Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the early morning, a small crowd of early birds gathers while the face of the statue - pretty
much the only part not covered in gold leaf - is tenderly washed.
Northwest of the main shrine is a cream concrete building containing Hindu figures taken
originally from Angkor Wat by the Rakhine, before being appropriated by Bodawpaya at the
same time as the large Buddha.
Stone carvers' workshops
Off 82nd St
JustoutsidetheMahamuniPayacomplex,tothewest,isadusty,noisyandvisuallyabsorbing
district of
stone-carving workshops
. Here you'll see Buddha statues in various sizes and
stages of completion, with the most interesting the ones awaiting specific facial design in-
structions.
Shwe In Bin Kyaung
89th St, between 37th & 38th sts • Daily 24hr • Free
Raised on stilts and housing around thirty monks at any one time, the teak
Shwe In Bin
Kyaung
is a real stunner - and one which is, rather surprisingly, left alone by most visitors.
The monastery was built in the late nineteenth century by jade merchants from China (whose
legacy is still evident in the nearby
Jade Market
)
, and is most notable for the fantastically
rich profusion of carvings in and around its upper level; you'll see them in every doorway,
eave and balustrade, many of them covered in spiders' webs, and they extend way up to the
heavily spiked roof.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: MANDALAY
BY PLANE
MandalayInternationalAirport
FlightstoMandalaytouchdownatMandalayInternation-
al Airport (
mandalayairport.com
)
, some 45km south from the city centre. At the airport
you'll find a few ATMs, and a café.
Transport to/from town
Getting into town is easy if you've arrived from Thailand with
AirAsia - just hop on one of their free buses, which drop off by the railway station, then at
their office on 79th St (between 26th & 27th sts). Back to the airport, these depart the office
at 9am & 9.15am. If you've arrived with other airlines, hunt down the taxi booking desk,
which charges a set K4000 per seat, or K12,000 for the full cab; heading back to the airport,
get your accommodation to call a taxi, or enquire about booking a shared cab at an agency
such as
Nice Style
. These are also the best places to go when buying tickets. Do note that, in
common with the rest of Myanmar, you may drop by one or two other airports on the way to
your destination.
Airlines
AirAsia (26th St, between 78th and 79th sts; 02 61328); Air Bagan (78th St,
between 27th and 28th sts; 02 61791); Air Mandalay (78th St, between 29th and 30th sts;
02 61513); Asian Wings (30th St, between 77th and 78th sts; 02 74791); Myanmar Air-
