Kyaingtong

Kyaingtong sits in the eastern Shan hills, a long way from anywhere in Myanmar and much closer to Yunnan and northern Thailand, which is legible in the food, the faces and the temples. The town is built around a small lake, with a Shan-style market that draws Akha, Ann, Lahu and Palaung people down from the hills, a standing Buddha on the ridge and a scatter of monasteries. Hill village visits are the main activity and are arranged with licensed guides, since access in this region is regulated.

What you actually see

• The morning market - hill peoples coming into town to trade, at its fullest before eight.
• Naung Tung lake - the small lake the town is built around, walked in the evening.
• The monasteries - Shan and Tai Khun temples with a distinctly northern Thai feel.
• The hill villages - Akha, Ann, Lahu and Palaung settlements in the surrounding ranges.

When to go

November to February is dry and cool, and is when the markets are busiest. The monsoon makes hill tracks difficult. Which villages can be visited changes, so plans are made locally rather than in advance.

Honest expectations

Movement in this region is regulated and a licensed guide is required for the villages; the permitted area changes and some routes close at short notice. Village visits raise real questions about intrusion, and how an operator handles them varies a great deal. Overland routes in and out are restricted.

Nearby

Tachileik and the Thai border are a few hours south, and Loi Mwe is a former hill station nearby.