City: Mandalay Region
Top Things to do in Mandalay Region
Top 10 Things to do in Mandalay Region, Myanmar
Mandalay Region (Burmese: မန္တလေးတိုင်းဒေသကြီး, pronounced [máɴdəlé táiɴ dèθa̰ dʑí], formerly Mandalay Division) is an administrative division of Myanmar. It is located in the center of the country, bordering Sagaing Region and Magway Region to the west, Shan State to the east, and Bago Region and Kayin State to the south. The regional capital is Mandalay. In the south of the division lies the national capital of Naypyitaw. The division consists of seven districts, which are subdivided into 30 townships and 2,320 wards and village-tracts.
Restaurants in Mandalay Region
1. Bagan Temples
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 6,494 reviews
An area of 42 sq km houses thousands of richly decorated pagodas & temples.
Reviewed By Harrison-F-Carter - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Absolutely loved it here - now one of our favourite ever places. Getting up at 5.30am to see the sunrise and balloons sets a wonderful tone to the day and seeing the temples - and hiring e-bikes was just wonderful - they were plenty fast enough and you are just free to go where you please, independently with just a dusty breeze upon you - worth bringing a face mask. Loved it here...
2. Mahamuni Pagoda
3. Kuthodaw Pagoda & the World's Largest Book
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,688 reviews
The Kuthodaw Paya houses "the world's largest book", 729 marble slabs of Buddhist scriptures.
Reviewed By Emmathexplorer
Would definitely recommend going here! We found it to be a very relaxing place and hundreds of white stupas were beautiful! A nice place to relax if you have time sit down in the shade and read a book!
4. Shwenandaw Monastery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,878 reviews
Reviewed By Geeess - Rome, Italy
In 1857 it was built as a palace for king Mindon. Beautifully decorated at 5 levels worth intricate and exquisite wood carvings the wooden palace has survived and is worth a visit. It has 4 entrances and a prayer hall as the king donated it as a monastery. It is still a monastery but monks live across the road. UNESCO supported restoration is on with several local people trained in carving.
5. Ananda Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,974 reviews
Reviewed By JoyBoseRoy - Bengaluru, India
This is the most beautiful ad most famous temple in Bagan. The temple complex consists of long walkways from all the four directions. There is a huge standing buddha in each of the four directions, in the main shrine. There are also multiple smaller shrines in the complex, including Buddha figures in different sitting and standing postures. There are multiple paintings as well, on the walls. There are two layers of walls surrounding the main shrine (with 4 standing Buddha figures in 4 directions) and these walls are filled with amazing painted windows and sculptures which are a joy to behold. The exterior of the temple is also majestic, especially in the early morning and evening. There are lots of shops in the corridors and also outside the temple complex, selling all kinds of Burmese handicrafts, clothes, lacquerware, buddha idols etc. Being the main temple in Bagan, this is often crowded, with lots of devotees praying or offering flowers at the Buddha shrines.
6. Mandalay Marionettes Theater
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 205 reviews
Reviewed By Pugsnmn - Brisbane Region, Australia
I really enjoyed the Mandalay Marionette Theatre. The show was in a small theatre, which seats about 65 or so and is small and intimate. You are close to the stage, the owner and actors come out to talk and show you how the puppets work. The show is explained in English, they reveal how the puppeteers are working, and the performance is fun and interesting to experience. It is well worth the hour, it adds a little bit of local culture to any visit to Mandalay, and it helps keep this traditional art alive. I recommend to anyone to visit, esp if you want to learn more about Myanmar. Well done and thanks :)
7. Mandalay Hill
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 2,855 reviews
Reviewed By janesR3396FZ
I went to Mandalay Hill straight after arriving in Myanmar & was so glad I did. I took a tuk tuk to the base of the hill & was greeted by a friendly novice monk who wanted to practice his English. We chatted all the way to the top & the sunset view was really lovelyI thoroughly enjoyed my visit & highly recommend!
8. Uppatasanti Pagoda
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 218 reviews
Reviewed By monkeymonkey2000 - Bogor, Indonesia
This is apparently a replica of the pagoda in Yangon albeit a little shorter in height and completely different in experience. Whereas the original in Yangon is a kind of fair of an evening in which one can promenade around the spire with one's beloved, family, friends, other tourists, admiring the myriad of shrines and the various offerings on display along with thousands of one's fellows, the replica in Nay Pyi Taw features access beneath the spire to an echoing space with four buddha shrines and a circular series of marvellous granite reliefs in panels depicting events in the life of the Buddha and other famous characters. The carvings are quite extraordinary, combining expressionistic landscape forms with stylized figures, some of which are sublime. If you meditate under the spire, the echoes add an unusual, disconcerting dimension that enhances an almost unearthly experience albeit often the echoes are of kids enjoying the opportunity to test their vocal cords and mothers and others telling them to shut up. It mingles marvelously with the twittering of the birds and the gongs rolling in from outside. Outside, there are the birthday Buddha statues which you can sprinkle with water and focus your thoughts upon on the specially provided wooden platform in front. To know which one is for your birthday, you will need to read Myanmar or ask for guidance from a passerby. Remember to check in your shoes downstairs as you enter and leave a donation as you exit. There are elephants outside. White ones, too. Seems apt.
9. 20 Lane Highway
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 76 reviews
The (in)famous 20-lane semi-deserted highway outside the Parliament Building. There's nothing else quite like it on earth - a must see!
Reviewed By QueenslandTommy - Burpengary, Australia
We hired a driver for the day and without asking he took us on the 20 lane highway which passes the Parliament then stopped in the center lane and asked to take our photograph, this is a weird and wonderful country and as many reviewers have written this highway can be empty so why build it so big, once you visit Nay Pyi Taw you will see lots of things are built big with so much space they can plan for the future. Enjoy the highway, the beautifully manicured gardens in the center and the roundabouts, a must see.
10. Mandalay Palace
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 1,218 reviews
Reviewed By Sundncr - Washington DC, United States
One of the most impressive royal palaces in the world. Its buildings are plain without a lot of decorations. But, the sheer size, the moat around it, the walls, and the inside layout of the buildings make it pretty impressive. This site is probably the best one to visit in Mandalay. Also, one side of the moat is in line the temple on Mandalay hill to the Hilton buildings. If you look down from the top of Mandalay Hill Temple down towards the Moat and the Hilton, it makes an impressive geometrical layout. There is an entrance fee to the buildings and this ticket covers the entrance to many other sites in Mandalay. So, keep the ticket safe. There is ample security as the entrance is guarded by Military. This gives the palace a character and you feel like you are really entering a royal palace. The inside is pretty clean and the lawns are well laid. The audience halls and other buildings are pretty impressive. Most of the buildings are open air without many walls. For a tropical country, it creates natural air conditioning. A lot of Burmese tourists were visiting when I was there. Keep in mind, there is long walk from the entrance to the actual palace grounds. You either come in a bus, take a tuk-tuk or rent a car to visit this place.
