• Home
  • Round The World Trip
  • Hiking
    • John Muir Trail
    • West Coast Trail
    • New Zealand’s Great Walks
    • Waitukubuli National Trail
    • Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
    • Torres del Paine W-Circuit
  • About
    • Map Of Places I Have Been
    • About Me
    • Contact Me

Kevin's Travel Blog

  • Home
  • Round The World Trip
  • Hiking
    • John Muir Trail
    • West Coast Trail
    • New Zealand’s Great Walks
    • Waitukubuli National Trail
    • Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
    • Torres del Paine W-Circuit
  • About
    • Map Of Places I Have Been
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
March 30, 2016February 12, 2017

Kalaw, In The Shan State of Myanmar

This post is part of a series called Myanmar 2016
Show More Posts
  • Yangon, And First Impressions of Myanmar
  • Kalaw, In The Shan State of Myanmar
  • Hike From Kalaw to Inle Lake
  • Inle Lake and Indein Village
  • Hsipaw, And a Failed Train Ride
  • Pyin Oo Lwin, And Another Failed Train Ride
  • Mandalay, Inwa, And Amarapura
  • Boat Ride From Mandalay to Bagan
  • Exploring The Wonders of Bagan
  • In Review: 26 Days of Backpacking in Myanmar

We arrived at Kalaw after comfortable night bus. I was able to get a good amount of sleep despite frequent stops throughout the night. The first stop was at this modern mega rest stop with many restaurants and shops. The second felt very surreal. As I walked half asleep to the toilet in the middle of the night, all the stalls on the side of the highway were still open, some of them cooking with firewood. The locals all had a very distinct look, with darker skin. Later on I asked Jenni if I had dreamed or imagined that, and she confirmed that she saw the same things.

Arriving at Kalaw at 4am, a motorbike taxi driver approached us and offered to take us for 2,500 kyats per person. He had a very take-it-or-leave-it attitude and the fare seemed excessive to us. An 1-hour taxi ride to the bus station in Yangon had only cost us 9,000 kyats, and this was going to be only a 5-minute ride. But since the guesthouse we had booked was a 25-minute uphill walk, we didn’t really have any other convenient choice. After another driver approached us with a much better attitude and explained to us that during the day it’s usually 1,000 kyats per person, but it was 2,500 since it was the middle of the night, we finally accepted. It was only 2 USD per person, after a few days in a new country you start to think everything in local prices. Back home in the US, 2 USD would be very cheap, but in a country where you can get a meal for 1 USD, this seemed expensive. Credit for them for being entrepreneurs, for getting up at 4am to cater to tourists.

We ended up staying three days in Kalaw. I had a mild fever and needed a couple of extra days to recover. We stayed at Unique Bed and Breakfast and found the place very comfortable. Since it’s a bit out of town, the surroundings were very quiet and peaceful. We also really enjoyed the great breakfasts on the outdoor deck.

There was not much to do in town except for a small market and a couple of pagodas.

Shwe Oo Min Phaya, Kalaw, Myanmar
Shwe Oo Min Phaya, Kalaw, Myanmar
Shwe Oo Min Phaya, Kalaw, Myanmar
Shwe Oo Min Phaya, Kalaw, Myanmar
Kalaw Central Market, Myanmar
Kalaw Central Market, Myanmar
Kalaw Central Market, Myanmar
Kalaw Central Market, Myanmar
Kalaw Central Market, Myanmar
Kalaw Central Market, Myanmar

Our next destination was Inle Lake through a 3-day, 2-night hike.

Posted in Travel, Photography, Round The World Trip, Asia, Myanmar
Leave a comment
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Post navigation

   Yangon, And First Impressions of Myanmar
Hike From Kalaw to Inle Lake   

You may also like

Western USA Road Trip: Zion National Park

Continue Reading
Looking back at Wheeler Peak

Western USA Road Trip: Great Basin National Park

Continue Reading

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Subscribe


 

Categories

  • Travel (354)
    • Round The World Trip (242)
      • Pre-Trip (20)
    • Americas (176)
      • Argentina (24)
      • Bolivia (12)
      • Brazil (20)
      • Canada (12)
      • Chile (12)
      • Colombia (9)
      • Mexico (9)
      • Peru (21)
      • United States (71)
      • Uruguay (3)
      • Venezuela (8)
    • Africa (13)
      • Djibouti (2)
      • Eritrea (6)
      • Somalia (6)
    • Asia (46)
      • Cambodia (4)
      • China (1)
      • Hong Kong (1)
      • Japan (15)
      • Macau (1)
      • Malaysia (2)
      • Mongolia (1)
      • Myanmar (10)
      • Singapore (2)
      • Taiwan (8)
      • Thailand (4)
    • Caribbean (14)
      • Dominica (14)
    • Europe (1)
      • Russia (1)
    • Middle East (26)
      • Iran (13)
      • Jordan (1)
      • Kuwait (3)
      • Oman (7)
      • Qatar (3)
      • United Arab Emirates (4)
    • Oceania (50)
      • Australia (8)
      • New Zealand (42)
  • Hiking (149)
    • John Muir Trail (31)
    • West Coast Trail (10)
    • Olympic National Park (7)
    • Yosemite National Park (10)
    • Sequoia National Park (6)
    • Angeles National Forest (2)
    • Ansel Adams Wilderness (5)
    • Bryce Canyon National Park (1)
    • Chapada Diamantina (1)
    • Death Valley National Park (1)
    • King's Canyon National Park (8)
    • Mount Roraima (3)
    • New Zealand Great Walks (33)
    • Salkantay To Machu Picchu (9)
    • Torres del Paine (6)
    • Waitukubuli National Trail (11)
    • Zion National Park (2)
  • Motorcycle (12)
  • Photography (286)
  • Train Rides (14)
  • Life (15)
  • Other Stuff (2)

Archives

  • 2020 (2)
    • April (2)
  • 2019 (5)
    • July (2)
    • June (3)
  • 2018 (10)
    • May (2)
    • March (4)
    • February (1)
    • January (3)
  • 2017 (34)
    • December (1)
    • September (1)
    • May (1)
    • April (4)
    • March (12)
    • February (10)
    • January (5)
  • 2016 (47)
    • November (1)
    • October (4)
    • September (6)
    • August (4)
    • July (2)
    • May (2)
    • April (8)
    • March (11)
    • February (3)
    • January (6)
  • 2015 (75)
    • December (1)
    • October (6)
    • September (2)
    • August (5)
    • July (8)
    • June (7)
    • May (9)
    • April (13)
    • March (13)
    • February (6)
    • January (5)
  • 2014 (80)
    • December (2)
    • November (5)
    • October (6)
    • September (9)
    • August (7)
    • July (6)
    • June (10)
    • May (17)
    • April (5)
    • March (4)
    • February (4)
    • January (5)
  • 2013 (27)
    • December (4)
    • November (2)
    • October (6)
    • September (2)
    • June (1)
    • May (5)
    • April (3)
    • March (2)
    • January (2)
  • 2012 (14)
    • December (3)
    • November (5)
    • September (1)
    • August (2)
    • June (1)
    • March (1)
    • February (1)
  • 2011 (18)
    • December (1)
    • November (2)
    • October (2)
    • September (2)
    • August (1)
    • July (1)
    • May (1)
    • April (6)
    • March (1)
    • January (1)
  • 2010 (28)
    • December (4)
    • October (2)
    • September (1)
    • August (3)
    • July (7)
    • May (3)
    • April (2)
    • March (3)
    • January (3)
  • 2009 (22)
    • December (6)
    • November (3)
    • October (1)
    • September (5)
    • August (2)
    • July (2)
    • June (1)
    • March (1)
    • January (1)
  • 2008 (4)
    • November (2)
    • May (1)
    • March (1)
  • 2006 (4)
    • November (1)
    • February (1)
    • January (2)

kevinstravel

San Marco Basilica in Venice #travel #italy 🇮🇹
Ponte Vecchio in Florence during sunset #travel #i Ponte Vecchio in Florence during sunset #travel #italy 🇮🇹
The surreal 3 madrassas from the 15-17th centuries The surreal 3 madrassas from the 15-17th centuries in Samarkand. #travel #silkroad #uzbekistan 🇺🇿
Lake Kaindy in Kazakhstan was created by an earthq Lake Kaindy in Kazakhstan was created by an earthquake in 1911. The trees poking out of the lake are dead but have been preserved by the cold glaciar water. #travel #lake #kazakhstan 🇰🇿
Load More... Follow Me on Instagram

996 Days Traveled
33 Countries Visited
290 Beds Slept In
79 Flights Taken
180 Buses Long Distance
93 Trains Long Distance
48 Boats Survived

© 2006-2020 Kevin's Travel Blog. All Rights Reserved.