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Mawlamyine (Moulmein) is one of Southeast Asia's most picturesque ports and is famous for being the site of Kipling's Pagoda, as described in his poem Mandalay. Set at the mouth of the Salween River, Mawlamyine was the capital of British-ruled Myanmar from 1827 to 1852 and became a busy port dealing mainly with the teak industry that is evident in many of the remaining colonial era buildings.

Today it's still a hive of shipping activity and retains an interesting collection of faded colonial-era architecture as well as an eclectic mix of pagodas and mosques. Not far from the town is Thanbyuzayat, the western terminus of the infamous Burma-Thailand Railway and the Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, a well-kept memorial to the allied troops lost in World War II.

To the west is Setse Beach, a great place to people watch and see fisherman at work and further north is Kyaikkami, home to the pretty Yele Paya perched over the sea. Accessible only by road and a full day's drive from Yangon, Mawlamyine is a quiet town which sees few visitors and offers an insight into the Myanmar of bygone days.