We started the day with an unpleasant taxi driver who tried to rip us off. We should have used the Grab app, the Southeast Asia’s leading ride-hailing platform. The Uber-like app made it simple, safe and cheap to find a good driver.
Followed a 6 hours ride to Hpa-An, a small and rural tow. The capital town of the Karen state was amid karts formations and glorious mountains. Off the beaten path for most tourists, the charming village was the perfect spot for wannabe backpackers like us. We couldn't wait for the countryside hikes through the rice paddies or the huge caves turned into Buddhist temples.
After refreshing at our guesthouse, the Soe Brothers 2, we found a lovely restaurant, Veranda Cafe which in the top of providing excellent food was also doing community work with local women.
With a full belly, we wandered by the Kan Thar Yar lake and went smelling around the night market with our camera. The sunset over the lake, with the magnificent Mount Zwegabin as a background, was card postal material.