DISCOVERY HILLTRIBES

16-Day Discovery Upper Burma Tribes

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DAY 01          ARRIVE YANGON

Upon arrival at YANGON airport you will be welcomed by our guide and transferred to your hotel.
Your journey begins with an afternoon tour through Yangon’s colonial-style city center. Visit SULE PAGODA, dating back over 2,000 years ago; the magnificent reclining Buddha CHAUK HTAT GYI; and after a photo stop at the KARAWEIK HALL, a 'hamsa-bird-shaped' floating barge on Kandawgyi (Royal) Lake, stroll through the BOGYOKE (SCOTTS) MARKET, a compound of hundreds of food, garment, handicraft and gem stores. Complete your first day in Myanmar with a visit to one of the world’s most spectacular monuments, the SHWEDAGON PAGODA.
Overnight stay in Yangon.

DAY 02          YANGON – PUTAO (BY FLIGHT)

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for the flight to PUTAO. Upon arrival, transfer to your accommodation.
After lunch, sightseeing to downtown include a visit to PAN-HLYING and HO-KO.
Overnight stay in Putao.

DAY 03          PUTAO – KAUNG HMU LON - PUTAO

After breakfast, drive to HTAWADUM and procced boat trip to KAUNG HMU LON Pagoda and trekking 1½ hour to NAMKAM RAWANG village. Return back to PUTAO.
After lunch, sightseeing to downtown include the MARKET; the MONASTERY and WILDLIFE CENTURY MUSEUM.
Overnight stay in Putao.

DAY 04          PUTAO – MACHANBAW – MULARSHIDI - PUTAO

After breakfast, visit to CENTRAL MARKET and drive to MACHANBAW village (21 km, 2 hour drive ) to observe ways of life of hill tribes : Hkanti Shan, Jinpo Rawang and Lisu. Back to PUTAO.
After lunch, walk to MULARSHIDI LISU village.
Overnight stay in Putao.

DAY 05          PUTAO - MYITKYINA (BY FLIGHT)

After breakfast, transferred you to the airport for a domestic flight to MYITKYINA. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.
After lunch, take a sightseeing tour around Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, on a trishaw (bicycle taxi).
Overnight stay in Myitkyina.

DAY 06          MYITKYINA – WAINE MAW - MYITSON – MYITKYINA

After breakfast, drive over a bridge spanning the Ayeyarwaddy River to visit a small town named ‘Waine Maw’. Visit the local cottage industry work shops including blacksmiths, and a small rural market. Kachin tribes that inhabit here are still largely animist and still intact with their old customs.
Proceed to MYITSON, the conflucnce of Maikha & Malikha crossing through Lisu and Kachin. After lunch, return back to MYITKYINA.
Overnight stay in Myitkyina.

DAY 07          MYITKYINA – BHAMO (BY ROAD)

After breakfast, 186 km – 8hour drive to BHAMO. Lunch at a local restaurant en-route.
Upon arrival to Bhamo, take a bicycle ride around the town, or the less energetic can sit back and relax on a trishaw. Drive approx. 5km passing beautiful wooden colonial buildings until you arrive at a large bamboo bridge and Shwe Kyina Padoga.
Overnight stay in Bhamo.

DAY 08          BHAMO - MUSE

After breakfast, continue your overland journey driving (106km – approx. 7 hour) to MUSE, the Chinese-Myanmar border. After the 1945 built Shweli bridge the road follows pleasant sceneries, along rivers and small idyllic villages until into the jungle. The bumpy drive leads through rainforests which are vanishing as teak loggers and agricultural fields advance. Lunch at a local restaurant en-route.
Overnight stay in Muse.

DAY 09          MUSE - LASHIO

After breakfast, drive (187 km – 5 hour) to LASHIO, located at 855 meters altitude in a mountain basin. Arrival at Lashio, transfer to your hotel.
Lunch at a restaurant. For the energetic, possibility to visit a typical village of the Palaung ethnic minority. Drive to the outskirts of Lashio from where continue on foot about 4 km slight up-hill (1 hour walk per way) on an unpaved path to get to the Nam Kyan village. You will have an opportunity to get an insight to the culture of the Palaung people and learn more of their life style and society.
Overnight stay in Lashio.

Note : The hotel and restaurant infrastructure in Lashio is very simple and leaves much to be desired for. A stay in Lashio should be regarded as an adventure and guests should be warned before arrival.

DAY 10          LASHIO – PYIN OO LWIN (MAYMYO)

After breakfast, stroll through the busy local market where modern gadgets as well as local produce can be found. Continue to Quan Yin San, one of the largest Chinese temples in Myanmar that bears testimony to Lashio’s thriving Chinese community. A scenic drive (190 km - 6 hour) will take you to the former British hill station of PYIN OO LWIN (Maymyo), a delightful small town of colonial-style buildings, markets, and a botanical garden.
Lunch will be served in a local restaurant en-route. Upon arrival to PYIN OO LWIN transfer directly your hotel.
Overnight stay in Pyin Oo Lwin.

Optional TRAIN EXPERIENCE : Drive only as far as Naung Pane railway station. Wait for the Lashio-Mandalay train which was long known as the black-market train. A 45 minute train journey to Naung Cho will give you a taste of how the locals travel. You will experience the train also crawl slowly across the famous Gokteik Bridge. The 700m long bridge, built in 1900 by the American Pennsylvania Steel Co, spans across a nearly 300m deep abyss. After crossing the bridge the train will stop at a small station. You will get the chance to have a better look at the bridge. Please take a note though that it is not permitted to photograph/video bridges in Myanmar. Also keep in mind that trains in Myanmar are not up to international standard and reliability leaves to be desired. However, we will make every effort to provide best available seats on the train. In case of schedule irregularities, delays or unavailability of seats, the journey will be made by road as per original itinerary.

DAY 11          PYIN OO LWIN - MANDALAY

After breakfast, explore the local market by horse cart (if available). Continue overland to MANDALAY.
After lunch at a local restaurant in Mandalay you will experience the sights and sounds of Mandalay including one of the most revered religious monuments in Myanmar, the MAHAMUNI PAGODA; the SHWE INBIN MONASTERY; the GOLDEN PALACE MONASTERY, a superb example of a traditional wooden architecture and KUTHODAW PAGODA the world’s largest book, made of marble. Visit a traditional hand-woven silk workshop as well as a Kalaga tapestry craftsmen's shop before proceeding to MANDALAY HILL for sunset.
Overnight stay in Mandalay.

DAY 12          MANDALAY - KYAING TONG (KENG TUNG) (BY FLIGHT)

After breakfast, transfer to airport for domestic flight to KYAING TONG (Keng Tong). Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.
After lunch, excursion to the sights of Kyaing Tong include MAHA MYAT MUNI PAGODA (WAT PHA JAO LUNG) the most glorious temple of Kyaing Tong; the Khun Shan monastery of WAT ZOM KHAM, the most impressive among all the Shan temples in the city with the interior walls filled up with gold leaves on lacquer Jatakas. Time permitting visit a lacquer ware workshop where the unique Shan lacquer wares are produced in a very delicate way.
Overnight stay in Kyaing Tong.

DAY 13          KYAING TONG (KENG TUNG)

After breakfast drive 1½ hour north to the Akha village of WAN PIN. Continue on foot to the villages of the surrounding region and visit the unique Ahn, Akha and Lahu ethnic minorities in a comfortable pace. The walking trip can last to 2 to 6 hours depending on the number of villages visited.
Picnic style packed lunch will be served at PIN TAUK waterfall.
Drive back to Kyaing Tong in the afternoon. Stop en-route at the Li-Shan village of WAN KWAN to sample the local ‘fire water’ rice wine favored by all the mountain tribes of the region.
Overnight stay in Kyaing Tong.

DAY 14          KYAING TONG (KENG TUNG) – LOI MWE – KYAING TONG

After breakfast, a 1½ hour bumpy drive on a narrow road will take you to LOI MWE located on a mountain plateau. En-route visit the Wa village of NAUNG CHO known as the birth place of one of the earliest ethnic tribes of Shan country. In Loi Moi visit the old Catholic church built by the Italian mission early in the 19th century and see some of the colonial houses built as summer residences during the British colonial era.
Picnic style packed lunch. After lunch, trek mostly down hill for 3 to 5 hour to the four Akha villages near HO JING. Experience the unique and traditional way of life of the Akhas also known for their individual religious beliefs.
Return to Kyaing Tong.
Overnight stay in Kyaing Tong.

DAY 15          KYAING TONG – YANGON (BY FLIGHT)

After breakfast venture into town to explore the colorful Kyaing Tong market. See a mixture of different local folks including ethnic minorities from the surrounding regions dressed in colorful traditional clothes. Visit the Lone Tree hill where a very tall Pterocarpus tree is said to have been planted by the visiting Burmese king from Kon Baung Dynasty 200 years ago. Take a leisurely stroll around the charming NONG TONG LAKE located amidst the town, where you can visit one of the local houses in the vicinity to experience their more modern way of life.
After lunch, transfer to Kyaing Tong airport for a domestic flight to YANGON.
Overnight stay in Yangon.

DAY 16          DEPART YANGON

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Yangon airport for your departure flight.

Itinerary is subject to changes depending on flights, road conditions and availability of rooms.

Important Notes:

• We reserve the right to change and reroute the itinerary without prior notice, due to unforeseen circumstances that may occur and arise.
• A special permit is required for all nationalities in order to be allowed to enter Chin State. Asian Tour will obtain such permits at the discretion of the Myanmar government. We require all client passport details as well as occupation latest 30 days prior to arrival.
• During the winter months weather can be cool make sure to bring warm and wind proof clothes for cool mornings and evenings.
• This is essentially a soft adventure, lifestyle and hiking tour. A good physical condition is necessary for the daily treks. The walking times specified in the itinerary are average walking times and depend on the physical condition of the participants. Many of the treks have a different starting and ending point, guests who feel that the trekking period and elevation is too tiresome for their physical condition should inform the guide prior to starting the trek in order to arrange an alternative itinerary. We reserve the right to change the visit of villages in order to avoid sending crowds of tourists to the same villages. Travel insurance is excluded from our arrangements and Asian Tour will deny all claims arising from a lack of insurance by the passenger.