Mandalay has a surprising amount to offer for those seeking lesser-known sites and activities. Almost as though it has risen from the ashes, Mandalay exists today as a young, lively and vibrant city, famous for its culture, education and arts. The city is also home to some of the country’s most lively and colorful markets. Mandalay’s gem market for example, is the largest of its kind in the country and a great way to witness the experienced buyers and sellers do what they do best. Then there is the “Thaye Zay Station Bazaar, a local market with a difference. For anyone who’s tired of popular tourist hot spots in Mandalay and wants a glimpse of ordinary Burmese social life, there’s no better way to spend your morning than shopping for produce at the “Thaye Zay” Station Bazaar. The open-air market spans both sides of a railway track, springing to life in the morning when vendors arrive with close to one hundred pop-up stalls. This business is purely temporary however, seeing as the vendors are frequently required to remove their stock to make way for passing trains. About one kilometer north of Mandalay’s symbolic moat, the open-air market spans […]