( Overview
/ 50 somethings SE Asia travels
On the way to Mandalay...
Day 10 - 4/2/18
Flew from Chiang Mai and arrived in Mandalay at around 6pm, time difference 30 minutes (behind) CM, slightly strange... anyway, breezed through immigration (had already purchased our visas online $50 each) and then caught a taxi (fixed price 15,000 kyat (£7.50)). Arrived at our hotel on 83rd and 27th Street (American grid style). The hotel is lovely by Myanmar standards and the staff are really helpful and friendly, we were recommended to go to Shan Ma Ma for dinner, which was located on 82nd between 29th & 30th streets - great food, ate out in the street as very warm, lovely fresh veg, along with a lemongrass squid dish and all very reasonable too (16,000 kyat £8 for two!). Back to hotel to sort out our plans for sight seeing around Mandalay tomorrow.
Day 11 - 5/2/18 - Mandalay In 24 Hours
Decided to hire a driver for the day, managed to find one via TripAdvisor travel forum. Great guy called Nuang Nuang turned up to meet us at 9.30.
Today was going to be a whistle-stop tour of Mandalay’s finest... so here goes;
1) the Laundry drop - well after 10 days and not many clothes it was necessary!
2) Mandalay Royal Palace
3) Golden Palace Monastery (Shwe Nandaw Kyaung)
4) Incomparable Monastrey (Atumashi Kyaung)
5) The World’s Biggest Book (Maha Lokamarazein Kuthodaw)
6) Sandamuni Paya
7) Kyauktawgyi Paya (containing a large Buddha carved with a single piece of marble)
8) Our driver’s secret pagoda, think it was called Kusinere Pagoda but not 100%, it contained intricate pillars which were guilded with flowers and animals plus there was a large gold, sleeping Buddha. We were the only people there, amazing. It’s on the way up to Mandalay Hill, J’s favourite temple of the day so far.
9) Mandalay Hill
10) Lunch stop with the locals downtown and crazy parrot sellers
11) Goldleaf Making Workshop
12) Shrive in Bin Monastrey, home to 2,500 trainee monks
13) Maha Miyat Muni Pagoda, where they have a gold Buddha that is being guilded and adorned with precious jewels daily, but only men are allowed to do it!! They originally photographed the Buddha in 1905 and as of now, 93 years later, the poor (but very wealthy) Buddha looks like it’s suffering from elephantiasis!
14) Bronze Buddha casting workshop
15) U Bein Bridge for market and sunset bridge walk
Finally back to the laundry to pick up our stuff and then back to our hotel to shower and change...
We ate at Shan Ma Ma’s, food is so good and the restaurant is no 3 (according to TripAdvisor) in Mandalay, so worth a visit.
Flew from Chiang Mai and arrived in Mandalay at around 6pm, time difference 30 minutes (behind) CM, slightly strange... anyway, breezed through immigration (had already purchased our visas online $50 each) and then caught a taxi (fixed price 15,000 kyat (£7.50)). Arrived at our hotel on 83rd and 27th Street (American grid style). The hotel is lovely by Myanmar standards and the staff are really helpful and friendly, we were recommended to go to Shan Ma Ma for dinner, which was located on 82nd between 29th & 30th streets - great food, ate out in the street as very warm, lovely fresh veg, along with a lemongrass squid dish and all very reasonable too (16,000 kyat £8 for two!). Back to hotel to sort out our plans for sight seeing around Mandalay tomorrow.
Day 11 - 5/2/18 - Mandalay In 24 Hours
Decided to hire a driver for the day, managed to find one via TripAdvisor travel forum. Great guy called Nuang Nuang turned up to meet us at 9.30.
Today was going to be a whistle-stop tour of Mandalay’s finest... so here goes;
1) the Laundry drop - well after 10 days and not many clothes it was necessary!
2) Mandalay Royal Palace
3) Golden Palace Monastery (Shwe Nandaw Kyaung)
4) Incomparable Monastrey (Atumashi Kyaung)
5) The World’s Biggest Book (Maha Lokamarazein Kuthodaw)
6) Sandamuni Paya
7) Kyauktawgyi Paya (containing a large Buddha carved with a single piece of marble)
8) Our driver’s secret pagoda, think it was called Kusinere Pagoda but not 100%, it contained intricate pillars which were guilded with flowers and animals plus there was a large gold, sleeping Buddha. We were the only people there, amazing. It’s on the way up to Mandalay Hill, J’s favourite temple of the day so far.
9) Mandalay Hill
10) Lunch stop with the locals downtown and crazy parrot sellers
11) Goldleaf Making Workshop
12) Shrive in Bin Monastrey, home to 2,500 trainee monks
13) Maha Miyat Muni Pagoda, where they have a gold Buddha that is being guilded and adorned with precious jewels daily, but only men are allowed to do it!! They originally photographed the Buddha in 1905 and as of now, 93 years later, the poor (but very wealthy) Buddha looks like it’s suffering from elephantiasis!
14) Bronze Buddha casting workshop
15) U Bein Bridge for market and sunset bridge walk
Finally back to the laundry to pick up our stuff and then back to our hotel to shower and change...
We ate at Shan Ma Ma’s, food is so good and the restaurant is no 3 (according to TripAdvisor) in Mandalay, so worth a visit.
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Eat at Shan Ma Ma’s (81st and between 29th / 30th)
Well worth a visit, good food, popular with locals and tourists. No booking, just turn up and wait for a table, Service is quick, efficient and friendly.
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Hire a private driver, guide...worth every penny
Hire a guide / driver who can take you on a tour of the best pagoda’s (temples) and other sights that you wouldn’t otherwise see, we used Nuang Nuang (email myoyanaung2012@gmail.com). Highly recommended, polite, efficient, helpful and informative for £30 for the day (incl tip) money well spent!
Laundry drop
Mandalay Royal Palace
Photo shoot in the Royal Palace
Buddha casting and welding!!?
Magical sunset pics on U Bien Bridge, Mandalay
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