Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
But with Pankam now firmly on the tourist route, some travellers are seeking al-
ternative treks to more remote locations. Options include a two-day hike to
Kyaukme
that takes you through fields and forests. Much more strenuous and ad-
venturous is the three-day trek up to little-visited
Namhsan
, a Golden Palaung tea-
growing town high up in the hills. It's a journey that starts in the soy bean and
maize fields of the Shan villages, before you ascend to the tea plantations of the
Palaung areas. Along the way you'll stay in villages that have seen very few, if any,
foreigners. Bear in mind that some of these treks are only possible between Octo-
ber and March; during the rainy season, the trails become very difficult.
If you want something less arduous, then the guides at Mr Charles Guest House
can take you to local waterfalls, or arrange combined trekking and boat trips, which
will spare your knees.
Workshop Visits
If you don't fancy trekking, there are various workshops and mini
factories
around
town, where you can see locals carrying out cottage industries like weaving, noodle-mak-
ing, cheroot rolling and even popcorn popping. All these are marked on the map in the
reception at Mr Charles Guest House. Or find a guide to combine a few workshop visits
with, perhaps, a field-stroll to Parpeit village and hot springs.
Sleeping
Mr Charles Guest House
HOTEL $
MAP
( 082-80105;
www.mrcharleshotel.com
; 105 Auba St; dm $7, r $9-55; )
Still the most ef-
ficient, comfortable and traveller-friendly guesthouse in town, the ever-expanding Mr
Charles operation encompasses everything from simple mattresses on the floor in the
dorms, to swish suites with heating and air-con. Expect to pay $16 to $22 for a room with
its own bathroom, but book ahead in peak periods.
The helpful staff at this Shan-owned guesthouse can arrange transport, treks and tours.
There's bicycle (K2000 per day) and motorbike (K10,000 per day) hire and communal
upstairs balconies where guests swap travel stories late into the evening. Breakfast is in-
cluded.
Lily Guesthouse
GUESTHOUSE $
MAP
