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The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel to Northern Shan State, except Kyaukme town, Hsipaw town, and the train line from Mandalay to Kyaukme and Hsipaw. Check the latest before you travel.
For an easy escape from the heat and hussle of Mandalay, do what the colonial Brits did and pop up to Pyin Oo Lwin. And as you've come this far, why not continue further across the rolling hills of the Shan Plateau to discover some of Southeast Asia’s most satisfying hill treks out of Hsipaw. But bring a decent fleece: while days are warm, it gets chilly after dark and can be downright cold at 5am when buses depart and markets are at their candlelit best.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Northern Shan State.
Park
Founded in 1915 and carved out by Turkish prisoners captured by the British during WWI, this lovingly maintained 435-acre botanical garden features more than 480 species of flower, shrub and tree. The most appealing aspect is the way flowers and overhanging branches frame views of Kandawgyi Lake’s wooden bridges and small gilded pagoda. Admission includes the swimming pool, the aviary, the orchid garden and butterfly museum, and the bizarre Nan Myint Tower.
Area
At the northern edge of town, Hsipaw’s oldest neighbourhood has a village-like atmosphere, two delightful old teak monasteries and a collection of ancient brick stupas known locally as Little Bagan. Though this name blatantly overplays the size and extent of the sites, the area is undoubtedly charming. The multifaceted wooden Madahya Monastery looks especially impressive when viewed from across the palm-shaded pond of the Bamboo Buddha Monastery (Maha Nanda Kantha).
Bridge
A highlight of the long, slow Mandalay–Lashio train ride is the mighty Gokteik Viaduct. It spans the Gokteik Gorge, a densely forested ravine that cuts an unexpectedly deep gash through the otherwise mildly rolling landscape. At 318ft high and 2257ft across, it was the second-highest railway bridge in the world when constructed, and remains Myanmar’s longest. From aboard the train, the best views are from north-facing windows, the left side if you’re heading towards Lashio.
Buddhist Temple
Finished in March 2000, this dazzling pagoda is by far the region's most impressive religious building. It enshrines an enormous 17-ton white-marble buddha statue that fell off a truck bound for China in April 1997. After several attempts to retrieve the buddha failed, it was decided that the statue 'had decided to stay in Myanmar'.
Market
As the epicentre of the gem trade in Myanmar, Mogok has many marketplaces for gems. The early-morning market is known as the Cinema Hall Market, as it is outside the old cinema, and involves local dealers pushing rough uncut stones. In the afternoon, the action shifts to the Paik Swae market, where the high-rollers hang out.
Waterfall
Just north of Anisakan village the plateau disappears into an impressive, deeply wooded amphitheatre, its sides ribboned with several waterfalls. The most spectacular of these is the gorgeous three-step Dat Taw Gyaik, whose last stage thunders into a shady splash pool beside a small pagoda on the valley floor. It's best visited in the early morning or late afternoon.
Historic Building
Dating from 1904 and formerly the British Club, this colonial pile comes complete with side turrets and is set in attractively manicured gardens. Immortalised in Paul Theroux's travel classic The Great Railway Bazaar, it boasts George Orwell among its former guests. There's a slightly spooky air to the place – many locals believe it's haunted – and it has been closed for long-delayed renovations for a while. But the gates are normally open, so cycle in for a look.
Buddhist Temple
Five miles west of Hsipaw, beside the Hsipaw–Kyaukme road, this pagoda is of great significance to Shan people and gets overloaded with pilgrims who arrive en masse during the annual Bawgyo Paya Pwe, culminating on the full-moon day of Tabaung (February/March). The pagoda’s current incarnation is an eye-catching 1995 structure of stepped gilded polygons, within which the dome supposedly incorporates genuine rubies.