Kalaw
Where to lay your head
Where to lay your head
Kalaw is a town of mostly midrange accommodation options. A few high-end choices exist in obscure locations outside of town, aimed at package tour groups and wealthy Burmese. Many of the hotels in town are renovating and upgrading, expecting a surge in tourism.
The friendly receptionists at the Eastern Paradise struggle with English but are friendly and welcoming. The hotel is located a three-minute walk from the main road and is a five-minute walk to the central market. Rooms are plain but have everything you’ll need including hot and cold water, soft mattresses, extra pillows and comforters, desk and WiFi. The rooms are very well maintained but would... Read our full review of Eastern Paradise Hotel.
The Honey Pine, located in the centre of town, opened in 2012 and still smells and looks brand new. The hotel has 24 rooms and a lovely interior consisting of white walls and pine flooring. The rooms and bathrooms are spotless and each room contains a loaded minibar, wardrobe, TV, phone, green tea and very tastefully designed interior. A friendly staff member was happy to give us a tour of the... Read our full review of Honey Pine Hotel.
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The Dream Villa is located in a large white building, reminiscent of a mansion, and surrounded by a large collection of well-kept vegetation. Each floor has a pleasant shared balcony and the rooms have huge windows that show off the area’s great views. Despite appearing to be in good condition overall, several of the rooms were undergoing renovations when we passed through in mid-2013. Rooms are... Read our full review of Dream Villa Hotel.
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The Golden Lily has been operated by a friendly Sikh family since 1994. Rooms are very simple but cheap and include your choice of breakfast: European-style, Shan noodles or Indian food. All rooms are no-frills, containing nothing more than beds, four walls and a floor. The rooms with private bathroom are much nicer, made of local pinewood and offering top views from the large terrace. Room rate... Read our full review of Golden Lily.
One of the more upscale hotels, the tall Seint Hotel offers some great views. It’s located on the main road, a short walk from several restaurants. Staff are friendly, helpful and able to arrange trekking trips (though for trekking we suggest heading down the street to the Golden Lily). The rooms, equipped with TV, phone, wardrobes and minibars, and are well maintained and bathrooms are clean.... Read our full review of Seint Hotel.
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The Winner Hotel is located in the centre of town and with its large Chinese sign, can’t be missed. Despite its shabby exterior, the rooms are in much better shape than you’d think. We were greeted immediately by a friendly receptionist who happily gave us a tour of the entire hotel. Most rooms are equipped with a flatscreen television, phone, WiFi, minibar, air-con and even heat, which we’re... Read our full review of Winner Hotel.
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The New Shine Hotel with its ’24-hour service’ sign becomes useful when your bus drops you off at 04:00 and the hotel you made reservations for is shut down for the night. Despite being a newer building, several design flaws exist, such as doors that have to be pried open, toilets that are noisy for about 10 minutes after being flushed, refrigerators that don’t work and lukewarm water marketed as... Read our full review of New Shine Hotel.
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