Mandalay – A Personal Destination Review by Win Zaw

Mandalay, the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma, is located 445 miles (north of Yangon, on the east bank of Irrawaddy River. Mandalay is also the economic hub of Upper Burma and is considered the entre of Myanmar culture. In recent years, Mandalay has been welcoming visitors from around the world with the increase of direct flights from neighboring countries. International air carriers, such as Southern China Airlines, Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Air Asia, Singapore Airlines and more are now operating scheduled flights to this emerging destination. With the ease of visa regulations for visitors, Myanmar is now making inbound travel easier for golfers and other travelers. Visa exemption is available for all ASEAN countries except Malaysian Citizen. Free entry-visa for Japanese and South Korean nationals, (VOA) visa-on-arrival for Chinese citizens, Indian citizen and business travelers and online e-visas are available for all other nationalities. Mandalay has lots to offer with its rich culture, stunning historical monuments as well as a wide variety of leisure sports. As such golf tourism has been booming in recent years. Mandalay itself has three 18-hole golf courses, most notably, the 2018 opened Myotha National Golf Course, located between Mandalay City and the International Airport. The course features an Arizona Style Dessert Course stretching over 8,000 yards from the championship tees. Golfers may enjoy a couple of rounds with a visit to the cultural sites of Mandalay, such as the ancient city of Ava, Amarapura with 150 years old Teak Bridge, walking through the Palace Moats to witness the history of the Royal Capital and lots more. Mandalay offers a good choice of international hotels, such as the Hilton Mandalay Hotel, Mandalay Hill Resort, in addition to lots of boutique hotels. Mandalay is known for its local ethnic cuisine from all over the country. Don’t forget to try Shan Noodles, Tea-leaf salad, Kachin Cuisine, Chinese and Indian Cuisines. Tea culture is one of the main attractions, and you will see tea-houses at every corner of the streets where locals do their regular roundez-vous.