I have met many travelers who did not like Mandalay; I guess they were just disappointed that the city does not live up to the exotic and romantic image the name Mandalay evokes. Nevertheless, Mandalay is an interesting, fascinating city; it is dirty, dusty, and poor, with lively markets, pagodas, quaint neighborhoods with teak houses under coconut palms, and very diverse sights.
After a comfortable 7-hour night bus ride we arrived relaxed in Mandalay at 5am. At 9 we took the boat to Mingun (1000kyat). Mingun is a relatively touristy place, a 45-minute boat trip on the Irrawaddy River from Mandalay. The unfinished Mingun Paya is quite impressive and from the top of the pagoda there are great views over the river. Back in Mandalay we took a rickshaw to Mandalay Hill to watch the sunset. The day ended with a nice meal on the lively night market
In the morning, we visited the beautiful wooden Shwe In Be Monastery in one of Mandalay's quiet and quaint neighborhoods. From there we took a trishaw to Mahamuni Pagoda where we were fortunate enough to be allowed to put gold leaves on Burma´s holiest Buddha statue. Then we took a pick-up to Amanapura (100kyat) where we spent the afternoon. The highlight of this former royal city is U-Bein bridge, the longest teak construction in the world. On the other side of the 1.2km long bridge is a traditional Burmese village, a very friendly and quaint place with adorable locals. We took our time and explored the back streets, most tourists don't bother and turn around after reaching the village. A big mistake! Crossing U-Bein bridge during sunset was the most magical moment of the entire trip
From journal The road to Mandalay