Kalaw (Shan State)

A small hilly town located in the Shan State, Kalaw takes a traveler away from the tropical heat of the country. This quaint town is away from the general tourist crowd and offers pristine beauty, unspoilt by human intervention.

During colonial times, Kalaw was used by the British to escape the hot weather of the country. This small exhibits a heavy influence of the colonial with British colonial buildings and train tracks that date back to that time. The surrounding hills of Kalaw also home to several ethnic groups such as the Palaungs and Danus, as well as the many people of indian and Nepalese origin who came to the country in search of work. Hence Kalaw exhibits interesting cultural diversity.

This old British hill town is the center for many trekking activities of the country. The town itself is small and can be covered within half an hour's walk. Kalaw has several trekking routes which takes one through the scenic Shan Hills. 

Enjoy treks through the scenic Shan Hills. Several hiking routes are available from Kalaw with varying difficulty levels and very from helf-a-day to several days in lenght.

The hike to Inle Lake tend to be the most popular long-distance trek. It typically takes two days, including one overnight stay at a home stay or monastery.