174EASTERN MYANMAR
THAZI TO INLE LAKE
3N South Indian Food INDIAN $
(Union Hwy; meals from K1500; hlunch & dinner)
Probably as authentic as that Italian restau-
rant you ate at in Nyaungshwe, but tasty and
good for vegetarians.
There are several good teashops in Ka-
law, many with a distinct Indian feel. All are
open from breakfast to lunch, and a snack
breakfast should set you back less than
K1000.Morning Star TEAHOUSE $
(Kone Thae St) The sign’s faded, but it’s hard
to miss this tidy, bright-blue teashop. Couple
your sweet tea with equally sweet Indian
sweets.Ma Hnin Si Teahouse TEAHOUSE $
(Butar St) This tiny teahouse on the east side
of the market has no English sign but you
can’t miss it – just look for the crowds of
locals enjoying plates of pakoda (vegetables
fried in lentil-fl our batter), Shan tofu and
other tasty deep-fried snacks.Tet Nay Win Teahouse TEAHOUSE $
(Butar St) An Indian-style teahouse serving
samosas, nanbya, channa puri (fried bread
with chickpea curry) and other treats from
the subcontinent.Hi Snack & Drink BAR
(Kone Thae St; h5-10pm) Hi is the size of a
closet and boasts a palpable speakeasy feel.
If you haven’t had a rum here, you haven’t
been to Kalaw. Mr Myo is a welcoming host,
and there’s a ragged guitar that takes embar-
rassingly little prompting to get played.Golden Wing BEER STATION
(Min St; h5-10pm) South of the market, this
typical Chinese beer station has Dagon
and Skol beer on draught, as well as grilled
snacks. 7 Shopping
A couple of art galleries around the market
sell paintings of monks, tribal people and
mountain scenery; some ordinary and oth-
ers very good.Rural Development
Society Shop HANDICRAFTS
(Min St; [email protected]; h8.30am-6.30pm)
On the west side of the market, this chari-
table enterprise sells fabrics, clothing and
handmade paper produced by local tribes.
Profi ts go towards development projects in
local Shan and Pa-O villages.8 Information
In addition to the two cafes below, internet is also
available at Golden Lily Guest House (p 173 ).
Cyber World Internet Café (Aung Chan Tha St;
per hr K1000; h8am-11pm)
Sky Net (Kone Thae St; per hr K500; hnoon-
11pm)8 Getting There & Away
Air
Kalaw has no airport of its own, but fl ights are
served via Heho, about 16 miles away.
Air Mandalay (www.airmandalay.com) fl ies
from Heho to Yangon at 9.30am, 9.40am and
4.30pm ($86, one to three hours), with the
afternoon fl ight routing through Mandalay ($42,
25 minutes) and Nyaung U (for Bagan; $68, one
hour). Air Bagan (www.airbagan.com), operated
by Tay Za (see p 21 ), also fl ies a similar route to
Yangon at 8.45am, 9.45am and 4.40pm ($95, one
to three hours), with the afternoon fl ight stopping
in Mandalay ($53, 25 minutes) and Nyaung U
(Bagan; $75, one hour). Air Bagan also operates a
daily fl ight to Thandwe (Ngapali Beach; $122, one
hour), Asian Wings (www.asianwingsairways.
com) and Air Bagan also conduct fl ights between
Heho and Kengtung ($85, one hour).
Taxis waiting at the airport charge K30,000 to
Kalaw (1½ hours); a cheaper but less convenient
option is to hike the near mile to the Union Hwy
and wait for a pick-up truck or bus bound for
Thazi (K2000, 1½ hours) or Meiktila (K1500, one
hour), although you may face a long wait. Bus & Taxi
For information on buses from Yangon see p 70.
Several bus ticket offi ces across from the
market book seats on the long-distance buses
between Yangon and Mandalay and Taunggyi.
These buses stop on the main road, in front of
the market.
Small local buses bound for Taunggyi depart
from a stop behind the Aung Chang Tha Zedi.
Buses, minivans and pick-up trucks bound for
Thazi will drop you in Shwenyaung (Inle Lake;
two hours) for the same fare, or in Aungban (the
junction for Pindaya; 20 minutes) for K1000.
Buses, minivans and pick-ups to Thazi (K2500,
four hours) or Meiktila (K3000, fi ve hours) stop
periodically on the Union Hwy – fares for for-
eigners are routinely doubled along this route.
You can charter taxis from Kalaw to Pindaya
(K35,000, two hours), Nyaungshwe (K35,000),
Taunggyi (K40,000) and Thazi (K65,000). Train
A single daily train departs from either end of
the winding line that links Thazi and Shweny-
aung. Stunning scenery makes up for the slow
journey time and frequent delays. See p 167 for