Find Hotels in Mandalay, Myanmar

While branded as the "business capitol" of Myanmar, Yangon seems much more affluent. The city is less developed than Yangon, and in some places there is just an open trough of stagnant water between the sidewalk and the houses/businesses. I was unimpressed, but that said I had been travelling in lesser developed places for a couple weeks and probably was in need of some Western creature comforts.

Mandalay Hill, Maha Bodhi Temple, Sagaing, Ava -- all were good to spend time in, especially for those of us who love temples. And we had our best meal in Myanmar at what amounted to truck stop near the riverside. Four dollars for a huge "Myanmar Buffet" of delightful, delicious, unusual, and varied dishes. The city is clearly just emerging from hard times, and just learning how to deal with foreign tourists. It was dusty and seemed a bit disorganized. But the people were friendly (without being pushy) and there was definitely a religious feeling in the air. Shopping for silk, wooden carvings, and even marble Buddha figures was rich and not too expensive. We felt the approximately $40/day we spent for a car and driver was well worth it, as he could take us wherever we wanted whenever we wanted, and had enough English to act as a bit of a guide.

Hire a bike and ride to mandalay hill, only takes 15 minutes

The staff recommended some places, but they all turned out to be western food. I don't travel half way around the globe to have a burger. Other ones seemed a little too local - like maybe you would be spending your night in the hotel bathroom. We did finally stop at one of these that looked okay. I ate, but my boyfriend chickened out and wouldn't touch his! Ha-ha! I slept soundly with no issues. We were entertained stopping at a local outdoor bar. The dogs came through liberally and a three-year-old kid was sipping on his dad's Chang beer. There's some local color for you. Mandalay seems like it's there as an airport to use in that area to get to the next country. The airport was nice, I'll admit. Stop in to the massage place while you wait for your plane.

At street intersections, there will be a green street sign on one corner telling you which streets you're on. People are friendly, helpful, and some speak enough English for English-only speakers to find their way around. It's a genuinely Burmese city, i.e., street restaurants and beer gardens throughout the city so easy to find food and drink. If you have a sense of cultural adventure and you like to explore a city rather than be waited on in a 5-star hotel as a vacation, then this city is worth some of your time. It's still Myanmar, i.e., relatively undeveloped, but that's the fun of it. If you want a city with all the amenities, then stick with London, Singapore, Hong Kong, or even Bangkok. If you like to get away from it all and know how to adapt and go with the flow, then Mandalay will be a delight for you.

We had two days and barely scratched the surface! We'll just have to go back for more! Sagaing and the ancient capitals are a definite must-see. U-Bein teak bridge is a photographer's dream. Mingun and the giant unfinished stupa is staggering in its immensity. Trying to imagine what it would have been like if ever finished boggles the mind! Mahamuni Pagoda with its golden Buddha, and Shwenendaw Kyaung teak monastery are also treats for the eyes, especially lovers of art, culture and Buddhist artefacts.

Many interesting sites locally.

The three city tour of the surrounding areas is good and interesting, as was the half day trip up the river to see the fourth ancient capital in the area.

It is a dirty, noisy, busy city and I would not even included it on an itinerary. Hard to find places to eat. No bars or nightlife. we were in bed at 10:00 pm on New Years Eve, the only expat bar having been shut down. Yangon is interesting, Bagan and Inle Lake are wonderful but Mandalay is nothing much.

) But it is a crowded, noisy and dirty city, in desperate need of urban planning.

Not much of a shopping destination.

I enjoyed visiting sightseeing spots by bicycle, which I rented from the hotel I stayed. Also, I joined a one day mini bus tour visiting neighboring 3 towns. This was also good. This kind of tour could be easily arranged at a hotel you stay at.

The areas around Mandalay are of more interest (Sagaing) though the city does have some very interesting temples to visit. For those who are interested in Buddhism the Mahamuni temple is very interesting and worth a visit. Not much of a night life, though the beer stations are always a good place to start!

Taxi is more expensive too. And it was difficult to walk in the heat with broken and dirty pavement.

Rent a car for the day and see all of them. Do go check out local silk fabric makers, you can see the workshops and the finish product. Lots of fun.

The visit to the historical cities and U Bein bridge are well worth a trip to Mandalay.

We stayed in Mandalay for 3 days and did not see one taxi on the road.

Do check out the places in advance or if not, you can engage a guide that bring you around for a daily rate of USD35 per day!

The local people are very friendly. I had some of the best food I've eaten in Myanmar here. There is also quite a lot to do around Mandalay. I had a guide and car for two days and went to various craft workshops around the city and to the sites of the ancient capitals that lie just outside the city area. I was also told it is easy to hire a motor bike to get to the sights. If you visit, talk to the locals and they will direct you to some nice places.