If you are feeling adventurous, you can hike the pilgrim’s trail to the top. For the rest, the summit is also serviced by an escalator from the parking lot to the temple. Mandalay Hill is the best place in town for watching the sunset!
2. Mandalay Palace
The original Mandalay Palace was destroyed during the Second World War, but a faithful replica was rebuilt in the 1990’s. Today, only the throne hall is decorated, but visitors are free to follow a map and explore all the buildings in the sprawling complex.
Entrance is included with the Mandalay Historical Zone ticket purchased for entry to the Mandalay Palace.
4. Shwenandaw Monastery
Unlike Mandalay Palace, Shwenandaw Monastery is an original building. It is the only surviving building, in fact, from the original Mandalay Palace complex. The building is very different from the other golden and gaudy temples that you’ll find throughout Burma. The monastery, made of hand-carved teak wood, is dark, quiet, and peaceful inside.
You can even sign up for a dolphin-watching excursion, although seeing the rare creatures is not guaranteed.
Getting to and From Mandalay
As one of the country’s major cities and port of entry, you can reach Mandalay by flight at the international airport. You can also arrive by bus or train from Yangon (warning: read this first!), but by far the best way to travel around this part of the Myanmar is by boat. If you have time, spend a day on the Irrawaddy River and take a cruise from Mandalay to Bagan. You won’t regret it!
If you are interested in Myanmar, check out my second book, Across A Golden Land,
my travelogue of our journey by land across the country from Yangon to Bagan. And, yes, it features both the awful night train and the wonderful river boat!
Watch
“Golden Land” – our travel vlog about our recent adventure in Myanmar.
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