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Kalaw. Photo by Go-Myanmar.

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Kalaw

Kalaw is a small hill town located in Kalaw Township in Taunggyi District in Myanmar’s Shan State. During colonial rule British civil servants fleeing the heat of the plains founded Kalaw which was initially a hill train station.

Kalaw was popular with the British during colonial rule and as a result Jan-Philipp Sendker’s novel Das Herzenhören used the town as the main setting of the novel.

Air in the town is cool, the atmosphere is calm and the streets are lined with trees which gives a smattering resemblance of colonial-era architecture.  Kalaw feels like a high-altitude holiday resort.

The Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Kalaw include the following.

1. Kalaw Feels Like a High-altitude Holiday Resort

Kalaw is a town founded by British civil servants to escape the heat in the plains of Taunggyi District in Myanmar’s Shan State.

The streets are lined with trees still smattering of colonial-era architecture while the atmosphere is calm and the air is cool.  Kalaw feels like a high-altitude holiday resort.

2. Traces of British Colonial Past Still Remain in Kalaw

Many examples of British colonial past still remain in Kalaw to this day. Many buildings at different conditions that were constructed during the colonial era are still standing in Kalaw town.

People walking on the streets are able to see many colonial era buildings. Train tracks which are still in use today exist in the town since Kalaw was a Hill Train Station during British colonial rule.

3. Kalaw Is A Cosmopolitan Town

Many factors have influenced the modern culture of Kalaw to date.  The town is home to various hill tribes such as Palaungs and Danus minority tribes. 

During the colonial period, people of various nationalities were brought to Kalaw to work on the railway construction and their descendants still reside in the town today.

The peoples from different nationalities who were brought to construct the railway include the Nepalese, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim peoples.  The culture in Kalaw today is therefore unique and diverse as it originated from different cultures.

4. Trekking is One of The Most Popular Activities in Kalaw

Inle Lake . Photo by Marc Veraart from Haarlem, Netherlands.

Most people visit Kalaw to participate in 3-day trekking to Inle Lake which is a World Network of Biosphere Reserves designated place.

Visitors also trek for two hours one way to the Myint Mathi caves other than the short walk to the viewpoint of the Inle Lake.  Visitors get a beautiful view of the Shan State area as they take the 2 hours trek to the caves.

Trekkers get a great experience of what’s around Kalaw town as they also trek through the quiet pine forests and visit a tiny village in the vicinity.   Kalaw is known as the Mecca of trekking of Myanmar.

5. Visitors Can Get to Kalaw By Bus, Train and By an Airplane

Heho Airport. Photo by Ekyaw.

Even though travel times are not too accurate in Myanmar, tourists can get to Kalaw by bus, by train or by an airplane. Travelers can get to Kalaw either during the day or at night by bus or by train.

Buses depart to Kalaw from all major cities of Myanmar such as Bagan, Mandalay and Yangon.  Airplanes can also fly from major cities of Myanmar to Kalaw’s local airport of Heho.

It takes about one hour to get to Kalaw by taxi from the airport.

Tourists can also board a train from Yangon train station to Kalaw train station.  It takes a very short walk from the train station which is estimated to be around 500 meters to downtown in Kalaw.  

6. Kalaw Hosts Two Main Temples

Kalaw boasts of two main temples, one of which doubles as a great site for viewing the town.  One of the temples is Thein Taung Paya Temple and Monastery located just a stone throw away from the Ever Smile Trekking Company.

The view of Kalaw gets better and better as one walks under the corrugated tin shelters and gain elevation within the temple.

 The temple also hosts a Buddha statue made of bamboo and the monastery is a common place for pilgrims to rest for a while as they journey to different locations.

The other temple is Aung Chan Tha Zedi Stupa which is located in the heart of Kalaw downtown.

 The temple is a unique attraction in Kalaw as tourists view its brightly gold and silver painted mirrored mosaic stupa. Animal statues representing each day of the week can be recognized around the stupa.

7. Kalaw Market Is A Main Attraction Within the City

Kalaw Market. Photo by ReflectedSerendipity from United Kingdom.

Kalaw market is located in the heart of the hilly town. Trekkers can buy many basic items they need for their 3-day trek to Inle Lake from Kalaw town.

Many items can be bought at the market as from backpacks, umbrellas, fruits to foods stuffs. The market provides all items required for daily living by residents of Kalaw.  

8. The Town’s Restaurants, Food Stands and Beer Stations Surround the Main Market

Offering a particularly eclectic range of foods, the town’s restaurants, food stands and beer stations surround the main market.

The local Shan delicacies are augmented by dishes prepared by descendants of Indian and Nepali rail workers.

Sikh, Hindu and Muslim delicacies can also be enjoyed at various restaurants within the main market and the surrounding areas.

9. Tourists Can View Ageing Elephants in A Camp Close to Kalaw

Founded in 2011 to protect the local environment and care for ageing and distressed elephants, Green Hill Valley elephant camp is located a 40-minute tax drive away from Kalaw.  

The camp is Myanmar’s new drive for eco-tourism.

Tourists visiting the camp have an opportunity to view elephants in their natural habitat.

Visitors are also permitted to take short rides on the elephants while taking into consideration the welfare of each individual animal.  

10. Religious and Cultural Events, Artifacts and Relics Can Be Found in Kalaw

Buddha in Hnee Pagoda. Photo by Paingpeace.

One of the festivals performed in Kalaw and which takes place in October and early November is the Tazaungman Full Moon Festival.  Street parades, music and fireworks are the main features of this festival.

Tourists can view a cave filled with golden Buddhas in Shwe Oo Min Paya and a 500-year old bamboo buddha can be viewed in Hnee pagoda within Kalaw.  

One of the imposing religious relics from the colonial era is Christ the King Church which is a sign of existence of Christian worship in Myanmar during colonial times.