Hsipaw is located a 5 hour bus ride north of Mandalay on the main truck route to China.

It is a very busy and noise town and the gateway for trekking the beautiful North of Myanmar. An endless stream of long distant busses and trucks cross town between the Chinese border and Mandalay. Construction of more tourist accommodation and a new bank are on the way and we noticed a surprising amount of electro scooters next to old army trucks and noisy tractors with open engines on the street.

Almost forgotten at the northern outskirts of Hsipaw are a beautiful waterfall and the remains of religious sites and pagodas. Here we found the tranquil environment to enjoy time reading George Orwell’s Burmese Days and Aung San Suu Kyi’s Freedom From Fear.