ONE DAY IN MANDALAY
In the three weeks of my Myanmar visit I only spent one day in Mandalay. Still, it was sufficient for me, to call it one of my favorite places in Asia. From the city spiritual vibe oozing out of every corner, to the friendliness of its people, to the stunning temples, Mandalay is one of the most interesting cities I have visited and I have made a vow to return.
Are you wondering about why you should visit Mandalay, even if you only have one day? There are many reasons and even if one day in Mandalay feels short, there is still much you can do.
Despite its streets teemed with motorcycles, the city has kept a rural and spiritual charm. A visit to Mandalay feels like a journey into the heart of Buddhism. With its dressed in pink Buddhist nuns and orange monks queuing to receive rice offerings in the morning, the rhythm of the city seems to be a meditative dance around them.
A taxi is the best option to explore the city when your time is so limited. You can have a taxi for yourself for around 10 hours, waiting for you at every attraction for less than the cost of a meal in an average restaurant in Europe. And if you are lucky, I was, your taxi driver will walk with you into the temples and take nice pictures of you.
Following you can find a suggested Mandalay itinerary for one day in the order and as I exactly did it. It is quite an exhausting schedule with no breaks, except for a quick lunch, but the experience is worth the effort.
Buddhist nuns rice offerings
There are several rice offerings events happening in Mandalay temples along the day but on a tight schedule, as it is one day in Mandalay, fitting this can be a challenge.
However the “rice offering show” can be seen mostly in all áreas of the city early morning. In most cases the traffic will stop to let the nuns and monks queuing on the businesses doors to receive their offerings. You can also ask your driver to stop you to watch. People are usually very friendly in Myanmar so you will be allowed to walk close to the nuns and take pictures.
The donors believe that by giving the buddhist nuns and monks food and money, they are creating merit and good karma for themselves, so watch this ceremony with respect.
Mahamuni Pagoda Mandalay
The Mahamuni Pagoda takes its name from the Mahamuni buddha image residing inside the temple. The image comes originally from the Rakhine state and it is a representation of Buddha´s life, thus playing a role in the life of many people in Myanmar.
It is forbidden for women to enter the little room where the stupa is located and they can only watch the show from outside on T. V. Screens, while the men are inside making offerings to the stupa.
It is feels quite lively and noisy for a Buddhist temple, but that is the impression I got during all my temple visits in Myanmar.
Close to one of the temple exits you can find the ¨Maha Buddhavamsa Museum of World Buddhism”. The temple exhibits a collection of paintings related to the life of Buddha and some pictures of archeological sites.
On one of the exits passages there are several marble shops, a gong manufacturer and some shops selling Buddha images.
U- bein bridge, Mandalay
The U-bein bridge is located 12 km from Mandalay center and crosses the “Taunghaman Lake”. It is 1.2 km long and it is believed to be the oldest teakwood bridge in the world.
You can cross to the other side either walking or by boat. I recommend to do at least one way by foot as it is a perfect spot to observe local life.
On a sunny day you can see people swiming, jumping into the water, groups of teenagers hanging around together. Hawkers selling all kind of trinkets are lining up in some spots of the bridge as well.
Some people may stop you and ask to have a selfie or photo with you. I always agree to take a picture with locals but that is up to your choice. Be polite as it is common in Myanmar to ask potos to foreigners on the streets.
Crossing the bridge by foot and returning by boat it is the perfect way to see the bridge from all angles.
Ma Soe Yein monastery
This is the biggest monastery in Mandalay, giving residence and students to 27.000 monks. Every male in Myanmar has to spend a certain period of their live in a monastery and after the period is over they can choose whether becoming a monk or not.
Monks is Ma Soe monastery do not spend their whole day in meditation as you might be inclined to think. In fact the place is quite a noisy and bustling place. There are several classrooms where the monks take lessons to study “the Buddha language”. And they have several duties on the monastery during the day.
Monks are pretty friendly and they like to talk to foreigners. I was stopped by one of them that was interested in my background. We had a little chat about the connection between spirituality and psychology and he was very interested to stay in touch with me when I told him I had the same interests and I am a graduated theoretical physicist.
It was through him that I got to know that monks usually do not meditate more than half an hour per day. He told me the type of Buddhism practiced in the temple is Hinayana, or “small vehicule”. You do good to yourself and through that you do good to others. His view was that Hinayana and Mahayana ( putting other´s before yourself) are interrelated and cannot be separated.-
“If you meditate everyday half an hour sending lovingkindness for all beings, that will end up changing how you behave. Right?” He told me as the taxi driver rushed me to go to the next place to complete my day itinerary. We have stayed Facebook friends since them.
Mandalay Palace
The Mandalay palace is located at the base of ¨Mandalay hill¨. It consists of a building complex and it is the palace of the last Burmese monarchy.
The original palace was build on the 19th century and it was mostly destroyed by bombings during the the world was II. What we can see today is a replica from the 90s.
There is a very nice view of the Mandalay hill from outside the palace.
Mandalay Hill
Walking up the Mandalay Hill is something I wish I had done if I had had more than one day in Mandalay and that I will definetely do when I return.
However on a short schedule it is better to go up by taxi and them climb up the stairs until you reach the “Sutaungpyei “ ( wish fulfilling ) pagoda. On the way up there are several stalls selling some very nice stuff, although I do not recommend buying anything here as the prices for the same stuff were doublé than in other places in the city center.
The pagoda is of an exquisite beauty: a balance between the architecture, the colors and the surrounding scenery that brings a feeling of serenity. While the view over Mandalay is perfect: the Irawaddy river at the base of some mountains while the suns fades away behind them.
You will find groups of very friendly Buddhist monks wanting to start conversation and asking you all sort of questions: from technology related insights to how long you meditate per day. The sunset here is something definitely not to miss if you are planning to skip some steps of your Myanmar itinerary
Kuthodaw Pagoda, Mandalay
This is another very beautiful pagoda to visit. It is home to the biggest book in the world.
There is a Buddhist stupa that replicates the “Shwezigon pagoda” in Nyaung-U, near Bagan.
The largest world´s book is comprised of 720 Kyauksa gu or Stone-inscriptions . A marble slab lies inside each white structure where the entire Pali Canon of Theravada buddhism is inscribed.
You can find children at the temple entrance offering you to paint your face for a few Kyats, with the local thanaka ( local make-up). I highly recommend this as the locals will treat you nicely when seeing you wearing local make-up.
Did you know that the most beautiful beach in South East Asia is in Myanmar?
READ MORE:
Things to do in Inle lake: The complete guide
Kakku pagodas: A forest of Buddhist stupas in Myanmar
Visit Bagan: Best temples and activities
- BAGAMOYO: LAY DOWN YOUR HEART - April 5, 2024
- IRENTE VIEWPOINT LUSHOTO, USAMBARA MOUNTAINS - April 3, 2024
- 16 FACTS ABOUT BANGKOK - March 31, 2024
I’ve always wanted to visit the country and Mandalay, is it safe and advisable to travel there now? Love seeing all the historic sites, would love to see an old teak bridge and the Mandalay palace. That’s a lot of places to see in just one day, you really were visiting everything
Mandalay looks like a fascinating place to visit. I love the temples and pagodas here, you took some really great photos! It’s nice that the monks were friendly and even had a photo with you. It’s interesting that the temple wasn’t quite! Definitely on my list to visit one day.
Since we have not yet visited Myanmar, I will have to plan to visit Mandalay. That this is your favourite places in Asia would be a great recommendation. But seeing all the beautiful and interesting spots to visit would convince me too. Great suggestion to book a taxi for the day to take you around and wait. You sure packed a lot in for one day.
Wow, amazing. It is really nice of him taking pictures of you and giving you a ride for cheap. Gas must be cheap there. I really enjoyed reading it and learning about the Mandalay’s culture. I did not know women are not allowed to enter stupa. Abd interesting to know that they watch it on TV.
I love the saying “you do good to yourself. You do good to others.” What a wise man. Sometimes, we forget that.
Your one day spent in Mandalay looks quite can inspiring one. It’s good to know that you experienced the spiritual vibes of the place through talks with the Buddhist monks and learnt about the various aspects of Buddhism.The rice offering show performed by the nuns and the monks is an interesting one O would love to experience. Also I would love to visit the Mandalay palace and the Kuthodaw pagoda yo see the world’s largest book.
Wow Mandalay looks a great destination. Any place connected with Buddhism has always interested me having been born in the land of Buddha Bodh Gaya. The pictures depict the place so well Love the look of Pagodas and it would be nice to cross the wooden Ubein bridge. The monastery and Palace would be great experiences as well.
I hope to visit Myanmar in the next couple of years. Thanks you for letting me know about Mandalay. I wouldn’t miss it now. Booking a taxi for the entire 10 hours sounds perfect. I used to do that in India when I want to visit multiple places, esp., in the villages. Mahamuni Pagoda sounds like a must visit temple. The giant gong is wow, indeed, really giant! Oldest surviving teakwood bridge? Wow! That’s cool.
I love the idea of hiring a taxi for the day with a driver who will accompany you to the sites. That’s a very reassuring way to travel, especially as a solo traveler! And I have to agree with the monk’s way of thinking. If we all spent a half hour meditating and sending loving kindness to others, we would surely have a different perspective and outlook on the day. I am going to try that!
Mandalay is really high on my Asia bucketlist – it looks like such a wonderful place and as you say the spiritual vibe is everywhere – even though you were only here for one day you managed to pack a lot in and see loads. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us
Laura x