Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
several gold-pounders' workshops on 36th St. The sound of various chaps bonking the gold
into super-fine thickness can be quite beautiful - and, in fact, almost musical. They also, on
occasions, show how bamboo paper is made. The place is free to enter, and though they sell
souvenirs there's very little pressure to buy; one thing you may wish to invest in is a stash of
gold leaf (from K3000), for putting onto an appropriate
Buddha
image.
Daily 7am-6pm.
all sorts of local crafts, including Mandalay's famed marionettes. They'll first point you to-
wards the jade and other precious stones (which can be yours for as little as K5000), and
there are also good necklaces and woodcarvings on sale (the latter on the upstairs level).
However, the shop is perhaps most notable for its superb Jataka tapestries and other images.
Daily 8.30am-8.30pm.
yourself way across town for, but certainly worth popping into if you're visiting the
King
Galon
gold pounders, this tiny store sells gorgeous paper parasols, which come in a range of
sizes - there are even some for kids, who often find the things delightful. The cheapest cost
around K9000; it's just a pity that the staff are usually so grumpy.
Daily 6am-6pm.
SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES
However long you stay in Mandalay, there's plenty to keep you occupied - whack golf balls
towards Mandalay Hill from a cute driving range, swim off the day's exertions in a hotel
pool, go for a massage or relax at a spa.
GOLF
Asia Center Driving Range
10th St, behind Mandalay Hill hotel.
A nice alternative to pay-
ing fee after fee at the
Shwe Mann Taung
course is this driving range, just north of the
Man-
dalay Hill
hotel, where you can whack balls in the direction of the hill without even leaving
the comfort of your flip-flops. It'll cost you K700-2000 for a tray of sixty balls (depending
on quality), and an extra K1000 per club; all locals also splash out on a caddy (K2000 per
tray), though this is not necessary. All in all, a fun way to spend an hour or so.
Shwe Mann Taung Golf Resort
73rd St, at Lan Thit Rd 02 75898,
shwemann-
taung.mdy@gmail.com
.
An eighteen-hole golf course in Mandalay? You bet, and a fairly de-
cent one at that - with nice views of Mandalay Hill to boot. Even stranger is the fact that
the course attracts upwards of 200 golfers per day, the vast majority of them local. The green
fee will cost you K30,000 whether you're playing eighteen or nine holes; otherwise, you can
chop the buggy (K30,000), caddy (K12,000) and trolley fees (K1000) in half if you're play-
ing over nine. They also rent out sets of clubs for K15,000-30,000, depending on quality.
