Air

Mandalay International Airport is the largest and most modern airport in Burma. Built at a cost of US$150 million in 2000, the airport is highly underutilized; it serves mostly domestic flights with the exception of flights to Kunming. The airport has come to represent the military regime's propensity for bad planning and penchant for white elephant projects.


Rail

Mandalay Central Railway Station is the terminus of Myanmar Railways's main rail line from Yangon and the starting point of branch lines to Pyin U Lwin (Maymyo), Lashio, Monywa, Pakokku, Kalay, Gangaw, and to the north, Shwebo, Kawlin, Naba, Kanbalu, Mohnyin, Hopin, Mogaung and Myitkyina.

Mandalay does not have an intra-city metro rail system.

Roads

Mandalay literally is at the centre of Burma's road network. The highway network includes roads towards

Upper Burma and China—Mandalay–Tagaung–Bhamo–Myitkyina Road, Mandalay–Mogok–SiU–Bhamo Road, Mandalay–Lashio–Muse Road (part of Asian Highway route 14 or AH14)

Western Burma and India—Mandalay–Sagaing–Monywa–Kalewa–Tamu Road Lower Burma–Yangon–Naypyidaw–Mandalay Road


 

Mandalay Hill, Cultural Museum Mandalay , Sandamani Paya, Shwezigon Paya, Mahamuni Paya, Shwenandaw Kyaung, Mandalay Palace, Pyin U lwin

Mandalay Hill

Many people begin a stay at the one place that breaks out of the pancake flat plain, 230 m high Myanmar Mandalay hill. Visitors can taxi halfway up along a switchback road, where an escalator leads to the top and an elevator goes back down. Alternatively, you can make the half hour barefoot climb that take in numerous Myanmar Buddha and nat shrines; there are many pleasant places to stop for a rest or a drink on the way to Myanmar Mandalay hill. At the top the reward is a full panoramic vie. The hazy blue outline of the Myanmar Shan hills to the east, Myanmar Mandalay place to the south and the Ayeyarwady to the west.

Cultural Museum Mandalay

(ph:24603, corner 24 and 80 th sts, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm)

This Myanmar museum features a collection of Mandalay regalia, royally commissioned art and palm leaf manuscripts, coins, and bagan period Buddha images. It's not brilliant, but it can get you out of the sun (or rain); staff members don't always seem to check if you have the US$ 10 ticket or not.

Sandamani Paya

To the southeast of Mandalay hill Myanmar, close to the bus stop and near the road up to the hill, is the Sandamani paya. Similar to Kuthodaw, which is the east, off the main road, the slightly run down sandamani features a cluster of slender white washed stupas built on the site of king Mindon's temporary place while the new Mandalay palace was under construction. The paya enshrines an iron image of the Myanmar Buddha cast in 1082 by Bodawpaya and transported here from Amarapura in 1874. Around the stupa lies a collection of 1774 marble slabs inscribed with commentaries on the Tripitaka (Buddhist cannon).

Shwezigon Paya

At the west end of Nyaung U, this beautiful zedi was started by Anawrahta but not completed until the reign of Kyanzittha. The latter is thought to have built his palace nearby. Supposedly, the Shwezigon was thought to have built his palace nearby. Supposedly, the Shwezigon was built to enshrine one of the four replicas of the Buddha tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka, and to mark the northern edge of the city. The other three tooth replices went to Lawkananda, a smaller stupa to the south; to Tan Kyi, a stupa on the western bank of the Ayeyarwady; and to Tuyan Taung, a stupa on the summit of a hill 32km to the east.

The stupa's graceful bell shape became a prototype for virtually all later stupas over Myanmar. The gilded zedi lit up impressively at dusk sits on three rising terraces. Enamelled plaques in panels around the base of the zedi illustrate scenes from the Jataka. At the cardinal points, facing the terrace stairways, are four shrines, each of which houses a 4m-high bronze standing Buddha. Gupta-inspired and cast in 1102, these figures are Bagan's largest surviving bronze Buddhas. Their left hands exhibit the vitarka (expression) mudra while the right hands are held palms out wards. Fingers straight up, portraying the gesture of abhaya (no fear).

Mahamuni Paya

Mahamuni Paya is in the southwest Mandalay, off the road towards Amarapura Mandalay road. Mahanumi paya one of Myanmar's most famous Buddhist sites in Myanmar. The gold and crimson site was originally built by Myanmar King Bodawpaya in 1784, when a brick road was constructed from his palace to the paya's eastern gate. You can still find traces of this Myanmar royal highway.

Shwenandaw Kyaung

Just east of the Atumashi Kyaung stands the wooden Shwenandaw kyaung (Myanmar (Burma) monastery). This Myanmar (Burma) monastery is of great interest, not only as a fine example of a traditional Burmese wooden monastery, but lot as a fragile reminder of the old Mandalay palace Myanmar. It was once part of the palace complex, Myanmar king Mindon lived here, and in fact died in this Myanmar building. The building is covered inside and out with carved panels, but unfortunately many of the exterior panels have weathered badly and some have been removed. At one time this Myanmar building was gilded and decorated with glass mosaics. The carved panels inside are still in excellent condition in Myanmar.

Mandalay Palace

Mandalay Myanmar Palace Myanmar is the overwhelming centerpiece of Mandalay, the palace compound sprawling south of Mandalay hill, is surrounded by a fort made up of immense 3.2 km long, 8 m high walls and guarded by a 70 m wide moat. Visitors can enter at the east gate only, where a road passes off road army barracks to the royal palace site, surrounded by an internal ring road in the centre.
 

Pyin U lwin

Few places in Myanmar evoke the vibe of the British colonial era such as the hill town resort of Pyin U Lwin (Maymyo) near Mandalay. In the cool foothills here, 69 km east of Mandalay, stately colonial era buildings on the town's main street house Nepali tea houses or sweater shops, and Myanmar country cottages sit on grassy plots outside town. Some old home, like the famous Candacraig are now Myanmar government run hotels. Trotting through it all are pony led colorful miniature wagons. More importantly, it's about 6° C or 7° C cooler than in Mandalay Myanmar. Peak season in Pyin U Lwin coincides with the hottest months elsewhere except Pyin U Lwin.
 

Mt Popa Myanmar

If you look towards the range of hill that rises, shimmering in the heat, behind Bagan, you can often see a solitary peak standing apart from the range's west end. Rising to 737 m from the flat, surrounding Myingyan plain, and topped with a superb pagoda, Mt Popa Myanmar is said to be the core of an extinct volcano last active 250000 years ago. It's a popular and worthwhile half day trip from Bagan and visit Mt Popa resort in Myanmar.
 

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