Aung Nan Myanmar Handicrafts workshop
Aung Nan Myanmar Handicrafts workshop
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4.0
34 reviews
Excellent
10
Very good
15
Average
6
Poor
2
Terrible
1
Sundncr
Washington DC, DC1,116 contributions
Dec 2019
I was bought by my tour guide on way to Amarapura. It is a shop with artisans prepares various kinds of handicrafts like decorative clothes and wooden carvings. The salespeople do not pressure you. Their prices seemed reasonable compared to what my hotel gift shop had. Since, the products are higher end, you may have to shell out some money. I purchased a small sandalwood figurine. The item seemed genuine and since the shop is family owned and in business for a while, I trusted the genuineness of the item. The shop sells bigger items, perhaps it is more for the local market. They only accept Visa cards and you can bargain a bit on the price.
Written 7 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Louise C
Dublin, Ireland150 contributions
Nov 2019
We really liked it here. its amazing to see the wood being carved. and I also played with the pet dogs in the store.
My sister and I each got a bagan princess and a mandalay princess wood carvings. Staff were lovely and we even got a lovely puppet too. Would recommend.
My sister and I each got a bagan princess and a mandalay princess wood carvings. Staff were lovely and we even got a lovely puppet too. Would recommend.
Written 28 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
abhi_newalkar
Kolhapur, India1,981 contributions
Sept 2017 • Solo
The best wooden handicrafts workshop ever.from carved wooden doors to ceilings.Multicolored Buddha s in every size , puppets and animals it's all there.Must visit while in Mandalay to witness the grand wooden kingdom.
Shoppers can but these art work to take back home.
Shoppers can but these art work to take back home.
Written 24 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
g0_f0r_it
Singapore, Singapore320 contributions
Dec 2013 • Couples
I write this review with regrets. I do not enjoy giving poor ratings (most of my other reviews are at least average) but I feel it is only right that I warn other travelers of our unsatisfactory experience.
We were taken to this handicrafts workshop near Mandalay city by our tour guide Nora from Tour Mandalay, in between our visit to a silk factory and the highly revered Mahamuni Pagoda. This shop is listed on itineraries of some tour packages. All sorts of handicraft are made and sold here, from jade jewellery to teakwood craft. You will be able to watch the craftsmen at work. We were taken with a 76cm *47cm big wood carving of a serene-looking Buddha hung on the wall. We decided to purchase it at US$200, paying another US$20 for it to be delivered to our Yangon hotel, our last stop before we fly home. We were told that it was made from one whole piece of teakwood, sturdy enough to be hung even in the open garden. We did notice a crack at the back of the piece, and requested for this crack to be mended / glued. The lady boss agreed to mend / glue this crack, and also to our request to change the hook, which we thought was rather rusty.
The piece arrived covered in cardboard at our Yangon hotel. We foolishly did not open it to inspect, trusting that it will be fine and not wishing to re-package it on our own. Unfortunately, we found the piece broken into 2 upon arrival at home after our flight, although we had taken extra care carrying it. The wood piece broke along the same crack that we saw at the shop, which we had requested to be mended / glued. We realised that the piece is actually made from 3 pieces joined together, and not one solid piece as claimed. (The shop was not very well-lit and we were probably too awestruck by the beauty of the carving to notice this then.) The break along the wood is very clean & there are no wood splinters, which would not be so if it was a solid piece of wood. The yellow glue that is used to glue the wood pieces together is also visible.
We immediately contacted our tour guide Nora via email and she liased with the shop owner, who apologized and said she will send us a new piece. We were told that it would take a month to work on the piece. So we happily waited a month. A month later, when we emailed to enquire, the shop owner changed her mind and insisted she will only send us a new piece after we send her back the old one, giving no reason whatsoever. We replied to say because we will risk ending up with nothing if they do not send us a new piece, we will only send the old one back after they send us a new unbroken piece. They have since ignored our emails (and it is not due to malfunction of the internet whatsoever).
Although in all fairness, we agree that the shop cannot be totally blamed for the mishap, we do feel that they were largely responsible because
1) if the piece was really made from one big piece of teak wood, it would not have broken
2) if the piece was properly packed, it would not have broken. The piece was put in only cardboard and tied up. If it had been packed with another piece of wood as a backing, this would not have happened.
3) If the crack had been glued properly, as what the boss said she would do when we bought it, it might not have broken.
For sure, the shop owner cannot be taken at her word. She did not keep any of her promises. The rusty nail was also not changed as promised.
Our advice to fellow travelers to avoid this shop altogether. If you have to buy anything, bring it out of the shop and inspect it carefully under the sun. Do not buy anything so big that you cannot carry away with you. Never trust their packaging.
We were taken to this handicrafts workshop near Mandalay city by our tour guide Nora from Tour Mandalay, in between our visit to a silk factory and the highly revered Mahamuni Pagoda. This shop is listed on itineraries of some tour packages. All sorts of handicraft are made and sold here, from jade jewellery to teakwood craft. You will be able to watch the craftsmen at work. We were taken with a 76cm *47cm big wood carving of a serene-looking Buddha hung on the wall. We decided to purchase it at US$200, paying another US$20 for it to be delivered to our Yangon hotel, our last stop before we fly home. We were told that it was made from one whole piece of teakwood, sturdy enough to be hung even in the open garden. We did notice a crack at the back of the piece, and requested for this crack to be mended / glued. The lady boss agreed to mend / glue this crack, and also to our request to change the hook, which we thought was rather rusty.
The piece arrived covered in cardboard at our Yangon hotel. We foolishly did not open it to inspect, trusting that it will be fine and not wishing to re-package it on our own. Unfortunately, we found the piece broken into 2 upon arrival at home after our flight, although we had taken extra care carrying it. The wood piece broke along the same crack that we saw at the shop, which we had requested to be mended / glued. We realised that the piece is actually made from 3 pieces joined together, and not one solid piece as claimed. (The shop was not very well-lit and we were probably too awestruck by the beauty of the carving to notice this then.) The break along the wood is very clean & there are no wood splinters, which would not be so if it was a solid piece of wood. The yellow glue that is used to glue the wood pieces together is also visible.
We immediately contacted our tour guide Nora via email and she liased with the shop owner, who apologized and said she will send us a new piece. We were told that it would take a month to work on the piece. So we happily waited a month. A month later, when we emailed to enquire, the shop owner changed her mind and insisted she will only send us a new piece after we send her back the old one, giving no reason whatsoever. We replied to say because we will risk ending up with nothing if they do not send us a new piece, we will only send the old one back after they send us a new unbroken piece. They have since ignored our emails (and it is not due to malfunction of the internet whatsoever).
Although in all fairness, we agree that the shop cannot be totally blamed for the mishap, we do feel that they were largely responsible because
1) if the piece was really made from one big piece of teak wood, it would not have broken
2) if the piece was properly packed, it would not have broken. The piece was put in only cardboard and tied up. If it had been packed with another piece of wood as a backing, this would not have happened.
3) If the crack had been glued properly, as what the boss said she would do when we bought it, it might not have broken.
For sure, the shop owner cannot be taken at her word. She did not keep any of her promises. The rusty nail was also not changed as promised.
Our advice to fellow travelers to avoid this shop altogether. If you have to buy anything, bring it out of the shop and inspect it carefully under the sun. Do not buy anything so big that you cannot carry away with you. Never trust their packaging.
Written 11 March 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
alvis25
Aschau Im Chiemgau, Germany24 contributions
Nov 2015
In november 2015 I bought a statue and two wooden panels at the shop. I was driven in my decision by the gentle offer of the shop-owner to organize the shipiing to germany for me. I had to pay the minimum fee for one cubic metre of USD $ 479,00 !! I asked seberal times, if it includes every costs and provisons up to my home hub Munich. They confirmed YES and convinced me that their shipping agent is muchbetter and cheaper than DHL, who are asking US$ 800. That was not true! I received the goods only when I payed addittional in Germany € 380!!) for local handling in harbour and customs and regional carriage. I intervened at AUNG NAN and their myanmar agent Prosperous Freight Services Ltd. without any success. They just took my money for a high expensiv but dreadful service and they didn't feel responsible in any way. Bevor somebody is giving a shipping order, be awre it does not cover any fees and provisions at home and you don't get any satisfying support by them in case of enquiries. And double the costs of the offer.
Written 27 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martin S
Portland, OR41 contributions
Dec 2014 • Couples
We were taken to this shop by our Diethelm Guide as a result of our request to see the detailed wall hangings/tapestries for which Mandalay is well known. The shop had a number of women hard at work on the hangings and a wide variety of beautiful hangings on sale for what appeared to be very inexpensive prices considering the work involved.
There were also puppets, wood carvings etc for sale.
We saw a bewildering amount of beautiful handicrafts during our 4 weeks in Myanmar and it is simply impossible for me to make objective comparisons. My impression however were that the facial features on the tapestries/kalagas in Aung Nan were better done than most others that we saw.
I am certainly glad that my guide took us to this store.
There were also puppets, wood carvings etc for sale.
We saw a bewildering amount of beautiful handicrafts during our 4 weeks in Myanmar and it is simply impossible for me to make objective comparisons. My impression however were that the facial features on the tapestries/kalagas in Aung Nan were better done than most others that we saw.
I am certainly glad that my guide took us to this store.
Written 30 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wawa Chi Chi
Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar359 contributions
Aug 2018 • Solo
I was looking for older stuff, even used would be nice and they have mainly new and fresh stuff. Don't get me wrong, they have tons of stuff esp with word and all but felt very foreign and western oriented. Their prices for most items are very expensive too but then again I live here long term so their prices is more geared towards casual and one time tourist. Good quality but if you intend to dig and look for messy and old stuff, go for Soe Moe
Written 27 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jonathan B
Philadelphia, PA299 contributions
Dec 2016 • Couples
This handicraft workshop is the real deal, selling well made wood carvings, elaborate beaded embroidery, traditional puppets and even has a little ivory carving section to round things out. The craftsmanship on much of the work is very high quality, particularly on the embroidery. The woodwork is a bit of a mixed bag - some are lacquered, some are natural wood, some are layered in gold leaf and others are just tacky. But if one thing can be said it's that there's something for everyone here. All the artwork here ranges from small to massive in size. The pickings are slim on the small to medium range as that's what most tourists go for I'm sure. The embroidered work is available as wall hangings, pillow cases, wallets, table runners, etc., while the woodwork is mainly wall panels and statuary. All in all, the workmanship here is high quality; the craftsmen and women can be seen producing works on site while you shop around. This shop produces unique and lovely items, making it a great spot to purchase a piece (or two) of well-crafted artwork.
Written 28 December 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hank L
San Antonio, Texas117 contributions
Nov 2015 • Couples
We were pleasantly surprised. In the entrance is a working wood shop with artisans carving various articles, wall hangings, statues, etc. No demonstrations! There are giant pieces as well as very small. The shop has all kinds of carvings, some look quite antique, others, new. There was absence of the usual hard sell salespeople that you find in most tourist shops. And, they are willing to bargain a bit if you find the price too high. We came here on our own by taxi after viewing it on TripAdvisor. If you like looking for a bargain in a dusty, jammed craft store, you'll like this.
Written 19 November 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adventurers049
Brisbane, Australia3,450 contributions
Apr 2014 • Couples
You will watch in wonderment at the craftsmen & women creating wonderful items!
One tapestry was so large that was being made during our visit, one set of women sat on top and another set lay underneath to pass the needles.
Difficult to walk away without a purchase!
One tapestry was so large that was being made during our visit, one set of women sat on top and another set lay underneath to pass the needles.
Difficult to walk away without a purchase!
Written 25 April 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Can you ask your question in English, please?
Written 16 November 2017
bonjour je suis bijoutier a Cannes en france et je voudrais produire de bague en bois avec de sculptures de dragon Leon et autres animaux; qui je pourrais contacte? merci' d'avance pour touttes réponse.
Alberto Garbelli
Written 17 February 2017
Bonjour,
Malheuseusement, aucune adresse à vous fournir de tête mais le long de mes trajets j'ai découvert plusieurs sculpteurs de bois...mais ceux ci travaillaient principalement des grosses pièces...
De plus, pas sûr qu'ils soient répertoriés sur le net et qu'ils parlent ou écrivent en anglais.
Peut-être qu'il faudrait contacter un office du tourisme qui pourrait vous aiguiller.
Cordialement.
Régis
Written 18 February 2017
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