lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

pay commissions to drivers or guides, so pricesmay prove better if you visit alone.Handicraft specialists include Aurora(Map p 202 ; 78th St, 35/36), Garuda (Map p 204 ;80th St at 15th), Soe Moe (Map p 202 ; 36th St,77/78) and Sunflower (Map p 204 ; Marie-Min,27th St, 74/75). There are numerous silkworkshops and a couple more handicraftemporia along main Sagaing road in Amarapura(p 224 ). Puppets are sold at MoustacheBrothers and Mandalay Marionettes.Good-value items can be found at the stonecarvers’ workshops (p 209 ), and there areseveral interesting shops on 36th St besidethe gold-leaf-pounding workshops (p 209 ).Shwe PatheinSOUVENIRS(Map p 202 ; No 141 36th St, 77/78; h8am-5pm) SellsPathein-style parasols (K4000 to K8000) andbark animal portraits (from K4000).RockySOUVENIRS(Map p 204 ; Sein Win Myint; 27th St, 62/63; h8am-9pm) Various handicrafts including stuffed‘gold-thread’ tapestries, plus gems and jade.Sut NgaiFABRIC(Map p 206 ; 33rd St, 82/83) Sells Kachin fabricsand costumes, aimed mainly at Kachinsthemselves rather than tourists.MarketsZeigyoMARKET(Map p 206 ; 84th St, 26/28) This downtownmarket offers wall-to-wall stands selling justabout everything Myanmar. The Chinesecommunist-style architecture dates from theearly 1990s after a disastrous 1988 fire destroyedan earlier model. This market shouldbe replaced in a few years by a vast 25-storeytower mall, currently under construction.Night marketMARKET(Map p 206 ; 84th St, 26/29) Vendors sellingfood, music, army hats and clothes importedfrom China block off the street as dusk approaches– a worthy wander.8InformationInternet AccessInternet cafes are fairly common along 27th Stand are scattered widely around the city centre,but most are appallingly slow.Acme-Net (Map p 206 ; 26th St, 78/79; per hrK500; h9am-9pm) Better connection thanmost and adept with proxy servers.Dream Land (Map p 204 ; 27th St, 72/73; per hrK400; h9.30am-11pm; a) Good connectionand AC, free drinking water.MoneyEXCHANGE Most guesthouses will change pristineUS$ cash, but for rates approaching Yangonlevels, ask at gold shops such as Shwe HinnThar (26th St 84/85; h10am-4pm), beside theclock tower, or travel agencies such as SevenDiamond Express (Map p 206 ; %22365; 32ndSt, 82/83). Marie-Min vegetarian restaurantalso offers decent rates.CREDIT CARDS Nowhere in Mandalay givescash advances. If you’re out of dollars and needa room, the Mandalay View Inn and the Hotel bythe Red Canal accept credit cards at 10% commissionif you pay one day ahead.PostDHL (Hotel Mandalay, 78th St, 37/38;h8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-12.30pmSat) Costs from $80 for the cheapestdocument-only package to Europe.Main post office (Map p 206 ; 22nd St, 80/81;h10.30am-4pm)TelephoneLocal/national calls cost K100/200 per minutefrom PCO street stands. Royal Guest House andRoyal City Hotel both offer international calls for$2 per minute.CTT Telephone Office (Map p 206 ; 25th St,80/81; calls to Europe/Australasia/NorthAmerica per min $4/4/5; h7am-8.30pm)Anonymous-looking room for expensive internationalcalls.Tourist Information & Travel AgenciesDaw San San Aye (Map p 206 ; %31799; HotelDynasty, 81st St, 24/25; h7.30am-8pm) Veryobliging, fair-priced air-ticket sales booth.Seven Diamond (Map p206 ; %30128, 72828;82nd St, 26/27; h8am-9pm) Helpful agency thatcan pre-book flights by email request, changemoney at good rates and organise airport-boundshared taxis. Henry speaks great English.M T T (Map p 204 ; %60356; 68th at 27th St;h9am-5pm) The government-run travelcompany doubles as tourist office selling citymaps (K200) as well as transport tickets andpermit-needing tours. See p 21 for a discussionof the implications of using governmentrunagencies and services such as MTT andMyanma Airways.WebsitesLonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com/myanmar-burma/mandalay) Head here for planningadvice, author recommendations, travellerreviews and insider tips.8Getting There & AwaySchedules and prices change frequently.219MANDALAY 8 SHOPPING& AROUND 8