Mandalay is the last stage of our fabulous trip in Myanmar. After visiting Yangon, treking in Kalaw mountains, meeting so many lovely local people, exploring Lake Inle and the temples of Bagan, we end in beauty our exploration of beautiful Myanmar in Mandalay, staying at Hotel By The Red Canal.

A final step in Burma in a haven of peace

The Hotel By The Red Canal is the perfect place to relax in an idyllic cocoon especially after two weeks of travel in an vibrant country like Myanmar. Hotel By The Red Canal in Mandalay is an institution and, in our opinion, the most relaxing and most comfortable option in the city. We tell you why.

Mandalay is quite noisy and dusty with the traffic jams and habitual agitation so characteristic of the main cities of Southeast Asia, but the hotel By The Red Canal is a haven of peace, an urban oasis.

Upon arrival we are charmed by the lush garden well maintained and the small pool that give a very exotic touch to the hotel. Flowers are everywhere !

After a warm welcome, we feel like being at home. We visit the hotel By The Red Canal and we discover the hotel and the rooms. The hotel has 25 rooms of 4 categories with the names of 4 large Burmese ethnic : Chin , Shan, Kachin and Rakhine. The wooden decoration of the room offers a very warm atmosphere. We really love it.

A gym and a lobby with internet and connected computers are also available to customers. The Wifi works slowly in the room but for Myanmar it’s very good and so unexpected.

To feel completely relaxed, we test the massages provided here. The place is small but cosy. Rose petals and candles arranged around the seating area gives a very romantic atmosphere. The burmese massage offered by the hotel is really nice. A perfect time of rest and relaxation. We recommand it because it’s a good excuse to relax after a full day of visits in the vibrant Mandalay city.

By the end of the day, between 7pm and 8pm, after a day of visits or after the spa, the hotel By The Red Canal has the great idea to organize a free cocktail time around the pool. The place is really pretty, magnified by the light of the candles all around the pool. It’s the perfect time to meet other travellers and enjoy the sunset time. Don’t miss it ! The cocktails are so good and change everyday !

The restaurant attached to the hotel, the Spice Garden Restaurant, is the only Indian gourmet restaurant in Mandalay. We love the menu. The plates remind us our trip in Rajasthan in North India. We try a mix of different plates like the tasty Reshmi Kebab (marinated chicken skewers), the Paneer Tikka which (skewers of vegetables and Indian cheese cooked in tandoori), the Paratha which is the Indian homemade bread and baked in tandoori, the Kachamber Salad, the Butter Chicken Masala which is one of India’s signature dishes and the Palak Soup, a soup with spinach. All is very good and very tasty ! There is also a very good wine choice. Choose the Myanmar one 😉

You have to try the Spice Garden Restaurant for sure in Mandalay !

During our stay in Mandalay, we mostly enjoy the hotel By The Red Canal but we also visit some nice and interesting places around. The hotel is very well located and it’s easy to explore the city by taxi. Just take a cab. Ask for it at the lobby. It’s easy, cheap and safe !
So we discover the gold beaters disctrict and we climb the 1,800 steps to reach the temple built atop the hill overlooking the city. Great view up there ! It was really a challenge to climb the 1,800 steps of Mandalay Hill. We are there beggining of March and the temperatures are very high.
We climb the stairs one by one. In fact, this is not so tiring when you go slowly. And then on the course, there are many steps in temples to make a break. You can also buy water and food along the way. For the less brave, there is also the possibility to get to the top by taxi.

This trip to Myanmar was a dream and the dream came true.

We learned more about the culture and the Burmese traditions, we enjoyed natural landscapes and we met fantastic local people. Nothing beats a smile , as they say 😉 Read all of our adventures in Myanmar on our travel blog OneDayOneTravel. Have also a look on our Youtube channel with our Myanmar epic vlogs and follow our adventures all over the world on our social medias.

Thanks to all the staff of the hotel By The Red Canal.
Franck et Richard, travel bloggers of OneDayOneTravel.com
www.onedayonetravel.com
www.youtube.com/user/onedayonetravel