Travel Day 1162 – Nyaungshwe to Kalaw, MYANMAR
After spending time at the touristic Inle Lake, I really wanted to see the second hiking paradise after Hsipaw, Kalaw…
Ordinary Class Comparment on the ride to Kalaw, Myanmar
Actually many people considered Kalaw the best hiking place in Myanmar, especially because it was possible to approach Inle Lake on foot during a three-day hike. These hikes were led by a local guide who organized the two overnight stays along the way with one local family and with one Buddhist monastery, while the heavy backpacks were shipped to Nyaungshwe at the same time. This certainly sounded like a nice option, but unfortunately rumour had it that nowadays these hikes were so popular that sometimes up to 50 tourists would stay at a local monastery at the same time…
Knowing about these conditions, I had opted for visiting Inle Lake first anyway and then it seemed the best idea to simply stop by Kalaw for a day hike or two. But in terms of getting to Kalaw, other travelers had recommended to definitely take the train since it was passing some beautiful landscapes along the way. Not being too thrilled about the railroad system in Myanmar after my two experiences during the Crazy Train Travel to Naba and the one to Hsipaw via Gokteik Viaduct, I was still willing to go for a third and final train experience…
Train driving through Vegetation to Kalaw, Myanmar
So I made sure to leave Nyaungshwe early and walked over to the local pick-up stand. But instead of a regular pick-up, only expensive trishaws were available and they were trying to charge for two rides, only to reach the train station in Shwenyaung. After some lengthy discussions we finally came to a price agreement and they just so managed to drive me over to the station before the train pulled in. One quick ticket purchase later, I was once more jumping, shaking and swaying through the rural landscapes of Myanmar…
Since we were driving through quite a dense vegetation in the mountainous area around Kalaw, we were constantly touching bushes and small trees with our swaying train cabin. While the scratching sound of the branches on the surface of the carriage was disturbing, the fact that the branches would actually snap inside the open windows was even more concerning. This was especially the case because every time a branch was coming in, a downpour of leaves was coming down on me…
Rural Landscapes on the Way to Kalaw, Myanmar
But at least I was glad that I had spent the extra dollar to get a seat in the Upper Class compartment instead of the Ordinary Class which was completely filled with random goods and produce. Besides that, the ride to Kalaw was quite enjoyable, the green view of the rural landscapes with the wooden houses was great and this time around the ride was quite short since I wasn’t going all the way to Thazi. For me this was perfect as I arrived in Kalaw to a decent time, could settle-in, enjoy some nice local food and even arrange some hiking for tomorrow…
Well, it actually wasn’t quite so easy to find a good hiking solution for a short trip because there were too many local agencies and they were all asking way too much money. On top of that every single self-acclaimed guide had his own hand drawn map and his own special route to some remote villages that the next guide simply denied even existed. For me this whole experience was quite frustrating and in the end, all I could do was go with the guy who seemed the most professional and the least pushy. Everything else I would find out tomorrow morning…
Find all Kalaw Train Ride photos here.
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