Kalaw is a nice town to stay for 1 or 2 days, the temperature is pleasant because it is 1320m above sea level (no aircon needed) and the town itself is a bustling provincial town and a regional center.
One reason for that is the rotating market. This lively event runs on a five-day cycle moving each day from town to town around the Kalaw/Inle region.
It is also a nice tourist town with many hotels, guesthouses, shops and restaurants. During low season there is plenty of choice for a decent price. Tourist visit here on the way to Inle Lake, this can be done by trekking (walk a few days in a small group and tourguide with a small backpack in the area and sleeping in villages or a monastery)
Eastern Paradise hotel is one of the best places to stay in town, I had a superior room here for 20US$ per night, this included the breakfast which was in my opinion the best one (sorry no pics) I had in Myanmar !
The balcony at the front of the buidling was an added bonus and one could spend a lazy afternoon or evening there with the nice view on the surroundings ! Be aware that (mostly) during the daytime there are loudspeakers attached to houses in the area who blast all kind of Buddist and Hindi messages (prayers ?) around !
I wandered around the town and also went to the railway station in case I needed to travel by train ( I didn't leave from there but passed Kalaw a couple of days later in the way to Thazi, see a future post about that trip)
See some pics of daytime Kalaw below.
** Interior and exterior of Eastern Paradise Motel - Kalaw **
** Streets of Kalaw - Near Union Highway ***
** Near Union Highway - house/office of EVER SMILE TREKKING SERVICE ***
** More Streets of downtown Kalaw **
** Around Kalaw railway station **
** Market area and pagodas of Kalaw **
** Back to the hotel first and in the evening a good chicken curry meal for a few US$ ! **
