Mandalay, on the Irrawaddy River, was founded as the capital of Burma in 1857. During colonial times, Rangoon (Yangon) became the capital, but Mandalay remained the religious and cultural centre of the country. The moated and walled city was damaged during WWII and, although it remains the northern economic centre, it still has a feeling of neglect, with buildings and infrastructure in need of repair. The people are very welcoming though and when I was there it was remarkably cheap - the meal below was $3 including the beer!

Thingyan is the water festival in April - you are guaranteed to get soaked. You can also pay to sit in the stands and hose passers-by all day.