As the karsts rise and fall around Hpa-An, and the Salween River lazily wiggles towards the Bay of Bengal, this town of shacks and Buddhist temples continues to tick over to a low-key vibe - that is precisely what gives it so much charm. This place is for slow days and long nights of hopping between backpacker bars and watching the sunset over the needle-like peaks on the horizon. 

Activity wise, it's a very Burmese medley of panoramas, pagodas and temples. Start by getting your Hpa-An tour guide to reveal the endless effigies of Buddha Park, spreading out beneath the green-dressed peaks in a show of serene religious artistry. The theme continues into the depths of the Sadan Cave, where carvings of saffron-robed meditators adorn the tunnels. The other side of the Hpa-An coin rests in the gorgeous backcountry that dominates this southern leg of Myanmar. Expect to ride bikes or drift on boats through vistas of karst-spiked land, where murky rivers flow in and out of cave systems, past the outline of high Mount Zwegabin and around the curious golden turrets of the Kyauk Ka Lat Pagoda – a must-see.