Experience the best of Kalaw

Kalaw sits at about 1,300 metres in the hills of southern Shan State, a former British hill station where civil servants once escaped the heat of the plains. Colonial-era wooden houses and churches stand among its tree-lined streets, and pine and eucalyptus woods cover the slopes around. The air is noticeably fresher than in the lowlands.

Kalaw is the best-known starting point for walking to Inle Lake, a two or three day route through hill villages of the Pa-O, Danu and Palaung peoples, with tea terraces, farms and pagodas on the ridges. The cave temple of Pindaya, filled with thousands of Buddha images, lies to the north-east, and the town's market draws hill people on market day.

Shan noodles in a light broth, tea-leaf salad and curries with rice are typical meals, and tea and fruit grow on the hills. Nights are cool even in the hot season, and the clear, fresh weeks after the monsoon are the best for walking.