MANDALAY, UPPER MYANMAR
Mandalay is one of the economic centers and the second largest city in Myanmar. This fascinating city served as the Royal Capital of Myanmar between 1857 and 1885. Located at the heart of Myanmar, Mandalay is well connected to all touristic attractions. Mandalay is a must-see for any visitors to Myanmar, with many historic monuments, temples, museums, architectures landmarks etc. The most popular attraction spots in Mandalay include Mandalay Hill, Kuthudaw Pagoda, Royal Palace, Golden Palace Monastery, Jade Market and Zay Cho. At the 11 km south of Mandalay, there is Thaungthaman Lake (U Bein) Bridge which is known to be the longest teak bridge in the world. At the 20 km south of Mandalay, there is a famous Myanmar ancient capital, known as Inva (Ava). You can explore interesting places like teak – built Bagaya Monastery, Maha Aungmye Bonzan which is the only monastery built in brick covered by plaster, Bagaya Kyaung, a living monastery built in teak in the 18th century and the Nanmyint watchtower the ruined tower of the old Inwa Palace. There is Thabyedan Fortress just nort of Inwa, which was built in 1875 to defend against the British during the Third Anglo-Burmese War. Mandalay is easily accessible from Yangon by all types of transportation in country, as well as some international airports such as Bangkok, Singapore, and Kunming etc. Although March to May is boiling hot, you can visit Mandalay all year round, due to its tropical climate. However, the best time to visit Mandalay is from November to February.