Mandalay

Mandalay, the last royal capital of Myanmar

Let Next Myanmar Tours show you the culturally rich city of Mandalay. Located along the Ayeyarwady River about 716k north of Yangon, Mandalay is a must see city in Myanmar. Currently the population is roughly one million and continues to grow, and the recent influx of Yunnan people has helped the economic growth of the city. Mandalay is Myanmar’s northern economic hub and a vital trade route between China and India. Even though commercialism has penetrated this city it still holds on to its traditional roots and ways of life.
There are plenty of sites within Mandalay that will inspire your inner soul. Firstly there is Mandalay Palace, once an amazing set of intricately carved wooden buildings, but the bombings of WWII destroyed most of it. What remains of the walls and moat of the palace will give you a representation of what it used to be. There is a scale model and cultural museum within the compound that can give you the information necessary to understand this magnificent palace. Most of the buildings have been rebuilt, but the history of them has been lost. There is still the Golden Palace Monastery which is the only building that survived the attacks of WWII. The next site to see is Mahamuni Temple, which is one of the three holiest places in Myanmar. This temple holds a gigantic bronze Buddha covered in layers of gold leaf. Mahamuni is usually crowded with devotees from around the country, and the surrounding vendors bring life to this peaceful temple. A site not to be missed is located at the base of Mandalay Hill, Kuthodaw Pagoda. This site is known as the biggest book in the world. Each page of the Buddhist writings have been transcribed onto slabs of marble and enshrined in their personal stupa. There are nearly 800 individual pages making this an extraordinary site to see.
Mandalay is also the center of arts and crafts in Myanmar. There are hundreds of workshops that transform raw material into stunning pieces of art. You can witness the process of gold leaf making, as well as marble and wood carving. It is unbelievable to see how much work goes into this magnificent art work. To really put time into perspective you can visit the tapestry weaving workshops. Here traditional cotton and silk weavers make customary longyis that are so intricate and colorful that only an inch a day can be made.
Around the city there are a few places of interest, such as Paleik which is an unspoiled countryside that is home to hundreds of temples and pagodas. There is also the famous U Bein Bridge which is a half mile long bridge made entirely out of teak. It is a real treat to see the bridge by sampan while cruising the lake. Near the bridge is the Mahagandayon monastery which may be the largest Buddhist University in the country, and it is a real treat to witness the thousands of monks all studying together.
 

About Myanmar

Myanmar is an enchanting country filled with history and culture. Formally known as Burma, Myanmar hosts one of the most diverse countryside’s in all of Southeast Asia. You can go from beaches to towering mountains, and in-between lies thousands of temples and untouched dense jungles. Myanmar is situated between India, China, Bangladesh, Laos, and Thailand. This nearly 700,000 km square county has one of the most unique and diverse landscapes in the region.

The deep rooted culture is unchanged, and the people of Myanmar are very in touch with the Buddhist religion. Nearly 90% of the population is Theravada Buddhist. You will quickly see realize this as you enter the capital city of Yangon and see the massive gold stupa of Shwedagon Pagoda piercing the skyline. Every city in the country hosts hundreds if not thousands of religious monuments ranging from temples, monasteries, pagodas, and figures of Buddha. Myanmar is home to over 135 different ethnic groups each with their own traditions, language differences, and lifestyles.

The landscape of Myanmar varies from region to region. In the south you can enjoy pristine beaches and tropical jungles. Along the southwestern coast there is the Myeik Archipelago which has thousands of untouched islands, and this area is also known for is remarkable diving sites. To the north lie the foot hills of the Himalaya Mountains. The snow capped mountains in the north provide an excellent escape from the warm weather in the south. One of the main geographical features of Myanmar is the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River. This river spans most of the country, originating in the north and flowing south all the way to Yangon where it dumps into the Andaman Sea. The river is both a commercial trade route as well as a hydroelectric powerhouse that supplies electricity to Myanmar and surrounding countries.

After a day in the country you will quickly see that the people are some of the most friendly and charming people in all of Asia. Everything from their traditional longyi wearing to chewing betel nut has been unchanged for hundreds of years. You will be greeted by smiles and hospitality everywhere you go within the country. It is not just at fancy hotels and restaurants where you will receive this treatment, it is everywhere. You will see smiling children playing football in the street, women balancing trays of snacks on their head, men sitting at street side tea shops discussing the days business, and bamboo scaffolding towering above your head, but this is just normal day to day life, expect so see much more interesting things throughout your journey through this magical land.
 

Bagan

Bagan was the first imperial capital of ancient Myanmar. The end of the 13th century witnessed the fall of Bagan dynasty in the reign of King Narathihapate or King Tayotpaye. Bagan had been ruled over by 55 kings 12th century. The ruins of Bagan cover a tract of country, measuring about 16 square miles along the east bank of mighty Ayeyarwady. The monuments which are now in all stages of decay were erected mostly from the 11th - 13th centuries AD, during which Bagan was in its heydays. Nowadays, Bagan is the ideal site for historical, cultural and archaeological studies.

True! Myanmar people used to say regarding Bagan of which they are much proud. Bagan is the cradle of Myanmar history and Buddhist culture. King Thamudrit built Bagan at the very place of the settlement called Paukkan. The mighty King Anawrahta (1044-77) welded into one kingdom a group of formerly independent states and became king of the Ayeyarwady River in the 11th century. He extended his sovereignty down to the south. He was the first unifier of Myanmar and the introducer of the Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar. The air of Bagan is filled not only with the fragrance of vachellia, but also with war-cries of spear-slinging heroes on horsebacks. The study of the history and culture of Began means the study of the history and culture of Myanmar. Thanks to the good irrigation system of Bagan kings, the wealth of Bagan increased rapidly and the people of Bagan erected about 10,000 pagodas and temples in Bagan area. But today they are ruined except some famous pagodas and temples. However, Bagan succumbed to the onslaught of the Mongols in 1287, and Myanmar split up into small principalities.
Bagan period was the period of affluence, creativity and glory---- the period the rained gold and sliver, as Myanmar people usually put it. It was a period like that of the renaissance period in Italy."

Kyaikhtiyo (Golden Rock)

Kyaikhtiyo pagoda is also known as the Golden Rock Pagoda. It is situated in Kyaikhto Township in Mon State, four-hour drive from Yangon. There is a well-beaten path leading to the Pagoda on the peak of the mountain. It automatically makes a good trekking. It is a really miraculous Pagoda, because it does not fall down the steep slope of the mountain, although it should, but still remains as it is throughout a great length of time. Myanmar Buddhists believe it is due to the power and glory of the Buddha's hair enshrined in the Pagoda. Tourists can make a side trip there from Yangon and get back the same day if set out very early. Crowds of pilgrims from all parts of Myanmar both along the climbing paths and on the Pagoda Platform are themselves attractive.

Yangon

             Yangon, the capital city and gateway to the Union of Myanmar, is one of the most attractive cities in the East. Its fringes are beautiful with pagodas, spacious parks gardens and its atmosphere cooled by the Kandawgyi Lake and Inya Lake. Most of the major Myanmar and foreign companies are located in Yangon. The city is the point of entry for visitors from abroad to Myanmar by air and sea. About 2,500 years ago, there was probably a coastal fishing village or a trading colony called “Okkala”. After the construction of Shwedagon Pagoda, the settlement grew in fame as Dagon. King Alaungpaya of Konbaung Dynasty founded Yangon when he took the village of Dagon in 1755. He called the settlement as Yangon or “End of Strife”. It becomes a port city and a center of commercial functions since per-colonial and colonial days. The Yangon River or Hlaing River gives it color and peninsular look (from aerial view) touching the city in the east and south flanks and the Pazundaung Creek in the west."