TAUNGGYI

Taunggyi, over 1430 metres above sea-level, is the capital of Shan State. It is a hill station, cool and pleasant all the year round. The market, on every fifth day, is crowded with ethnic minorities in their traditional dresses. The journey from Inlelake to Taunggyi takes about an hour.

AYE THAYA GOLD RESORT

Aye TharYar Golf Resort 18 holes is located at the foot of Taunggyi Hill, just 30 minutes from Heho airport, 15 minutes of winding mountain road to taunggyi the capital city of the Shan State, 30 minutes to the Inlay Lake and the nearby Shwenyaung railway station.

KAKKU

Kakku, about 40 km south of Taunggyi (1½ hour drivd), is dotted with over one thousand stupas. It is one of the famous religious sites of the Shan State, especially the holiest religious site of Pa-O people. You can reach there by trekking from Inle Lake for one day. Over two thousand stupas and temples are standing in the same complex. Kakku is rarely discovered by most travelers visiting Myanmar.

KALAW

Kalaw, a hill station used by British as their summer seat during their time, beautifully is situated surrounded by pine trees and hazy blue mountains at an altitude of 1400 meters above sea-level. Many of the Tudor-style houses and English gardens of colonial days remain. It is located 70 km west of Taunggyi and 2-hour drive from Inle Lake. Sightseeing can be done in Kalaw market, Buddha image made of bamboo. Some trekking tours can be made to Palaung villages nearby Kalaw. 3 day trekking tour to Inle Lake from Kalaw is a popular and charming feature of Kalaw.

PINDAYA CAVE

About 45 km drive from Kalaw is Pindaya, well known for its extensive limestone caves. The caves are set deep in the hillsides and there stands at the entrance, a 15 meter high Shwe U Min Pagoda. There are over 6000 Buddha images made of different materials and wood in it. Tourists who are interested in trekking can make trekking tours to villages near Pindaya, especially to Yazagyi village. On the way to Yazagyi village you can take sightseeing in Palaung and Pa-O villages. Another must is a visit to the paper umbrella workshop.

AUNGBAN

Aungban, situated on the high-way between Kalaw and Inle Lake, is the main junction in Shan state, branching off to Kayar State and Mandalay division. . It is reached by train and car from Mandalay. Aungban morning market is one of the colourful markets in the country, taking place once in 5 days. It is an ideal place for your biological stop on your long driving. It has also nice and cold weather due to its elevation.

MYINNMAHTI CAVE

About 7 km southeast of Kalaw, is situated at the foot of the Myinmhti Mountain at an altitude of 4315 feet. It is reached by car from kalaw. Myinmahti Cave is also a religious side for the native people of Pa-O and ideal place for sightseeing as a side trip during your tour in the southern Shan State.

THAZI

About 177 km south of Mandalay is Thazi, a rail junction town, brunching out to the Shan state. Most of the visitors from Mandalay, Bagan and Yangon, who want to take a train journey to the tourist destinations like Inle, Kalaw, Pindaya, Taunggyi embark or disembark. Train journey to NyaungShwe, the transfer point for those who wish to proceed to Taunggyi or Shwenyaungfamous for its picturesque Inle Lake, offers a magnificent panorama of the Shan mountain ranges. It is also rapidly growing in popularity.