Steeped in history and very `Burmese’ in character is the city of Mandalay, whose very name conjures up romantic visions of Asian mystique, of long golden barges floating down the Ayeyarwady and evokes mental images of pagodas and royal princes and princesses.

Mandalay, the last royal capital of Burma is situated 680km north of Yangon and is a lively city sprawling on the banks of the Ayeyarwady. It was once the capital of Myanmar and is the second-largest city in the country. Its multitude of beautiful temples decorated with exquisite woodcarvings and the pagoda-studded Mandalay Hill proclaims its status as the cultural and spiritual nerve centre of Myanmar.

It's also the most easily accessible, convenient and tourist-friendly city in Myanmar after Yangon. Visitors flying in arrive here through the international airport at Mandalay and to get from the airport to the city centre, may catch a taxi, a trishaw or one of the airport-city bus services. You can also get to Mandalay from Yangon by road, ferry or by train. Hotels and guest houses, both private and government run provide adequate accommodation – nothing fancy or resort-like but good clean rooms with some modern amenities.

Amongst Mandalay’s many interesting historical sights is the Shwendaw Kyaung, part of the huge moat ringed palace of King Mindon; the Mahamuni Temple, the city’s main shrine surrounded by lots of colonial buildings; and the Kuthodaw Pagoda, which houses the world’s largest `book’- 1774 marble slabs on which King Mindon had Buddhist scriptures inscribed.