Ma Ma Guest House

This small, quiet family-run bed and breakfast gave us peace and privacy during our 10-night stay in December 2019. The owners live on site, speak fluent English, and were kind and attentive, always accommodating requests. The rooms were clean, the mattress and pillows were top quality, and the internet was FAST. I could make long calls to the UK without any problems. Staff were helpful, though some could use more training. We enjoyed breakfast and could order dinner there too if we didn’t want to go out. We especially liked the tomato salad, avocado salad, and vegetable dishes. Nearby, the Shan noodle breakfast restaurant was another good option. Small local shops are within a 3-minute walk. The front garden has tables under the trees. If you like animals, there’s a little squirrel and two well-behaved big dogs, a young husky and a senior alsatian. The front and back yards are small, but there’s enough room to stretch your legs, and there’s a small pond at the back. Kuthodaw Pagoda, the world’s largest book, Shwe Nandaw Kyaung, the golden palace monastery, and Mandalay Hill are only 5-10 minutes away by Oway taxi, a 3-wheeled Tok Tok. Phaung Daw Oo Kyaung, the famous monastic school, is about a 10-minute walk. I really enjoyed the stay and am grateful to Su and Nyein for the good service, attention, and peace and quiet. I’d highly recommend it to anyone after a quiet, homely place with good service at a reasonable price.

The food was delicious, and the staff were really friendly and helpful. We had a spacious, nice room. The place isn’t in the centre, but it’s very close. There’s a nice garden, two cute dogs, and a funny little squirrel called Stephanie.

After two nights, I preferred being a little farther from the city center. You avoid the crazy downtown traffic and the awful smell of dust and car smog. A taxi to the center cost us 3,000 Kyat one way. If it’s a cool day, it’s an easy 30-40 minute walk to the base of Mandalay Hill, with three attractions or pagodas to stop at on the way. There are other things to see nearby too, and the palace wall is about a 10-15 minute walk away. The hotel restaurant downstairs has good prices, and a big 650ml bottle of beer is only 2,000 Kyat. I’d highly recommend the place to anyone visiting Mandalay. I’d have stayed longer if I hadn’t already bought my airline ticket out of Myanmar. A fellow traveller also told me it had been featured in magazine articles. Awesome place.

Even during the Waterfestival, it was a peaceful place to come back to and relax. The room was nice, the people very helpful, and there were good books to read in the bookcase. Great garden and good food. No complaints, highly recommended.