Kalaw – a refreshing hill town in Shan State, Myanmar

As soon as you get to Kalaw from your Myanmar trip, strolling around the antique town is the first thing that we highly recommend you to do. The high altitude is the main advantage helps the aura around the town cool and fresh in all year round. Take a walk through the beautiful town, you will be mesmerized by the unique British architecture features on colonial buildings, snaking road with full of colorful flowers, and some significant religious sites.

Along your walking journey around the town, do not miss your chance to hit the local Kalaw market. Along with social development, the market has been through a long time that becomes the best place offers the best view of the life of the area. Stay in the heart of Kalaw town, the market is where villagers from the surrounding areas come to sell their products. Every five days, the market of Kalaw is swelled by traders who descend from the hill villages outside the town. The market is where you witness a variety of hill tribes dressed in their traditional attires bartering for products in front of their colorful vendors.

Nested in a magnificent limestone cave, Shwe U Min Pagoda is one of the best attractions in Kalaw. It attracts tourists’ attention by its radiant Buddha statues, exotic stalactite, and serene aura. No one knows exactly how long the pagoda has existed. Probably it has gone through a very long time. Along with the rapid change of time, Shwe U Pagoda has become one of the most highly revered religious sites in the region. Inside the pagoda is where people often gather to pray and admire the golden images. Also, visitors traveling to the pagoda can enjoy a breathtaking ambiance that hardly can be found in anywhere else.

Thein Taung Pagoda is another attraction in Kalaw for you to stay away from the crown. Just about 10-minute drive from the downtown Kalaw, Thein Taung Pagoda noted for an exotic Buddha statue made of bamboo. Together with visiting the pagoda, you can spend time to enjoy the fantastic scenery surrounding.

Why can we ignore an interesting trek while visiting Kalaw? There are several destinations, but Myin Ma Hti Village is the most wonderful trekking point in Kalaw. There is two way to reach the tranquil village, one by bike and one by trekking. But we recommend you spend time to walk through the breathtaking pine trees to get to the village. It’s worth as you will have a chance to behold the pure natural beauty of Kalaw along the path.

Last but not least, this is perhaps one of the most expected activities in Kalaw. The trekking route from Kalaw to Inle might not the most impressive route you have ever seen, but we bet that it will be the most memorable one in your life. A trekking tour from Kalaw to Inle will provide you a chance to meet some ethnic group live sparsely along the path and you cannot imagine how friendly they are. Furthermore, it also allows you to walk through the scenic plantation, visit an ethnic family and share a cup of tea in delight with them.