Discover Naypyidaw

When choosing a hotel in Naypyidaw, it helps to first sort out the topics you would like to spend time on during your stay. The planetarium focuses on planets, the moon and Earth; museums cover a range of historical and cultural topics, while gardens and the Zoological Garden offer different points of interest. This lets you plan your trip around the places that interest you most, without treating the destinations as though they were alike.

Planetarium and Zoological Garden

The planetarium in Nay Pyi Taw features exhibitions about planets, the moon and Earth, as well as audiovisual presentations. The visit combines nature-related topics with a visual form of presentation. If you are weighing up different interests for your trip, this focus stands out from the historical themes of the museums or the wildlife at the Zoological Garden.

The Zoological Garden is located near the old Yangon-Mandalay Highway and covers about 500 acres. It is reported to have 430 animals from 81 species; alongside native animals, its collection also includes foreign animals such as penguins and kangaroos. The area and animal figures may change over time. When comparing it with the planetarium, the key distinction is the subject matter: here the focus is on animals and species, while the planetarium focuses on planets, the moon and Earth. This makes it easy to distinguish two very different interests when planning your trip.

Museums, Pagoda and Local Tradition

In Zeyathiri Township, the Defence Services Museum focuses on Myanmar's independence struggles, historical battles and the history of the armed forces since their founding in 1945. The reference to 1945 relates to the history of the armed forces; it should not be mistaken for the museum's founding year. The National Museum in Nay Pyi Taw has a different focus: it spans five buildings and includes a mini-theatre, VIP reception rooms, an exhibition room for gifts from the president, and exhibition areas. Information about these facilities gives you a concrete sense of the different subjects that may feature during a museum visit.

The Thatta Thattaha Maha Bawdi Pagoda in Nay Pyi Taw is 54 metres high and open to visitors. The height gives you a tangible sense of the building's size and a concrete point of reference when comparing it with the museums' subject matter. White Elephants House, meanwhile, is a park at the foot of Uppatasanti Pagoda. According to local tradition, the elephants there bring good luck, peace and prosperity. The association of these beliefs with the site is cultural context, distinct from the historical themes of the Defence Services Museum or the exhibition areas of the National Museum.

Gardens with Different Focal Points

Water Fountain Garden has a main pond with three fountains, along with eleven small ponds featuring 13 different types of fountains. National Landmark Garden displays scaled-down replicas of attractions from different parts of Myanmar, including Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Ngapali Beach in Rakhine State and Inlay Lake in Shan State. While Water Fountain Garden is characterised by ponds and fountains, National Landmark Garden presents well-known places as models. This comparison helps you distinguish a garden with water features from one with scaled-down replicas.

This gives you a clear thematic guide when choosing places to visit: the planetarium covers celestial bodies and Earth, the Zoological Garden focuses on animals, the museums explore history and exhibitions, and the gardens have their own design-oriented or model-based focuses. The pagoda and White Elephants House add a building, a park and local tradition to this selection.

Discover more destinations: Thabyegon, Begon, Thayetkon, (Ainggye), Meiktila

View the broader travel guide: Naypyitaw Union Territory.