Looking out from Umin Thonze Pagoda
I had a mere 16 hours in Mandalay but my wonderful driver Mr. Naing made sure I saw as much as possible. I highly recommend late afternoon or very early morning to avoid the crowds, I didn’t see any other tourists at any of these sites and it was wonderful! I have linked the name to the google map location.
A really unique Pagoda and it’s huge, It took me about 20 minutes to walk the full circumference of it. I went late afternoon and it was pretty empty, just a few people there for worship.
This is a stunning complex situated in Sagaing Mandalay. On the lower level there is a chamber with 45 unique Buddahs and as you climb higher there are stunning views across Mandalay and the golden stupas that dot the hillside. Again in later afternoon I had the complex to myself.
I visited the white pagoda in the early morning at around 7.30am and had the place to myself. This Pagoda is also really big and quite stunning. There are loads of places to climb and explore.
This is also known as the unfinished Pagoda as work stopped due to local superstition and major damage occurred during a massive earthquake. It’s pretty impressive just due to it’s sheer size, the huge cracks add a very dramatic element to it.
Okay so this is clearly not a Pagoda but definitely worth an early morning visit. I got there for sunrise and there were no other tourists but plenty of locals starting their day.