Mandalay: a Quick Guide, Mandalay, Myanmar

In the Myanmar tourist triangle, Mandalay is really only seen as a stopover for most tourists who are travelling through to Inle lake or waiting for their flight out of the country. But, there is so much more to do in this city than people give it credit for! Personally, I found Mandalay to be one of my favourite cities in Myanmar and there was some amazing streets and districts to explore.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the country, it has only recently opened its doors in 2012 for frequent tourism. Meaning it is a country which hasn’t been touched by the outside world. There are no Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC – none of that. It is completely free of all that, which means it’s a country to enjoy at it’s most authentic. However, they aren’t completely unprepared for tourists – there are ‘Be kind to tourists’ signs everywhere and so you’re in safe hands with the Burmese people, they can’t do enough for you.

This is it’s main attraction and you can see why. The Buddhist temple is placed high above the city and provides some beautiful views all around you. The temple has gorgeous marble floors and it’s so ornately decorated. Students also visit the temple to learn English, so make sure you sit down and stay for a chat. They are so kind and it was so humbling that they are grateful just for your conversation! Then, watch the sun set on the cities horizon, the sky turns from orange, to red, to pink and it transforms the city into the evening. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).