Mt Kyaiktiyo (Golden
Rock)10
The good things in life never come
easy. This is particularly so with the
sweat-inducing, never-ending uphill slog to
what is essentially a gilded stone. Sound
questionable? Perhaps, but if you ask us,
you can’t say you’ve been to Myanmar if you
haven’t ascended Mt Kyaiktiyo (p 93 ), home of
the golden rock, the country’s most important
religious pilgrimage site after the Shwedagon
Paya. The journey may be diffi cult, but at the
top you’ll be rewarded by a scene replete with
scenic vistas and a uniquely Myanmar-style
spiritualism.RACHEL LEWIS/LONELY PLANET IMAGES © JULIET COOMBE/LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©
Kalaw
9
Boasting an almost Himalayan atmos-
phere, Kalaw (p 172 ) is Myanmar’s ideal
base for upcountry exploration. Hiking with
Danu, Pa-O and Taung Yo villagers through the
forests, fi elds, roads and trails that link the
town and Inle Lake, you may even forget which
country you’re in. Trekking in the area is also
one of the few travel experiences in Myanmar
in which the authorities don’t seem to mind
if you stray off the beaten track. Children in
Kalaw