lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

Return the way you came until you reachthe intersection with Oo Min St (indicatedby the sign for Pine Hill Resort). Turn leftand continue about ten minutes or so untilyou see a group of pagodas on your left; thisis Shwe Oo Min Paya (Oo Min Rd), a naturalcave dripping with golden Buddha statues(and also just dripping – watch your footingon the slippery marble pathways).After exploring the caves, continue alongthe road until you reach a T-junction. Turnright, as indicated by the wooden sign withgold letters; this and similar signs will leadyou to Hnee Pagoda, home to 500-year-old,gold-lacquered bamboo Buddha.Kalawæ Sights1 Aung Chan Tha Zedi............................C22 Hsu Taung Pye Paya ...........................B23 Market ..................................................C24 Thein Taung Paya................................ C1Ø Activities, Courses & Tours5 Ever Smile ............................................ C16 Sam's Trekking Guide ......................... C1ÿ Sleeping7 Dream Villa Motel Kalaw .....................B28 Eastern Paradise Motel....................... B19 Golden Kalaw Inn.................................A210 Golden Lilly Guest House.................... A111 Honey Pine Hotel................................. B112 New Shine Hotel .................................. B113 Parami Motel........................................B214 Winner Hotel Kalaw ............................. B1ú Eating15 3N South Indian Food ......................... C116 Everest Nepali Food Centre................B2FMD Indian Food........................ (see 20)Morning Star .............................. (see 22)17 Pyae Pyae Shan Noodle...................... A118 Sam's Family Restaurant....................B2Tet Nay Win Teahouse.............. (see 23)19 Thirigayha Restaurant ........................ A120 Thu Maung Restaurant ....................... C1ûüDrinking21 Golden Wing.........................................C222 Hi Snack & Drink..................................B223 Ma Hnin Si Teahouse ..........................C2þ Shopping24 Rural Development SocietyShop...................................................C2After paying your respects, backtrackalong Hnee Pagoda St and turn left at theintersection. Continue along this road untilyou reach the T-junction; turn right on SaittaThukha St and after about ten minutes orso you’ll merge with Thidar St just behindHsu Taung Pye Paya.TrekkingAlmost everyone who comes to Kalaw goestrekking in the hills. The town is surroundedby Buddhist pagodas, hilltop viewpoints andthe peaceful villages of the Palaung, Danu,Pa-O, Taung Yo and Danaw tribes, all set ina gorgeous landscape of forest-capped hills.The level of development varies as youmove from village to village. Some tribeswear traditional clothing and live withoutelectricity or running water, while their immediateneighbours watch European footballon satellite TV. The standard of livingfor tribal people across the region has beenraised by development projects run by theUN and other international NGOs. Mostvillagers depend primarily on farming, butsome subsidise their income by makinghandicrafts and providing meals and accommodationfor visiting trekkers.The most popular trek is undoubtedlythe two- to four-day trek to Inle Lake (fordetails, see our boxed text on p 172 ). A lesscommon route is the multi-day trek to Pindaya,via Taung Ni. Popular destinations forone-day or overnight treks around Kalawinclude the Myin Ma Hti Cave, the Pa-O villagessouth of Lamaing, and the Pa-O, Danuand Taung Yo villages near Myin Dike trainstation. Another popular route runs southwestfrom Kalaw to the Palaung villages ofYwathit and Tar Yaw and the Viewpoint, arustic, Nepali-run restaurant with sweepingviews over the hills. If you’re interested innature more than culture, Moteh, who canbe found at the Viewpoint, offers a day orovernight ‘jungle’ trek through a protectedforest. Trekkers sleep in the woods or stayovernight at a Taung Yo village; contactRamu at Golden Lily Guest House (p 173 ) fordetails on this trek.On single-day treks, the only equipmentyou need is a pair of good walking shoes.Meals are usually included in the price of thetrek, but you should buy and carry your owndrinking water. Trekking goes on year-round,but expect muddy conditions during the rainyseason (approximately June to October).Trekking without a guide is not recommended– the trails are confusing, the171THAZI EASTERN TO MYANMAR INLE LAKE ACTIVITIESKALAW