Pindaya

Pindaya (Burmese: ပင်းတယမြို့ Pìñṯáyá myoú) is a town in the Shan State of Burma. It is located in the west of the state in Pindaya Township in Taunggyi District. Mainly famous for its limestone caves called Pindaya Caves where thousands of Buddha images have been consecrated for worship over the centuries, it is also one of the towns that host an itinerant market every fifth day.

The town of Pindaya is known for its beautiful limestone caves and stunning setting adjacent to a lake. It also manufactures the famous Shan paper umbrellas. The limestone caves that are set deep into the mountainside contain 6000 Buddhas all of different sizes. They are made up either white marble, bronze or plaster and are coated in gold leaf. The caves are often used as places of meditation hence the many Buddhas that can be found there. The main Pagoda in the town is the 15-meter-tall Shwe U Min Pagoda and is situated at the entrance to the caves. To get to the caves you will have to walk around 45 minutes however it is a very picturesque walk. On the way up, you will find some very bug tress that unusually weave along the ground. The $3 entry fee to the caves is well worth the view and the relaxing atmosphere that it holds. As mentioned Pindaya has a lovely lakeside setting so you could take a walk around the lake or for an even better view, take one of the hot air balloons to get a new perspective on things. If you have a little more time and some energy to release or perhaps you’re a keen hiker then, you could head to Kalaw a nearby town, and walk the trip back through the hills and tribal villages. It is nice to see a tribe that speak their own language and dress differential to the rest of us which is quite uncommon nowadays. Along the way, you might also want to stop off overnight at a monastery which are usually happy to welcome visitors for the night and provide you with a good meal. It is a good idea to take some form of GPS with you as it is rare to find a local who speaks any English.