The biggest advantage of this lifestyle is the freedom. Not to have to rush and go back to work on Monday, to take my time and to plan only for the next 3 days. Also, there is no better place than in SE Asia to do that. That was exactly what I thought before I started travelling.

Time is limited

Most of the countries in SE Asia only deliver a one month visa. Therefore, even if I don’t have to, I usually visit cities only for a few days and plan, at least, 2 weeks in advance. Timing is important too. I.e. I wouldn’t recommend visiting Cambodia in April.

So how did I end up spending only one day in Mandalay?

Bad timing and last minute changes. As I met new people earlier during this trip. We planned to meet again in our next destination and I had to leave Mandalay earlier. Therefore, taking the first bus the next morning was the only option.

So for my only day in Mandalay, I had to be efficient. I had to find a guide with a scooter and explore as much as possible. A guide quickly found me (Min Min) and took me around for an exhausting but amazing day. Nothing was clearly planned, for instance, instead of going to U Bein bridge for sunset, I asked him if we could head to Mandalay Hill. It wouldn’t have been possible without a private guide.

Overall, even if I wish I could have stayed one more day to see and visit, it was a great experience. I clearly missed a lot of sightseeing but rushing wasn’t as bad as I thought. Actually, as seeing everything wasn’t possible, I only picked what I really wanted to visit and avoid more temples, more pagodas, and more local markets. By the lack of time, I took a different decision and appreciate my stay there differently. Sometimes less is more.