Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HIKING AROUND HSIPAW
The most popular hike from Hsipaw is the four- to five-hour walk to Pan Kam village ,
whereit'spossibletostayovernight.ThetrailstartsattheMuslimcemeteryonthewestern
edgeofHsipaw,andwindsuphillthroughthevillagesofNarLoy,NarMoonandManPyit.
The headman at Pan Kam, O Maung, works closely with Mr Charles Guesthouse and the
village is beginning to feel a little touristy during high season. If you don't fancy staying
in Pan Kam itself, it's possible to hike a further 75 minutes to Htan Sant . The standard
way to get to Htan Sant is to take the left-hand path at a fork just after you leave Pan Kam,
butthelongerright-handpathhastrulyexceptionalviewsofthevalley.Accommodationat
HtanSantcanbearrangedthroughtheheadman,KhaoSanAye,andthefollowingdayyou
can retrace your steps or press on to Sar Maw village and thence to Bawgyo Paya , from
where it's possible to hitch the 8km back to Hsipaw.
At the time of research, the Palaung village of Namhsan - the starting point for a great
three-day hike to Hsipaw - had been off limits to foreigners since July 2013. There are
various theories as to why the area was closed, ranging from a local flare-up in fighting
between a Palaung militia and the army to a localized gold rush. Ask at any Hsipaw gues-
thouse for the latest information on this situation. Treks can be organized through all of
Hsipaw'sguesthousesandthroughSaiJohn( 09403703322),althoughitisalsopossible
tostrikeoutonyourown.ExpecttopayaroundK10,000perpersonperdayincludingfood
and accommodation.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: HSIPAW AND AROUND
Bybus There is no bus station in Hsipaw, with buses and minibuses departing from a motley
collection of restaurants and guesthouses that double as ticket offices, including Yee Shin
guesthouse, Duhtawadi Café on Lanmataw St and Khaing Dhabyay on Bogyoke Rd.
Destinations Kalaw (1-3 daily; 13hr); Kyaukme (6 daily; 1hr); Lashio (3 daily; 2hr); Man-
dalay(6daily;6hr);Monywa(daily;11hr);Naypyitaw(3daily;12hr);Nyaungshwe(forInle
Lake, 3 daily; 15hr); Pyin Oo Lwin (6 daily; 4hr); Yangon (3 daily; 16hr).
Bysharedtaxi Sharedtaxis east toLashio (2hr;K6000/person),andwesttoKyaukme (1hr),
Pyin Oo Lwin (3hr 30min) and Mandalay (5hr 30min) depart Hsipaw around 6-7am. Book a
seat through your accommodation or through Khaing Dhabyay on Bogyoke Rd. Westbound
you will pay the same fare (K15,000) regardless of your destination.
Bytrain Hsipaw's railway station is west of the town centre, 500m west of Namtu Rd. Tick-
ets only go on sale 30min before each train arrives. If you are heading for Mandalay you can
knock 3hr off the journey by getting off the train in Pyin Oo Lwin and taking a bus for the
remaining distance.
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