Page 23 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

ITINERARIES 21
4 Kyaukme and Hsipaw Two laidback CHINA
towns offering an enjoyable taste of Shan
culture. Alternatively, head for the BHUTAN
tea-swathed hills to the north, where
Shan-dominated valleys give way to
tea-growing hills tended by the Palaung, INDIA
crisscrossed with great trekking routes. CHINA
See p.321 & p.324
5 Inle Lake Myanmar’s most visible
minority groups can be found around Inle
Lake, including Shan, Danu, red-turbaned
Pa-O, the lake-loving Intha and a smattering BANGLADESH
of the famous long-necked Kayan (Padaung)
ladies. See p.258
6 Kengtung This remote and still largely
untouristy Shan State town is surrounded LAOS
by a bewildering patchwork of Akha, Lahu,
Loi and other villages – it’s easily visited
en route to or from northern Thailand. BAY
See p.270 OF
BENGAL
ROADS LESS TRAVELLED
Myanmar is a big country – certainly big
enough to absorb the burgeoning number THAILAND
of tourists descending on it. Huge swathes
of the country still see few, if any, tourists.
Count on at least three weeks to cover all
the places here. ANDAMAN
SEA
1 Tanintharyi Region Head down to
Myanmar’s deep south, with its abundant
white-sand beaches and idyllic islands. THE GRAND TOUR
See p.169
ETHNIC MINORITIES GULF OF
2 Pyay An enjoyable stopover on the slow THAILAND
ROADS LESS TRAVELLED
road from Yangon to Mandalay, with ancient
Pyu ruins, the towering Shwesandaw
Pagoda and one of central Myanmar’s best 5 Katha Inspiration for the town of Kyauktada
night markets. See p.192 in Orwell’s novel Burmese Days, Katha’s
backstreets are dotted with atmospheric
3 Meiktila This little-visited crossroads town
has a beautiful lakeside setting, a clutch of colonial buildings – the 1924 tennis club still
quirky temples and stand-out street food. hosts matches today. See p.337
See p.189 6 Indawgyi Lake Kayak across or bike around
Myanmar’s biggest lake to seldom-visited
4 Loikaw Only recently opened to foreigners, villages and Shwe Myitzu, a golden pagoda that
the enjoyably low-key capital of Kayah State is a seems to float above the water. See p.351
great place to kick back for a few days, with
rewarding day-trips to time-warped local 7 Putao Discover Kachin State’s wild side in the
villages in the unspoiled surrounding thickly forested Himalayan foothills outside this
countryside. See p.266 remote far northern town. See p.353

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