Mandalay

Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Myanmar. Located at 445 miles (716 km) north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River.

Mandalay is the economic hub of Upper Burma and considered the center of Burmese culture.  Has reshaped the city’s ethnic makeup and increased its economic dynamism.

Monywa

Monywa is a city in central Myanmar and situated on the eastern bank of the Chindwin Rive, Mandalay Division. It lays 136 km north-west of Mandalay along the Mandalay-Budalin branch railway line. Monywa serves as a major trade center for India and Burma through Kalay Myo road and Chindwin River.

Monywa Town

In Monywa town, there are busy markets, popular restuarants, a Degree College affiliated to Mandalay University, a Technical High School, and soon there will be an Institute of Economics, the second after the one in Yangon.

Monywa Hotel, now privatised, has comfortable four-room bungalows with attached amenities, all air-conditioned. centre, second only to Mandalay in the Upper Myanmar region.

Thanboddhay Pagoda

There are many different Buddha images, row upon row in ascending tiers in niches along the walls: the total number is 582, 257, an amazing figure! Unlike most of the pagodas in Myanmar, the entrance is not guarded by Chinthes, the mythical lions, but by statues of a pair of magnificent white elephants which are sacred and auspicious in Buddhist symbolism.

Thanboddhay is the only pagoda with this unique shape in the whole country. The square temple base (each side about 166 feet) which worshippers can enter is topped by receding terraces, with myriads of small stupas (864 in number) surrounding the central golden chedi, 132 feet in height.

Tourists can study and take photos of the twenty tagundaing, huge decorated pillars, and also big masonry fruits in the shape of bunches of bananas and coconuts, water melon, mangos, jackfruits, papaya and so on . These fruits are also objects of veneration for the local farmers.

If you can go at the beginning of the Myanmar month of Tazaungmone ( usually around November), you can see the annual pagoda festival, which goes on for several days when the villagers from all around come to enjoy the music and dancing, and buy from the various stalls set up by sellers from all over the country.

Pho Win Hill

The caves themselves contain Buddhist statues and murals dating to the 17th and 18th centuries. Most exhibit the Inwa style, though some may date as for back as the 14th to16th centuries. A covered stairway climbs a hill to the main cave shrine, but there are dozens of large and small caves in the area filled with old Buddha images.  

Amarapura

Amarapura lies on the left bank of the Ayarwaddy River. A suburb of Mandalay, it is also known as Taung-myo (Southern Town) or Myohaung (Old City). Amarapura means City of Immortality. Amarapura was the capital city of Myanmar, during the Konbaung Dynasty.  Amarapura is famous for the Silk Weaving Industry. Most of the Myanmar people are very proud to attend the cultural ceremonies with Achiek Longyi, mainly produced from Amarapura. Not very far from Mandalay city and accessible by car.

Interesting Places

U Bein Bridge

U Bein Bridge is about three quarter of a mile, crossing the Taung-tha-man Inn (lake). It is one of the most attractive spot for tourists. It is the longest teak bridge in the world and is about two centuries old.

This bridge became to be known as U Bein Bridge after the name of the donor, U Bein who was a clerk to the Mayor of Amarapura. It was constructed in 1849 from old planks and timber posts of dismantled houses in Sagaing and Inwa. It took nearly two years to finish, but since it was opened in 1851 it has constantly been in use by the people and in recent years by foreign visitors also.

Kyauktawgyi Pagoda

The Kyauktawgyi Pagoda was built by King Bagan in 1847 on the model of the Ananda Temple at Bagan.

It closely resembles the Ananda in exterior form but it falls short of the latter in construction and interior decoration. Unlike the Ananda, which has perfect vaulted roofs, the Kyauktawgyi has wooden rafters and beams, which account for the weakness of the structure. There is one principal image carved out of a single block of Sagyin marble. The walls in the east and south porches are adorned with paintings depicting many religious buildings erected by the donor and other kings in different parts of the country, and scenes from contemporary Burmese life.

Maymyo

Maymyo (Pyin Oo Lwin) is Burma’s best-known colonial hill station and a worthwhile 2-hours-trip from Mandalay. You can enjoy beautiful scenery, a cool climate and nostalgic atmosphere of former days with its old buildings and botanical gardens.   The town, with its brick and timber houses-complete with English-style gables, turrets and chimneys-remains as a ghost like memento of empire. Botanical Gardens were laid out by Sir Harcourt Butler, former Governor of Burma. The plants and trees are labelled in Latin and Burmese. A wide range of fruits (including strawberries), vegetables and coffee can be grown in Pyin U Lwin. There are few interesting sights to check out: the Pwe Kauk and Anisakan Falls .

Sagaing

Sagaing is a religious and monastic center, with numerous  Buddist Monestries. The pagodas and monasteries crowd the numerous hills along the ridge running parallel to the river.  Along the picturesque Sagaing hills beyond the town are over 600 monasteries for both monks and nuns. There can be nothing more sublime than to wander in these hills beneath a canopy of flowering trees, surrounded by the gentle murmur of chanting monks and nuns.

Taunggyi

Taunggyi is the capital of  Shan State. Taunggyi has a population of approximately 200,000, making it the fourth largest city in Myanmar and is at an elevation of 4,590 feet (1,400 m) above sea level.   Although within the Shan State, the Shans are not the predominant population of this city. The Inthas and the Pa-Os form the most visible population. Taunggyi lies within the Myelet region of Shan State.

Kakku Pagodas

One of the Asia’s largest and most spectacular ancient monuments is a wonderful Pagoda named Kakku. It contains over 2,000 stupas with origins dating back many centuries. For many centuries, the Pa-Oh has lived in peace,cultivating their land and devoting much of their energy and limited wealth to creating monestries and pagodas

Inle

The lake is inhabited by Intha people, who take their name from the word meaning “sons of the lake.” Their villages of bamboo and wooden dwellings are situated in the midst of the lake, perched on stilts   . This is the only place in the world where flower and vegetable gardens float, created by joining beds of water hyacinth and flotsam   .

Pindaya

Pindaya is a town in the Shan State of Myanamar. It is located in the west of the state in Pindaya Townshipin Taunggyi District. Mainly famous for its limestone caves called Pindaya Caves where thousands of Buddha images have been consecrated for worship over the centuries, it is also one of the towns that host an itinerant market every fifth day.

Kalaw

Kalaw was a popular British hill station. It has an interesting mix of Colonial, Muslim and Shan architecture. It’s peaceful and quiet and an ideal place for trekking into the surrounding hills. The plateau near Kalaw is inhabited by people of the Palaung and Pa-O (Black Karren) tribes. Tribes people come into town on Kalaw’s market day and sleeping in their long houses on an overnight trek is an unique experience.

Nyaung Shwe

Nyaung Shwe is near the marvelous Inle Lake. Inle Lake is situated in Nyaung Shwe Township. To visit Nyaung Shwe, one has to take a flight from Yangon to Heho then pass Shwe Nyaung and reach Nyaung Shwe.

Mrauk Oo

Mrauk oo is the ancient capital of Rakhine State and 65 km upstream by boat from Sitwe on increasingly narrow water and give a sense of time and place to lovely area in the foot hill of the Moutains.Once in Mrauk oo, its 150 or so temples stand atop, under and between rounded hill rocks.