Guests will have an authentic Myanmar experience at the Central Market in Hsipaw, as the merchandise is truly directed at villages, not tourists. Meet members of several different local tribes and peruse some local goods, including traditional Shan clothing. Just make sure to get up early - the market opens at 3:30am, closing by 6:00am.

Just 8 km out of town, the Pagoda Bawgyo is a must see for visitors to Hsipaw. This Shan-style monument - a Buddhist place of worship - is said to be more than 2,000 years old, and features four sacred Buddha images, locked inside but brought out once a year for an annual festival.

Travelers can catch an extraordinary sunset from one of two nearby hills, Five Buddha Hill and Nine Buddha Hill, about 2 km from the town center. Visitors can access the hills by biking alongside the picturesque Myit Nge river.

Visitors should be sure to arrive to or depart from Hsipaw by train, as the railway into town is not only of historic significance - it was built by the British to connect the center of Myanmar to the remote Shan State - but the slow ride features incredibly stunning vistas of the nearby hills and beyond.

Visitors can take a tour of the old Shan Palace, where the Shan Chiefs (royals) resided until the military coup of 1962. Guests will marvel at the palace’s intricate architectural design and learn about the town’s history from a royal insider - the wife of the nephew of the last royal family member at the palace.