Naypyidaw is a new capital; so young, in fact, that you will not find much information about it in any travel guides. Built from scratch in 2005, the capital is still short on many traditional tourist charms, but it is worth a visit to see what the future may bring.
The city appears largely empty, although official counts put the official population at just under one million. The bare streets could be blamed on the capital’s size – Naypyidaw is a sprawling city under construction. There are three golf courses and a massive zoo, home to elephants taken from its cousin in Rangoon. Brightly colored blocks of government housing give the capital an almost retirement community vibe reminiscent of Florida, and most of the inhabitants are civil servants and their families.