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 […]
The year was 1885 and the last Burmese king was standing strong. The British forces were marching into Mandalay with very little opposition. Their plan to take over the country was succeeding- but capturing the Royal Palace of Mandalay in the centre of the city, was going to be an important symbolic victory. As it turned out, overtaking the palace- and King ThibawMin- was even easier than predicted. The British demanded unconditional surrender and that’s what they got.The King and Queen were put on a bullock cart and taken down to the river to be sent into exile in India. The story goes that when the British soldiers pulled out their guns, the King dropped down to his knees and begged for his life to be spared. His queen, however, walked on her own defiantly towards the steamer on the mighty Irrawaddy. After the British invasion, the palace was used by the colonialists as a base for troops in Mandalay and many of the royal treasures were looted and sent back to London ( many are still on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum). Every global aggress or eventually must face a rising challenger. And so it was that […]
A travel guide for your trip to Myanmar! If you are planning to spend 2 weeks in Myanmar, the ultimate itinerary is here for you! I have gathered all the information you need to prepare for your trip, the ideal itinerary and the things to do per places. My goal is to help you anticipate and enjoy your travels in Myanmar as much as possible! I spent 2 weeks in Myanmar, aka Burma, in January 2020. This country was on my radar since a few years as I discovered its amazing beauty on Instagram. Seeing it by myself was such an amazing experience! I went to Yangon, Inle Lake, Bagan and Mandalay. Although I travelled during high season, I didn’t find that the places were overcrowded. Myanmar is indeed not too touristy yet, a good thing if you like to travel without being in the middle of a crowd! My recommendation for a 2 weeks itinerary The country of Myanmar is full of beauty and really deserves a visit! I was amazed by all the places I have visited there! If you have planned to stay for 2 weeks, here are the destinations that I recommend: Yangon: 4 days (city […]
Coronavirus is breaking the entire world. The speed at which it is spreading and affecting the travel and hospitality industry is really troubling. When it appears that the COVID-19 disease is more deadly than seasonal influenza, it is obvious that your guests are afraid to travel or consider any other accommodation option safe. But, as a hotel, you can adopt a few preventive measures, and assure a safe stay for your guests. Well, we have covered the what, why and how of COVID-19 and which preventive measures hotels should take to assure a safe stay to your guests. What is Coronavirus? Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, some causing illness in people and others circulating among animals, including camels, cats and bats The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person. This virus was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization (WHO) has made a dedicated page that has comprehensive information on COVID-19. You can explore more of this outbreak from here. How does it spread? Coronaviruses in human spread just like the flu or a cold (from person to […]
It isn’t the oldest bridge in the world, but U Bein Bridge is the oldest and longest teakwood bridge in the world. Crossing the naturally beautiful Taungthaman Lake from East to West. The 1.2km (0.75mi) bridge was built around 1850 and the construction began when the capital of Ava Kingdom moved to Amarapura, build by Bodawpaya’s eponymous mayour using timber from Ava. The bridge was built in curved shape in the middle to resist the assault of wind and water. The main teak posts were hammered into the lake bed seven feet deep, supported by more than 1,000 poles. Earning its rights as a must visit while in Mandalay. Many photographers flock here to take photographs of the bridge silhouette and the setting sun as the backdrop. It may be the most photographed spot in Myanmar. The morning view was quiet, peaceful and also spectacular. Drove down to Amarapura early in the morning around 4:45am and managed to reach the bridge just right before the sun began to rise. The calm atmosphere in the early morning is exactly what I was looking for and you can only see monks from the near monasteries crossing the bridge. Great photography opportunities if […]
Mandalay ist die zweitgrößte Stadt Myanmars, hier gibt’s ne Menge Pagoden und Klöster zu besichtigen. Besonders die Ausflugsziele in der Umgebung unterscheiden Mandalay von anderen Städten in Myanmar. Ich verrate dir alles, was du für deinen Aufenthalt in der ehemaligen Hauptstadt wissen musst. SEHENSWÜRDIGKEITEN IN MANDALAY Was wäre eine burmesische Stadt ohne Klöster und Pagoden? In Mandalay gibt es davon auf jeden Fall genug! Für einige Sehenswürdigkeiten gibt es ein Sammelticket. Das kostet 10.000 Kyat (ca. 7€) und ist für 5 Tage gültig. Folgende Sehenswürdigkeiten in Mandalay kannst du damit besuchen: Mandalay Palace, Atummashi Kyaung, Shwenandaw Kyaung Kloster und die Altstadt von Inwa. KUTHODAW-PAGODE Die Kuthodaw-Pagode ist auch bekannt als “Das größte Buch der Welt”. What? Rund um die Pagode stehen 729 kleine, weiße Stupas, in denen eine Marmortafel steht. Diese stellen ein Blatt des größten Buches der Welt dar und es sind Texte der buddhistischen Lehre vermerkt. Besonders beeindruckend ist die Kuthodaw-Pagode zum Sonnenaufgang – ein unbeschreibliches Licht. Solltest du nicht zu den Frühaufsteher gehören, lässt sich ein Besuch der Kuthodaw-Pagode perfekt mit dem Mandalay Hill verbinden. Sie liegt im Norden der Altstadt, sozusagen am Fuße des Mandalay Hills. Der Eintritt ist kostenlos. MANDALAY HILL Der Mandalay Hill ist ein Hügel, auf […]
The Irrawaddy River is home to the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, found just north of Mandalay. What’s unique about Burma’s (Myanmar) Irrawaddy dolphins is their relationship with local fishermen. Dolphins and fishermen communicate and fish together, a practice called “cooperative fishing”–a unique phenomenon found in only two other places in the world. Taking this Irrawaddy Dolphin Watching trip in the hottest month in Myanmar turned out to be a great idea. As a group of 4 we opted for the 2 days/ 1 night trip and enjoyed the cooling breeze and beautiful scenery as we slowly made our way up the river. What is an Irrawaddy Dolphin? Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) are an oceanic dolphin named after the Irrawaddy (Ayeyawaddy) River and are one of the world’s five species of dolphins that live in rivers. They have a grey body, a blunt forehead and nose, unlike the other oceanic dolphins, and can live up to 50 years. They use echolocation (sound) to hunt fish and communicate together. Irrawaddy dolphins are endangered and have an estimated total population of 7,100. They are found in only three rivers today, and there are less than 70 individuals left in the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar, […]
“Maha Walu Ka” Sand Stupa Annual Festival held on two days ahead of “Kasone” full moon day also known as “Vesak”Day. ” Maha Walu Ka” sand stupa pagoda is also known as “Mont Te Su Sand Stupa Pagoda” because of situated in “Mont Te Su Quarter”, 85th street between 37th and 38th. The exact date of Vesak is based on the Asian lunisolar calendars and is primarily celebrated in Vaisakha month of the Buddhist calendar and the Hindu calendar, and hence the name Vesak. In Nepal, which is considered the birth-country of Buddha, it is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month of the Hindu calendar, and is traditionally called Buddha Purnima, Purnima meaning the full moon day in Sanskrit. In Theravada countries following the Buddhist calendar, it falls on a full moon Uposatha day, typically in the 5th or 6th lunar month. The date varies from year to year in the Western Gregorian calendar, but usually falls in April or May. In leap years it may be celebrated in June. Mandalay is famous and strange of celebrating “Sand Stupa Pagoda” among the other towns in Myanmar because six sand stupa pagodas are situated in quarters along […]
Myanmar New Year Thingyan festival (water festival) is coming soon. We welcome our Burmese new year beginning with three days or sometimes 4 days of water festival. The Burmese new year falls on the second week of April as begins on 13th april and will end on 16th april. April always will be the welcomed day of our Burmese New Year. The true spirit of the water festival is to have nice clean fun with dear friends sprinkling water on the one another. Here are the symbols of “Thingyan Festival”. “Ah-Tar-Oh”, “Thingyan Pot” The Pot with its set of flowers and leaves, is called “Ah-Tar-Oh”, ‘Thingyan Pot’. “Ah-Tar-Oh”, “Thingyan Pot” meaning is that ” pot of flowers put out during Thingyan to welcome the New Year”.In this pot , the seven flowers or leaves are chosen and represent the seven days of the week. It welcomes our Burmese New Year, especially to the King of the Celestials- Tha-Gyar-Min. Whether he forgets to come or not, we never forget to welcome him with ‘Thingyan Pot’. We place Thingyan Pot at the suitable place in front of our house and hope that he will see it and let our names be engraved […]
Thingyan, or the Buddhist New Year festival, is the most celebrated event in the country. It usually occurs in the middle of April and lasts for four or five days, culminating in the New Year according to the Myanmar calendar. For the duration of the celebration, people spray or douse each other with water on the streets. The centre of this year’s celebration will be around the Mandalay moat and city walls. Those who want to erect water-spraying pavilions around the moat, where they can sell tickets to revellers, can participate in the bidding supervised by the city. Mandalay have introduced walking water splash, rural Thingyan night market, and Pyidaungsu Thingyan for this year “Walking Thingyan” on 26th street has attracted revelers this year, making the festival more attractive than previous years.The he Mandalay City Development Committee is going to try to ramp up travel and tourism in Mandalay by celebrating this year’s water festival with Mandalay Walking Thingyan and Countryside Thingyan Night Market. The aim is to elevate tourism in Mandalay ,would like all tourists to come here during Thingyan festival and like to arrange trips for them to visit our three ancient cities Bagan, Innwa and Amarapura before […]