Mandalay

Mandalay was founded in 1857 as the last royal capital of Burma and remains the cultural centre of the country, though the city itself is a hot grid of low buildings and heavy traffic. The palace at its heart is a modern reconstruction inside the original moat and walls, the originals having burned in 1945. What holds up better is the craft: gold-leaf beaters working with hammers for hours per packet, stone and wood carvers supplying monasteries, and tapestry and bronze workshops in specific quarters of the city.

What you actually see

• Mandalay Hill - covered stairways climbing to a terrace above the city, used for sunset.
• The palace and moat - a square moat and wall over two kilometres a side, with a reconstruction inside.
• Kuthodaw Pagoda - 729 marble slabs in individual shrines, carrying the Buddhist canon in stone.
• The craft quarters - gold-leaf beating, stone carving and bronze casting in working workshops.

When to go

November to February is the cool dry season; Mandalay is among the hottest cities in the country from March to May. Sunset from the hill and from U Bein bridge are the fixed points of most visits. Mornings are best for the workshops, which stop early.

Honest expectations

The palace is a 1990s reconstruction and reads as one; the original was destroyed in 1945 and almost nothing of it survives. The city is hot, busy and hard to walk, so transport for the day is needed. Most of what people come for is outside the centre, in Amarapura, Sagaing, Inwa and Mingun.

Nearby

U Bein bridge at Amarapura, Inwa, Sagaing and Mingun all lie within an hour of the city.