CLOSEUP
Nay Pyi Taw
86
FAHTHAI
government contends that Yangon had become too crowded,
leaving little room to expand. But diplomats and others speculate
that the then-military regime wanted a more central, strategic
location in order to better control the country and reduce the
country’s vulnerability to attack by a foreign power like the
United States. The leaders felt that Yangon, one-time seat of
British rule, was tainted by colonialism and the fact it had been
the scene of violent protests against the regime. Many Burmese,
however, will tell you that General Than Shwe made the move
on the advice of astrologers and that the shift harked back to the
past, when most of Myanmar’s many capitals were situated in the
heart of the country (see box).
W E L C O M E
Useful to
know
DAY ONE
Siam Lotus Thai
Restaurant
11 Thapyaygone
Restaurant Hill, Zabuthiri,
Pyinmana, T: 067 432 337
Check into the
Royal
Kumudra Hotel
, one of
the first in the increasingly
built-up hotel zone. Set
on 12 hectares of lushly
landscaped hillside, it
features spacious and
well-appointed villas, a
spa, health club, tennis
court and pool.
DAY TWO
YKKO Restaurant
ykkomyanmar.com
Royal Myanmar Golf
Course Yarza Thingaha Rd,
Near Hotel Zone
T: 067 414207
Santino Restaurant
10 Thapyaygone
Restaurant Hill, Zabuthiri
