Page 240 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

238 INLE LAKE AND THE EAST KALAW AND AROUND
staying on the lake itself). Northeast of Nyaungshwe is Taunggyi, the bustling capital
of Shan State, little visited by foreigners but offering a complete change of pace and
scenery; as well as hosting one of Myanmar’s most spectacular festivals, it’s also a
convenient jumping-off point for visits to the stupa-swathed hillside at Kakku. Striking
east of Taunggyi, you’ll need to get on a plane to reach remote Kengtung, well off the
tourist trail but offering a rewarding clutch of Buddhist pagodas and hill-tribe treks; it’s
also a handy staging post if you’re heading to (or coming from) northern Thailand via
6 the border town of Tachileik.
South of Taunggyi, Kayah State is now beginning to establish itself on the tourist
radar, with plenty of foreigner-licensed accommodation now available in the enjoyably
laidback state capital of Loikaw, from where it’s possible to take a day-trip out to local
Padaung and Karen villages.
Note that Pyin Oo Lwin, Hsipaw, Lashio and other parts of northern Shan State are
featured in the Northern Myanmar chapter (see p.310).

Kalaw and around

Gateway to the Inle region, lofty KALAW (pronounced Kah-lore) was established back
in colonial times by British officers and administrators seeking an escape from the heat
of the plains and has changed little in essence since. Less touristy and considerably
more sedate than nearby Nyaungshwe, the town continues to serve as a breezy hill
resort catering to a relatively well-heeled crowd of domestic and foreign tourists
attracted by the refreshingly temperate climate and verdant upcountry scenery.

Man Li
Pyin Oo Lwin Kepg Lon INLE LAKE AND THE EAST
Mandalay & Wan Nyek Mong La CHINA
Wan Sen

Mong Ping
Kunhing Pin Tau LOI MWE
Yengan Yaksauk Lai-hka Kengtung PROTECTED
Shwe Oo AREA
Min Cave SHAN HILLS Loi Mwe
Pindaya Loilem Ho Kyim
Shwenyaung Taunggyi Namsang Mong Hpayak
Nyaungshwe
Kalaw Heho Pawn LA O S
Inle
Aungban Lake Kakku SHAN STATE N
Nampan Tachileik
Mong Ton Mae Sai
Sankar Hsi-Hseng Wan Hat
Moebye Mae Chan
Lake Thanlyin River
Pekon
Loikaw Mong Mao HIGHLIGHTS
Ta-Tawmaw Mailun
Demoso Inle markets
Huai Sai Hiking around Kalaw
KAYAH STATE Mae Hong Son Shwe Oo Min Cave
Baw-la-key Mae Taen
Boat trips on Inle Lake
Taungoo THAIL AND Kakku
Hpasawng
Kemapyu Pan Pet
Chiang Mai
Pantin Sakan 0 50
Kengtung
kilometres