MM · Shan State · 20.63°N 96.57°E
kalaw
Pine-covered hills, cool mornings and a market town above the Shan countryside.
- Best time
- November to February is cool and dry, with chilly nights, ideal for walking. March to May is warmer and hazy, and June to September is wet and the trails are muddy.
- How long
- 2–3 days
- Getting there
- Fly direct to Yangon (about 2 hours 45 minutes from KL), then a domestic flight to Heho, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Kalaw is about an hour west by road. Myanmar is 1.5 hours behind KL.
kalaw
Dear group chat,Pine-covered hills, cool mornings and a market town above the Shan countryside.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingKalawMM, Shan State
Photo: Go-Myanmar · CC BY-SA 3.0 Photo: Shelly Zohar · CC BY-SA 4.0 Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 Photo: David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada · CC BY 2.0 Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0
Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.
A breezy old British hill station about 1,300 metres up in the Shan hills, with pine trees, colonial houses and a busy market. It's best known as the start of the two- or three-day trek through tea plots and farming villages to Inle Lake.
Makan
- Shan noodlesRice noodles in a light tomato sauce with chicken and pickled greens.Map ↗
- Tofu nwayWarm chickpea 'tofu' porridge poured over noodles, with chilli and crunchy toppings.Map ↗
- Chapati and curryFrom the Indian and Nepali families who came to build the railway; their restaurants sit around the market.Map ↗
Things to do
- Kalaw marketHill-tribe traders come in on the five-day market cycle to sell produce, herbs and tea.Map ↗
- The trek to Inle LakeTwo or three days on foot through Pa-O and Danu villages, sleeping in village homes or monasteries.Map ↗
- Thein Taung monasteryA hilltop monastery above the town, with views over the rooftops and pines.Map ↗
- The colonial quarterOld British-era bungalows and gardens along the quiet, pine-lined lanes.Map ↗
Good to know
- Treks need a licensed local guide, who will know which village routes are open.
- Kalaw is in southern Shan State, under UK advice against all but essential travel.
- Kalaw's Indian Muslim community, around the Myo Ma Mosque near the market, is the place for halal curry and chapati.
Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.