Hsipaw

Hsipaw sits in the Shan hills at the end of the famous train line, a small town on the Dokhtawady river that became a trekking base because of what lies above it: terraced tea gardens, cornfields and villages of Palaung and Shan communities within a day's walk. The standard trip is a one or two night trek staying in a village house or monastery, walking through tea and up onto ridges with long views. In the town itself, Little Bagan is a cluster of crumbling brick stupas being taken by vegetation, and the former Shan palace, home of the last saopha of Hsipaw, is a modest colonial villa with a family history that is bound up with the country's twentieth century.

History

The state's capital was first at On Baung, which from the 1450s was a loyal vassal of the Kingdom of Ava; a prince of On Baung, Sao Hkun Möng, was crowned King of Ava from 1543 to 1546, and in 1714 the capital moved to Hsipaw (Wikipedia, Hsipaw).

The landscape

• Village treks - one to two night walks to Palaung villages through tea terraces.
• Little Bagan - overgrown brick stupas at the edge of town.
• The Shan palace - the former ruling family's villa, when open to visitors.
• Sunset hill - a short climb above town for the valley view.

When to go

November to February for cool clear trekking weather. The wet season makes the hill trails difficult. March and April bring heat and agricultural burning haze.

Practical notes

Treks are basic: village floors or monastery rooms, shared simple food and long days on foot in humidity. Guides are required for most routes and are worth taking regardless, since the paths are unmarked. The town itself is small and quiet, and the Shan palace keeps irregular opening hours that depend on the family being there.

Nearby

Pyin Oo Lwin and the Gokteik viaduct lie southwest; Inle Lake is far to the south.