National Landmark Gardens

Myanmar (Burma)


Spread across 400 acres, these gardens showcase Myanmar's grandest sites in miniature. Hop aboard a golf cart (a one-hour tour is included with admission), and zip from Kachin State to Mandalay, down to Yangon and beyond, while taking in diminutive versions of Golden Rock, Inle Lake and Shwedagon Paya. It's a fun, but undeniably kitschy experience, all the more so given the amusement-park rides scattered around – a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, a shooting range and a splashy log ride.

One of the most fascinating exhibitions lies inside a model of Nay Pyi Taw's convention centre, which has an impressive mock-up of all of Nay Pyi Taw, including pagodas, hotels and government buildings (about as close as you'll get to the gated-off epicentre of power), and a levitating train station (sadly, the real train station doesn't actually levitate). There are also two observation towers (one with a restaurant) offering views over the surrounding landscape.

Unfortunately, in recent years it's all been allowed to deteriorate a bit. Not all the amusement-park rides are functioning and many of the models are beginning to fall apart – which makes it somewhat symbolic of Nay Pyi Taw itself!

It's about 22 miles northeast of the hotel zone (a 40-minute drive).


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