Katmandhu, Timbuktu, Shangri La: all names of places that fascinated me when I was a youngster. Among them was Mandalay, “where the flying fishes play.” You might think that my expectations would get in the way of reality but the two days we were here actually exceeded my expectations.
After landing we were met by our guide, Bruce. He would never tell us his Bamar name. He was older than any of our other guides and more than a little cynical. Nevertheless, we covered a lot of ground in two days.
Our first stop was Amarapura, the royal capitol prior to Mandalay, with its two kilometer long teak bridge. We also visited a nearby monastery that houses upwards of 1,000 students and the Snow White Pagoda, which is forbidden for women to climb. We visited a silk factory which, even with my negative attitude about visiting local factories, I found fascinating.
In the afternoon we first went to the Mahamuni Paya which houses a very impressive Golden Buddha and then strolled over to the Golden Monastery, which is now the “Weathered Wood” monastery but at one time was completely covered with gold leaf. It's now a museum. From there we went to the Kuthodaw Pagoda housing the largest book in the world. 729 stone tablets containing the entire Tripitaka. Our last stop was Mandalay Hill to watch the sunset.
The next day was full of surprises. We started by taking a boat to Mingun which has what was intended to be the world’s largest Zedi but was never finished. We also visited the famous Mingun Bell, which at 90 tons is reputed to be the world’s largest, hung, un-cracked bell. Next we took in Myanmar’s “Taj Mahal,” the Hsinbyume Pagoda, which was created in 1809 to honor King Bagyidaw’s wife.
We later drove to Sagaing and ascended Sagaing Hill to the Soon-U-Ponya-Shin Paya which provides a terrace with incredible views of the river, the town and the surrounding stupa-filled area.
Since it was a holy day, Bruce arranged an invitation to watch a ceremony at a Sagaing nunnery in which the nuns give the monks robes they will wear for the next year. To say we were fascinated would be an understatement. We were transfixed.
We also saw a parade in which young girls were carried in highly decorated carts to enter the nunnery before we returned to Mandalay.${QuickSuggestions} As I’ve mentioned in other Myanmar journals, there are a number of differences from the usual tourist destinations you should be aware of.
One, Credit cards are not accepted in Myanmar except in some five star hotels that can export the debit to their home office in another country. There is an extra charge for this. I recommend you either pay your room charges in advance through your travel agent or on the internet or plan on paying cash when you check out. I’ve heard Traveler’s checks are most difficult to cash but I don’t use them so I have no personal experience. Forget about ATMs.
Two, carry lots of one dollar bills for buying small things and for tips etc. Except for hotels and banks, anything larger than a $20 is difficult to use. At no point accept the official rate for Kyat, which is about 7 to 1. The latest unofficial rate is 1,075 Kyat per $1. It changes frequently so check before you leave so as to not get taken.
Three, everyone must remove both their shoes and stockings before entering a temple area which often includes the entire enclosure.
Four, if you buy any gems or even jewelry, get an official receipt with the name and address of the shop to show customs or you could be in serious trouble.
Five, the airports are chaotic so be prepared to fight off vendors and unofficial porters. Even official porters will hassle you. You may need to employ a porter to get your bags into the terminal building and another inside the building and yet a third to get your bag to where it can be loaded on the plane. We tipped about 3-400 Kyat per bag (about US$0.50). As everywhere else in the world, Myanmar airports are the happy hunting grounds of pick-pockets and bag snatchers.
Lest you think everything is a hassle in Myanmar, I will add that the people are positively wonderful and 90-95% of the time we were delighted rather than disappointed but there is no sense in letting the 5% hassles ruin your whole trip, hence the warnings.
If you can visit Mandalay during a religious holiday as we did, you will be rewarded with experiences you might never have elsewhere. Religion is the glue that holds Myanmar together. ${BestWay} At the risk of sounding like a nag, I will repeat that the best way to see an Asian City is to walk around. Mandalay is no exception.
The historically significant areas outside Mandalay are as interesting as anything in Mandalay, itself. To visit these fascinating towns: Amarapura, Mingun and Sagaing, hire a car and driver for about $40 to $50 per day. It’s worth it. Hotel cars are about five times that amount. Usually there are drivers or touts hanging around outside the hotel. Check with the concierge or doorman as to the reliability of the person you hire. I know it sounds silly but I would never hire someone who did not have business card that I could show a hotel employee as kind of reference check. It also indicates a certain level of professionalism and stability.
In our case we had Bruce and a driver from 9am to 5pm, so to speak, but the rest of the time we walked.
As in Yangon, taxis are the most efficient transportation and are relatively cheap. Always settle on a price before you get in the car. Never pay in advance. The busses in Mandalay actually seemed more trustworthy than those in Yangon but I still would not recommend them unless you are a lot more adventurous than I am.
Depending on your itinerary and schedule, you might wish to consider taking a boat between Bagan and Mandalay. The cost is minimal and the river is fascinating. It takes about 9 to 13 hours for the trip. The newer boats have both an upper deck for those who can afford it, i.e., tourists and a much cheaper lower deck for locals. If you are truly into boat travel you can cruise between Mandalay and Yangon. The trip takes about four days. There are other opportunities to use water travel on Myanmar’s rivers. Check it out on the internet or with a travel agent.
Mandalay’s new airport, by the way, is 50km from town so plan accordingly. Adding in waiting time and surface travel time, it took us 4 hours to reach Mandalay from Bagan. The actual flying time was 30 minutes.
From journal Myanmar - Road to Mandalay