Asia,  Myanmar,  TDM,  Travel Journal

Mandalay (Myanmar), way bigger than you’d think

Burma has always been a dream destination for us. For years, we have been telling ourselves that it has to be on our top list before it becomes too touristy. Here we are, finally.

Part 1: Travel Diary
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Travel Diary

We arrive in Mandalay after 2 hours (I think) of flight from Bangkok. Why we go directly to Mandalay instead of Yangon? Why don’t we do like everybody else? Simply because I never heard about Yangon before (oops). I did my research wrong and didn’t realize that Yangon was better served than Mandalay. This mistake “cost” us the addition of Thailand to our itinerary (we wanted to do Kathmandu – Mandalay but the tickets were too expensive. So we did Kathmandu – Thailand – Mandalay).

In the end, I do not regret my choice at all.

From the plane, I can see a mountain with two stupas on the top (you can’t see well on the sorry picture)

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With the e-visa requested 3 months ago, we pass the controls at the airport in 5 minutes, with a small stamp on our passport authorizing us to stay 28 days on the territory. It is necessary to fill in an arrival card, another card for the customs… but it is very easy and fast.

We are carrying out our current steps:

  • Cash withdrawal: the dispenser works well but charges 6.5% commission. This is a little/much abused. We choose the other solution: money exchange. The exchange rate varies according to the bills. The bigger the bill is (50, 100), the better the rate 😀
  • Taxi/shuttle spotting: it is the shuttle that wins with its more acceptable fare: 4000 kyats/person
  • SIM card OK at Telenor

Our hotel is located in front of the former royal palace, which looks like a huge perfect square more than 2Km wide.

We very quickly realize that nobody understands English here, but they are very smiling, kind and do not hesitate to call on those who understand English to help us. Clearly, this isn’t Thailand anymore, there is no “bike for rent” every 5m nor “Laundry” signs everywhere, even the numbers are written in Burmese.

We learn about the points of interest in the area and how to get to Bagan. The receptionist proposes us a boat at 35$ which makes Mandalay – Bagan in 6h30. We politely refuse because Caroline de Voirlemonde spoke to us about a slow boat which makes the same trip in 15h for 10$. It is a boat for Burmese, very nice, which was taken then by my friend Lauriane who liked it very much also.

After a lot of research on the Internet, we take an (expensive!) cab to buy our tickets. The lack of information about Burma motivates me to do some articles to update some info, especially about fares, transportation & money. It’s Wednesday, the boat leaves twice a week: Wednesday & Sunday. So we are “stuck” in Mandalay for 4 days.

First dinner in a bui-bui

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Day 2 : Kuthodaw Pagoda -> Sandamuni Pagoda -> Mandalay Bo Gyi Nat -> Shwenandaw Kyaung

After the cab preview last night (5000 kyats, 15 minutes for 4.4km), we realize that it is impossible to visit this city on foot (unless you are an athlete) and it is too expensive to take cabs. We rent 2 bikes at the hotel (3000 kyats/person).

It’s only 30°C and the sky is cloudy -> quite OK to ride a bike. The roads are OK, I find them less dangerous than sidewalks where there are holes everywhere. We go to the Kuthodaw pagoda, the biggest book in the world. Let’s quote Wikipedia :

Kuthodaw Pagoda is a Buddhist stupas complex located in Mandalay, Burma. It houses the largest book in the world (by size), the pale Buddhist canon, or Tipitaka. It is engraved on 729 marble stelae each protected in a kyauksa gu, or cave with inscription, under a small limed stupa. In the center is a 57 meter-high gilded stupa built on the model of the Shwezigon pagoda at Nyanung U (near Bagan).

We keep our bikes in an unofficial parking lot that occupies the sidewalk in front of the pagoda.

I read on Tripadvisor some opinions of people who are very angry because they are charged 100 kyats to keep their bikes (even the Burmese pay). If they pay for parking in France, why don’t they pay for parking, even if it’s unofficial, in Burma ? Especially when it costs the equivalent of 7 cents…

Small remark concerning the pagodas: girls must cover shoulders and knees. Contrary to Thailand, here, no one will lend you a scarf or dress to cover you. Boys can enter with their Bermuda shorts. And of course, you take off your shoes before entering.

This pagoda is really beautiful. Hundreds of stupas, all white, are lined up. The steles are protected by wire netting, we can not touch them. Behind an enormous Buddha (magnificent!) stands a golden stupa. One sees the Burmese picnic in the surroundings, beside the stupas, or not very far from the Buddhas.

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A group of girls proposes to put some Thanaka on us, JB feels the scam coming kms away but I’m too happy that someone offers it to me so I say yes right away. Moreover, they do it very well: everyone compliments JB for his Thanaka in the shape of leaves. The Thanaka is a yellow paste that the Burmese put on their face and body to protect themselves from the sun. It can be put on in an artistic way, by creating patterns, or by covering the face completely without worrying about aesthetics. It exists in powder version, piece of wood…

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If you remember the Beijing Express from a few years ago, the candidates were in Burma and before leaving for the Inle Lake, they had to ask the Burmese to put Thanaka on their faces. I always remember this detail. See, the Thanaka and me, it’s a long story 😀

After this very interested gesture, the girls propose us to buy painted or bamboo cards. I confess, we bought some at an exorbitant price even after negotiation.

We then walk to Sandamuni Pagoda (3mn walk), a pagoda of the same style but with even bigger and more numerous stupas. It’s really impressive. However, the stupas are so close to each other that the access to the stupas is completely forbidden. You can see them but not get close to them like in Kuthodaw. The good news is that the steles are no longer hidden behind the fences, they are clearly visible.
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We have lunch in a bui-bui in front of Kuthodaw. the meal is simple and cheap (1700 kyats or 1,27 €, drinks + fruits for dessert included), the boss even lends me her fan when she sees that I melt <3

Everywhere we go, people smile at us, say hello and help us as much as they can, whether they understand English or not. Unlike in India where every “Where are you going?” is followed by “And if not, my brother is a tour guide”, here people are interested in us in a really sincere and disinterested way.

Then we go to Mandalay Bo Gyi Nat, where everything is sparkling and golden. Same thing, stupas are everywhere, but a big part is under construction, which prevents us from exploring the place (don’t forget that we are barefoot and walking barefoot on a construction site isn’t very pleasant).

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Some stalls attract my attention as a shopper: I buy the famous Thanaka powder for 1000 kyats and an n-th fan (I lose some all the time).

We decide to return to the hotel via 62nd street, where there are monasteries every 10m. We stop at Shwenandaw Kyaung which reminds me of the beautiful Nepalese temples. The entrance fee is a little bit reluctant (10 000 kyats, or 10$), but the ticket is valid for several monuments, for 5 days.

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I love I love I love! Everything is made of teak wood (Burma exports some), everything is carved, a large part is even gilded. There is a Buddha inside with a slightly elevated platform. The visit is done very quickly, but too happy with the beauty of this place, we completely miss the gilded palace next to it (oops).

We stop at KBZ Bank, recommended to make the exchange. Burma is less paranoid now about foreign currency bills. Lauriane told me that last year (2015), her exchange of bills required the verification of 3 employees, everyone was running around. But that was before. They don’t need spotless nickel bills without folds anymore. I purposely give 2 rather new $100 bills folded in two. 0 reaction. There you go, travelers, you don’t have to come to Burma with the 0 defect bills anymore. It’s a thing of the past! If the exchange rate is more advantageous than at the airport, it follows the same logic: the bigger the ticket, the more advantageous the rate.


After the exchange, we collect Burmese banknotes that smell… moth-eaten, a characteristic and very unpleasant smell.

We will also witness two cash withdrawals from the Burmese. A stack of banknotes is taken out by the bank employee, put in a plastic bag and given to a Burmese woman. Considering the pile, it must be around 5 000$. The Burmese woman gives the bag to her son, who is about 6 years old:D Another Burmese woman comes to get her money at the cash register, the same, a pile of money in a black plastic bag. P/s: when you pass through Vietnam, go to the jewelers to watch the purchase of gold ingots (also delivered in hihihi plastic bags).

We dine in a restaurant next door to taste the famous Burmese curry, accompanied by delicious vegetable dishes.

Day 3: Sagang Hill – Mahamuni – Mandalay Hill – 26th Street

We rent a scooter for the day. The renter tells us that Inwa is flooded at the moment. We decide to go only to Sagang Hill.

Arriving on the spot and dead of hunger, we stop at a local restaurant. Communication is difficult even if the owner understands a few words of English. We ask for rice and she serves us the same thing as the bui bui yesterday in front of the Kuthodaw pagoda: rice, fried peanuts, one fried egg per person, a spicy sauce with Maggie, a kind of kimchi and a broth. I think this is the kind of food they eat every day. Very simple and cheap (1400 kyats for two). With sincere smiles as a bonus.

The rest is a little more complicated than expected since JB’s Samsung has trouble locating us. Sagang is a Bagan bis, i.e. there is a multitude of pagodas, monasteries and stupa (see the view on Sagang from the other bank, the golden peaks are stupas, there are many)

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Do you see monks surrounding the Buddha?

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We don’t put pressure on ourselves because everything is beautiful, we can afford to visit the pagodas “by feeling”. The arrows and indications are in Burmese, we follow the arrows without knowing too much where it leads us.

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In spite of that, we still arrive at the top of the mountain where we have a beautiful view of the river and the whole city. The presence of the tourists makes us understand that it is well “The place to be”.

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We pass in front of a monastic school (little monks, they are less than 10 years old). They are still children: we see about ten of them around a stand of skewers and papaya salad in front of the school, taking advantage of the break to have a snack. Becoming a monk may be the only option here, especially for poor families.

Then we go along a small path: it is very dusty because it is used to carry sand, extracted from the river opposite.

We return to Mandalay, stopping at Mahamuni, where one of the five Buddha images made during his lifetime can be found. The believers follow one another to glue gold leaf to the Buddha statue, which over the years becomes a huge statue made of solid gold. A TV screen allows you to follow all this live, because the women cannot get close, and there are too many believers to see well (sorry for the quality of the picture)

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We take advantage of having a scooter to go to Mandalay Hill and avoid 1h30 of walking (or 8$ per person one way, to go up to the top by pick up). We will cross on the road a lot of Burmese people using the road reserved for motorcycles/cars to do sports (another road made of thousands of steps is reserved for believers and tourists).

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The stupa of the pagoda at the top of Mandalay Hill

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The sunset at Mandalay Hill is frankly not exceptional as the guides sell it to us. I understand why those who walk for an hour and a half, barefoot, come here and say to themselves “it’s all for that”. However, the 360 degree view at the top is still nice. Several monks come here to practice English with the tourists… Or simply to do some sightseeing and selfies. They are human above all.

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To get to the top, despite our scooter, we still have to climb a few steps. Contrary to what you can read on TripAdvisor, it’s not that dirty, you just have to look where you put your bare feet.

JB joins a group of Burmese people playing soccer around a huge stupa with enclosure. Because of the place, everyone has to take off their shoes. The players give it their all, barefoot, they don’t hesitate to throw themselves on the ground if necessary.

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After this sports break, we attend a water jet show (with sound and light) on the 26th street, in front of the former Royal Palace. The space around this former royal palace (filled with water) also serves as a sports hall open to the Burmese. Here, jogging isn’t very trendy but fast walking is adopted by all. We even see machines, very simple, installed on the sidewalk so that they can work their muscles. For those who are hungry after their physical effort, several stands of mango/papaya salads and skewers are set up all along. There is also an incredible view of Mandalay Hill and its pagodas illuminated in the evening.

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We have dinner at the hotel’s restaurant to discover the famous tea salad, a Burmese specialty difficult to find in Mandalay. It’s very good, the fresh leaves don’t have at all the bitter taste of infused tea.

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Day 4: rain, rain, rain

We are very motivated to go to Amarapura to attend the lunch of thousands of monks.

Armed with our rain ponchos, we braved the torrential Asian rain on our scooter, only to forfeit the race two minutes later. We aren’t soaked, but the streets are flooded. We can’t see the imperfections of the road and risk ending up in a big hole at any moment.

We decide to return the scooter right away, before the roads become impassable. We follow the least flooded roads, even if it means making a huge detour.

We will also come across a snake on the road, apparently non venomous. This definitely discourages me from walking in the flooded streets. Moreover, every year during the monsoon, one deplores in Asia several victims falling (and disappearing) in the sewers.

Just yesterday, my parents used Facebook’s “safety check” after a storm hit Hanoi. Our house in Hanoi is located on top of a mini hill, we have never suffered from flooding, but those who live in the lower areas (especially the old part of Hanoi), where near the Red River, have learned to live with it and have to clean their walls and floors at least once a year. Some are even now equipped with boats 😀

Arrived on the spot, Tim, who rents us the scooter, proposes to bring us back to the hotel by car because according to him, no cab will venture until here (he is really too nice!). On the way, Tim will teach us that the Burmese writing is very difficult and different from the spoken language. Living for 18 years in Burma, he knows this country by heart and is surprised that it doesn’t rain more than that this year. Normally, during 4 months, it rains like today, all day long. This year, apart from the South, it rains much less in the North. We understand better why the hotels in Dawei (South of Burma) are all closed during the monsoon.

We will also see on the way half underwater scooters, women walking in the street where the water reaches up to the calf. All it takes is a car to pass by and the pedestrians and scooters next to them will be drenched to the bone. And yet, everything remains open: the bui bui, the hairdressing salons…

We change hotel to approach the port (the boat for Bagan leaves tomorrow at 5 am). The new hotel is just as comfortable as the first one, which surprises us a lot considering the recent tourist development of Burma. And the service is IMPECCABLE.

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Last days in Burma

Back to Mandalay after 8 hours by bus from Inle Lake, we choose another hotel (Hotel 8) and are delighted to have discovered it. Not only do they lend the bikes for free but they also rent the scooters directly from the hotel for 15 000 kyats/day.

We still haven’t forgotten our desire to visit Amarapura. We leave at 9:40 am by scooter to be at the Mahar Gandar Yone monastery to attend the monks’ meal at 10:15 am. In spite of the GPS, we can’t find the entrance of the monastery but a monk, on a scooter, guides us to the refectory where thousands of monks are queuing for their only meal of the day. Many faithful come to cook and distribute the meals. Some tourists also participate in the distribution. I just find it a pity the number of cameras pointed at the monks’ faces, or tourists coming in mini-shorts while we are in a monastery. Out of respect in front of this demonstration of humility, we will take only one or two photographs before quickly slipping away. It isn’t the case of everyone.

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We then go to the U Bein bridge which is just next to it and which is 1.2Km long. It is the longest teak deck in the world. It’s nice to walk on this deck, there are benches and rest areas every 20m. The numerous street vendors will convince you to buy some snacks (mango salad, kebabs, crabs…), to be visited for its atmosphere rather than for its beauty. The sunset seems to be beautiful but will not have the opportunity to check it out.

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The trees are under water because it has been raining a lot in Mandalay these last few days. In fact, a few minutes after this picture, it rained.

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We then spend the evening at the Diamond Plaza shopping mall and discover belatedly the Beauty Salons cheap at 6000 kyats the 45 minutes massage (which we didn’t test, not having much money left on us).

We test a Korean restaurant in the same center (not very Korean finally because it is adapted to the Burmese taste but it’s good anyway) and the cinema in the same place.

Cinema in Burma, an unforgettable experience

We choose a Korean movie (Train to Busan) with English subtitles (no Burmese subtitles here, if the movie is English then there will be no subtitles). It’s a bit weird because Burmese people are rather bad in English. The seats are numbered and you can choose them on the screen (but why don’t we have this system in France ??) and there are 3 price levels (1500/2500/3500 kyats), we choose the seats of the 2nd category (2500 kyats about 2€/person).

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We LOVED this session LOTS. In the middle of the pubs, like in Thailand, we all get up in front of a very moving music (the Burmese anthem?) with the flag of Burma (if I was Burmese I would have cried with pride in front of this flag a little cheap and pixelated, OMG this music was way too damn good). Then, there is a too weird movie clip where there are a lot of texts in Burmese, the singer smiles and sings. In the middle of her clip, there is a scene where people are electrocuted trying to save other electrocuted people and where they show you how to save properly in case of electrical problems with a wooden stick. Maybe the girl is just singing “First Aid for Dummies” in Burmese? We wish her to sell a lot of CDs.

Throughout the film, we hear a rather funny background noise, as if it were raining. Actually, it comes from the “local pop corn” of the Burmese: sunflower seeds. It’s very addictive this little snack, it brings only slab of calories and it takes forever to finish a small packet. Moreover, after the session, there are seeds on the ground, but everywhere. I’m sure it’s not at all related to the rudeness of the Burmese but to the film. Indeed, the film is about zoombies and there are scenes where everyone is jumping and screaming with fear, I think the seeds fell at those moments. The audience seems to understand the subtitles (why don’t these people work for the tourism industry where they lack English speakers?) because they react well to the dialogue. A bit too much, even. They comment out loud, especially when a zoombie appears and the main character doesn’t notice it yet. I guess they advise the characters to run.

Oh yes, last thing: because of the recurring power cut in Burma, the film was interrupted 3 times (for 10 to 20s).

In short, excellent last evening in Burma!

Part 2: Practical Tips

Budget

  • Double room at Hotel 8 (recommended): 20$/night, very nice and popular area. The hotel lends bikes for free and rents scooters (15000 kyats/day).
  • Double room at Palace View Hotel (very good): 27$/night, the hotel is almost new with a superb view on the former royal palace, non touristic area. The hotel rents bicycles, no scooters available
  • Double room at Royal Tulip Guest House (recommended): 25$/night, only 10mn from the port (convenient if you take a boat to Bagan). Non-tourist area with bui-bui and supermarket next door. Breakfast was given to us in a small box because we leave early in the morning
  • Bike rental: 3000 kyats/day
  • Scooter rental: between 10,000 and 15,000 kyats/day for an automatic scooter. Gasoline: 600 kyats/liter
  • Entrance fees to monuments paid by the government (Cultural Zone): 10,000 kyats/person for 7 days
  • Cab :

    • 5 000 kyats for about 5km
    • Mandalay Airport -> hotel in Mandalay and vice versa: 4 000 kyats/person by shuttle. 12 000 kyat for a private cab.

  • Food: between 2000 and 3000 kyats/dish
  • Cinema: between 1500 and 3500 kyats/person
  • Massage at Diamond Plaza (3rd floor & 4th floor): 6000 kyats/45 minutes

Tips

  • Walking isn’t a valid transportation option at Mandalay. This city is huge, even if on Google Maps, it doesn’t look like it. Moreover, the sidewalks aren’t very good. We have listed for you the rates & means of transportation in Mandalay
  • If you want to walk, choose a hotel between 10th and 12th Street, on the east side of the city (near Mandalay Hill).
  • If you absolutely want to withdraw money from the ATM, remember to inform your bank before you leave (the bank may block your card thinking that it is a fraud attempt) and be careful about the fees
  • Always have some change to pay for parking. Even if the bikes are guarded, they should always be locked
  • If you want to rent scooters here for 10$-15$, see our article
  • If you are taking a boat to Bagan, rent a hotel near the port as you will have trouble finding a cab at 5am.

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