKROYAL Nay Pyi Taw, Junction Centre is an eight-minute drive away.

Get directions to Uppatasanti Pagoda

Get directions to Family Hot Pot

Get directions to Moe Pyan Biryani

Get directions to Tarmoekyaw Restaurant Pobba Thiri

Get directions to Feel Restaurant

Get directions to National Museum

Get directions to Defense Services Museum

Get directions to Myoma Market

Get directions to Junction Centre Shopping Mall

Bold enough to discover what lies beyond Nay Pyi Taw? Leave at the crack of dawn to visit one of Myanmar’s most breathtaking waterfalls at Nant Mon Gyi. Hailed as Myanmar’s “blue lagoon,” the attraction has only recently gained traction, thanks to social media influencers including a former Miss Myanmar.

A trip to the Nant Mon Gyi waterfall involves a three-hour drive from Nay Pyi Taw, as well as a ferry ride from Pinlaung Township. Finding your way there on your own will be challenging due to the paucity of location information online. If you are a guest at PARKROYAL Nay Pyi Taw, our concierge can assist to hire a car to take you to the waterfall and back. These are the rates:

• Alphard car: USD120 (full day, 10hrs)

• Crown car: USD80 (full day, 10 hrs)

You can also contact taxi services or tour operators that organise visits to the waterfall, such as DORA Travels & Tours.

Prefer to remain in the vicinity of Nay Pyi Taw? Guests at PARKROYAL Nay Pyi Taw can book a pottery tour in Pyinmana, a nearby town. It’s a 20-minute ride to Pyinmana, and along the way, you will see what it means to lead a rustic existence, unblemished by modern concerns. During the pottery tour, you can observe how water vessels and flower pots are made in kilns, and speak to local artisans to better understand their craft. Check with the concierge to sign up for this tour.

In the evening, PARKROYAL Nay Pyi Taw guests, who are Black Pan Pacific DISCOVERY members can redeem a Chef’s Special Dinner with Traditional Dance Performance. You’ll get to savour an eight-course dinner in a poolside setting, featuring the best of Myanmese cuisine specially crafted by our hotel’s Executive Chef. Sip complimentary champagne as you admire a local dance performance, with its strikingly angular, fast-paced, and energetic movements. (This offer is valid till 31 December 2020.)

Prefer to head out? Pick a nearby town to visit for dinner and drinks. Pyinmana has a popular rooftop bar, the Peacock Bar and Cafe. Lewe is also nearby, and it is where the capital’s hospitality staff typically congregate after work—try the aptly named Excellent Restaurant, which is best known for its pork ribs and “live” music.

Get directions to Peacock Bar and Cafe

Get directions to Excellent Restaurant

Before you leave Nay Pyi Taw, make sure you’ve gotten your fill of the city’s culinary offerings. The PARKROYAL Nay Pyi Taw team recommends the Daw Saw Ye Da Nu Phyu restaurant for a hearty meal of Burmese curries, and the Shwe Si Daw buffet restaurant for a sumptuous spread of Burmese specialities.

(If you ask a civil servant in Nay Pyi Taw for recommendations, you’ll probably be directed to the Mahasan Cafe. It’s apparently a preferred casual spot for local government officials, thanks to its offerings of dumplings, donuts, and free Wi-Fi!)

For guests at PARKROYAL Nay Pyi Taw—with Pan Pacific DISCOVERY Platinum membership —do treat yourself to a 90-minute healing massage before checking out. Our highly trained therapists will knead away your aches and stresses with traditional Myanmese massage techniques. Don’t be surprised to find them using their heels and elbows to work out kinks that you never knew you had. You’ll be fully refreshed and ready to head home, feeling better than ever.

Get directions to Daw Saw Ye Da Nu Phyu Restaurant

Get directions to Shwe Si Daw

Get directions to Mahasan Cafe

Welcome to Nay Pyi Taw! To our loyal Pan Pacific DISCOVERY members and the frontline healthcare heroes around the world, we are offering an additional 10% savings on room rates and 30% savings on food and beverage when you book with us! 

Need more travel advice? Please contact our friendly team today!