Mandalay

Founded as capital of the Burmese empire in 1861, Mandalay served as the setting for the last kings of Burma, who wore their shiny gems here till the British stormed in and took over in 1885 - a largely uncontested conflict. Mandalay is Myanmar's second city. The town has been booming lately from new chinese-run businesses and it is whispered that the red, green and white trades - rubies, jade and heroin - fuel the economy as well. But alongside these commercial endeavours you are more than likely to encounter a totally different side of life as more than three out of five Myanmar's population of Buddhist monks live here. Therefore early morning time the streets are crowded by monks collecting their daily food portion. Apart from the number of sights the city offers itself, there are the four ancient cities nearby, Amarapura, Inwa, Sagaing and Mingun. They can be visited in a daytrip, which is really worth it. Amarapura is famed for its 1,2 km-long teak U Bein's Bridge leading to Kyauktawagyi temple and small Taungthaman village with tea and toddy shops. Cut off by rivers and canals, Inwa served as the Burmese capital for nearly four centuries. Horse carts lead two-hour loop around Inwa's handful of sights. Aside the road, villagers till soil or bathe in ponds in an area picturesquely dotted with abandoned temples.