Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mandalay & Around
Why Go?
For those who haven't been there - and that includes
The Road to Mandalay
author Rudy-
ard Kipling - the mention of 'Mandalay' typically conjures up images of Asia at its most
traditional and timeless. The initial reality can be a major anticlimax - a traffic-choked
grid of interminable straight roads full of anonymous concrete buildings. But don't despair
- though it's a relatively 'young', dynamic city, Mandalay is Myanmar's cultural capital.
It's easy to escape from the fumes and architectural banalities of the main streets in quar-
ters full of craft workshops and tree-shaded monasteries. The temple-topped Mandalay,
Yankin and Yedagon Hills offer welcomed exceptions to the city's pan-flat topography,
and several mini-theatres showcase traditional performing arts. Meanwhile, Mandalay is
the main transport hub for northern Myanmar and offers a panoply of easy day-trip destin-
ations, including four former royal capitals and the site of what would have been the
world's biggest stupa, had it ever been finished.
When to Go
Nov-Feb
Peak tourist season: days hot but bearable, evenings mild or occasionally
chilly.
