Set over on the more remote side of the Shan Hills, the pint-sized provincial hub of Loikaw is a sleepy and laid-back town. Almost everything opens late and closes early, street sellers tout sizzling noodle pots on the roads, while the beautiful rises of the surrounding peaks enfold the place in its own bowl of rustic charm. The town has a rather unique landscape of a series of hilltop pagodas scattered around, fronted by the golden towers of the Taung Kwe Pagoda that sits draped on a series of limestone outcrops above the centre. This mystical shrine with countless bridges connecting its various prayer rooms offers sweeping views of the rolling plains of central Myanmar from all sides. Foreigners have been recently allowed to visit this part of the country, and can make the best of their visit by enlisting Loikaw tour guides for cultural encounters with the Kayan, (long-necked tribespeople who live in the hills) as well as walking excursions along the wild trails of the Shan.