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The best-known place for
going trekking in Myanmar is the
place around Pindaya, Kalaw and
the Inlay Lake in the Shan
State. On the mountain range
around Kalaw you can make a
study of the traditional customs
of Palaung people who have been
living there for many, many
years. Taraw, one of the Palaung
villages, still retain much its
ancient look, which makes it a
tourist attraction. You can get
there in about three hours
accompanied by a tourist guide.
All along the way you
can enjoy the sight of tea
plantations and other seasonal
crop fields. The path is not
undesirably rugged. It is all
quiet except for the
sweet-sounding chirping and
twittering of birds. Though
relatively deserted, most of the
inhabitants being away at work
on their farms in the hills,
there has never been a single
nasty accident on the way.
Taraw village lies in a
gorge. It has a Buddhist
monastery where you can take a
rest, drinking plain tea or
eating banana.
An interesting about
this village is that the
families live, on to a room, in
a large oblong-shaped building
like those houses you see on the
Borneo islands. For food, most
of them have just enough for a
single meal, and have to make do
with whatever they manage to
get; the main dish consists of
Shan red rice, pumpkin seeds and
pounded chilies.
You can do trekking on a
long, rugged path from Kalaw up
to the Inlay Lake with a
two-night rest at the Buddhist
monasteries on the way. In most
cases, hotel-style accommodation
should not be expected at
monasteries.
Walking to the Kakku
Pagoda Complex, 28 miles from
Taunggyi, by way of the eastern
side of the Inlay Lake gives you
an opportunity to enjoy the
unspoiled beauties of nature.
(This trip requires official
permission.)
You can go trekking to
area around Lashio and to
villages of Akhas indigenous
people to study their
traditional customs.
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