Pindaya

Small Shan Hills town beside Nattamiekan Lake, known for caves packed with thousands of Buddha images.

Pindaya is a small, unhurried town in the Shan Hills of central Myanmar, set around a lake called Nattamiekan (Angels Lake). It is worth a stop on the route between Bagan or Mandalay and Inle Lake, and many travellers pass through in a day — though the town rewards an overnight stay.

The main attraction is the Shwe Oo Min Paya cave complex, which burrows into a limestone cliff above Nattamiekan Lake. Inside, more than 8,000 Buddha images have been placed over the centuries by pilgrims and donors. They range from tiny gilded figures to large marble statues, filling every chamber and alcove in an effect that is genuinely extraordinary. A covered stairway leads up to the cave entrance; a mechanical lift is also available.

The town itself is a centre for Shan umbrella-making, and you can watch craftspeople produce the lacquered paper parasols in workshops along the main street. Every five days a rotating hill-tribe market brings Pa-O, Danu, and Shan vendors down from the surrounding villages — worth timing a visit around if you can.

Guide

Getting There

Pindaya is in the Shan Hills, about 45 km north-east of Taunggyi and 175 km south of Mandalay. The most common approach is from Inle Lake — the road from Nyaungshwe passes through Aungban and takes about two hours by shared taxi or private car. From Bagan or Mandalay, most travellers go via Aungban junction on the main Mandalay–Taunggyi highway.

There is no direct bus service; the town is best reached by shared taxi from Aungban, which is the junction town on the main Yangon–Mandalay highway. Tuk-tuks and motorcycles can be hired locally for the climb up to the caves (about 45 minutes on foot from town, or 10 minutes by vehicle).

Guide

Things to Do

The Shwe Oo Min Paya cave complex is unmissable — thousands of Buddha images filling a limestone cave above the lake, accumulated over centuries of pilgrimage. The Shan umbrella workshops along the main street are a pleasant complement, and watching craftspeople work the lacquered paper parasols takes 20 minutes well spent. Nattamiekan Lake is beautiful at dawn. If your timing is right, catch the five-day market for a window into Shan Hills daily life.