Myanmar (Burma) - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 566

Mandalay and
around
hanks partly to Rudyard Kipling's
evocative poem Mandalay , the name of
Myanmar's second city suggests - for
many Western visitors at least - images of
a bygone Asia. Arriving in downtown
Mandalay tends quickly to dispel such
thoughts, however, as visitors find
themselves in a grid of congested streets
dominated by the walls of the palace
compound (most of which is taken up by
a huge military base).
Despite this, it would be a shame to
rush through too quickly without giving
the place a chance to grow on you.
here's Mandalay Hill to climb,
memorable both for its views and for the
experience of joining throngs of locals
doing the same. hen there are day-trips
to former Burmese capitals such as the
once-mighty Inwa , now a sleepy
backwater scattered with stupas that you
can visit by horse and cart.

ADDRESSES IN MANDALAY
The grid system makes it easy to find
your way around Mandalay. Where
addresses are given in this section,
first comes the street on which the place
sits (81st St, for example), and then the
cross streets between which it lies (29/30,
for example).

trade with China and with a large
Chinese community.
Much of the downtown area ,
including the zone south and southwest
of the old royal palace where many
budget guesthouses are located, is
constantly tra c-choked and first
impressions are rarely positive. Yet even
here the backstreets can hold surprises,
such as the huddle of mosques and
Hindu temples on 82nd and 83rd streets,
between 26th and 29th streets. he
streets further west, towards the river,
are significantly quieter and a popular
area for exploring by bicycle.

7

Mandalay Palace
Built as the residence for King Mindon
and the Burmese aristocracy, Mandalay
Palace is protected by walls and a moat
more than 2km long on each side. After
the British took the city they used it as a
fort, and most of the huge site is still an
off-limits military base.
he palace complex itself is right at
the centre (daily 7.30am-4.30pm;
K10,000 Mandalay ticket), although
the wooden buildings all burnt down
towards the end of World War II. What
you see today is a 1990s reconstruction,
which is impressive from a distance
- such as from the helter-skelter-like
watchtower - but less so up close.
Foreigners can only enter the walls
through the east gate.

MANDALAY
MANDALAY is a surprisingly young city,
founded in 1857 by King Mindon
partly to show the British, who were
ruling Lower Burma from Rangoon,
that his kingdom was still mighty. After
being taken by the British in 1885, the
city prospered until the Japanese
occupation during World War II, which
saw many of the old buildings levelled
by Allied bombing. Today Mandalay is
the commercial hub of northern
Myanmar, particularly important for

MANDALAY COMBINED
ATTRACTION TICKETS
Several of the city's main attractions are
covered by a K10,000 government
ticket , which is valid for a week and can
be bought from any of the relevant
attractions. There is a separate K3000
government ticket for Sagaing and
Mingun, although the money is not
always collected.

Mandalay Hill
he 45-minute walk up Mandalay Hill for
sunset is one of the highlights of a visit to
the city. he usual starting point is the
staircase between a large pair of chin-thé
(lion-dogs) on 10th Street; there is
another entrance a little further east.
Whichever route you choose, the