It may not be the top of your must-sees when visiting Burma, but it’s worth making the time and spending at least a couple of days high in the hills. Don’t make the mistake of just staying for 1 night.

A Land of Tranquility and Natural Beauty

This former British Hill Station is set amongst beautiful mountain scenery and by staying at the Kalaw Hill Lodge you’re right in the heart of some of the most easily accessible and beautiful hiking trails in the country. The countryside and idyllic villages are authentic, no mass farming practices, and the trails will be largely your own, except for farmers and villagers who use them to access the fields and to travel across the region. We can adapt the day to suit you as you’ll have your own local private guide, but each walk will take you into a land whose tranquility and beauty will remind you why you’ve travelled so far.

Travel in November through early December and land will be covered in wild flowers (the millions of wild sunflowers are seen as a weed) and the harvest will be in full swing.

British Hill Station

The town itself still holds a few remnants of the British rule in the form a former post office and railway station, but the joy of the town is the variety of life that runs through the streets and markets. As with most parts of the country we’d recommend that you find a local tea house, grab a chair looking out to the street and watch the local life play out in front of you.

Elephant Care & Forest Recovery

Away from hiking the most popular option is to spend a day in the company of elephants. No riding as these are retired timber workers that are now being cared for with your help. Visitors are invited to spend the day in the elephant camp learning about their care, walking with them and joining in with bath time. Extensive logging has taken its toll on the environment as well as on the elephants and the other guiding mission of the camp is reforestation. The forest recovery program is built around visitor participation and you will be invited to plant a regional tree from the camp’s nursery.

Perfect Winter Climate

Slightly counter-intuitively (you have flown to the Far East after all) the mornings and evenings can be cool, but there’s something special about having an open fire in your room and / or dining room and a slight chill in the air as the mist clears in the valley below and the sun rises into a crystal clear blue sky, promising a day in the high 20’s.