KYAING TONG & ENVIRONS (Trekking to Hill Tribes’ Villages) (8Days/7Nights)
Coverage: Yangon-Kyaing Tong (Keng Tung)
Start City: Yangon
End City: Yangon
Duration: 8Days/7Nights
Operational period: September to April
BRIEF ITINERARY
Day 1: Yangon-Kyaing Tong (by flight)
Day 2: Hyo Kyin (Akha villages with different religions and different ways of living)
Day 3: Pintauk (Akha & Enn Villages with Black Teeth)
Day 4: Wan Nyet-Wan Sang (Loi Tribal Villages)
Day 5: Wan Pauk (Palaung Villages)
Day 6: Loimwe (Misty Mountain)
Day 7: Maila (or) Mongla
Day 8: Kyaing Tong-Yangon (by flight)
DETAILED ITINERARY
DAY 1: YANGON-KYAING TONG (by flight)
After breakfast at hotel, you are transferred to Yangon airport for a morning flight to Kyaing Tong. On arrival at Kyaing Tong airport, you are welcomed by our local tour guide and transferred to your Hotel. After refreshment, sightseeing in Kyaing Tong starts with Maha Myat Muni Pagoda, housing Mandalay Style Buddha image and proceed to Shan Lacquer-ware works. Tourists who are fond of lacquer-ware can purchase desirable lacquer-ware of high quality at there.
Then visit to standing Buddha image (the place where Kyaing Tong was founded about one thousand years ago), hot spa, Akha centre village and R.C.M church. Afterwards, enjoy sunset on the One Tree Hill where a lone, 245 years old Kanyin-byu (Diptero carpus Spp) tree stands. The tree was planted by king Alaungmintaya, the founder of Third Myanmar Empire and then come back to the pottery village "Yan Gone" to observe the handicraft earthen pots of Shan tribe. Overnight at the Hotel in Kyaing Tong.
Accommodation: Hotel in Kyaing Tong
Meals: Nil
DAY 2: HOKYIN (Akha villages with different religions and different ways of living)
From there, walk to Phata Akha village and to "Pang Ma Phai" Akha tribe village to learn more about their daily life. And then come back to the car to go Mong Zine (Khun Village) to see traditional Lahu knives made by Lahu black smith. On the way back to hotel, complete the day with an extended visit to Joe Phyu "Wa village". Overnight at the Hotel in Kyaing Tong.
Accommodation: Hotel in Kyaing Tong
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 3: PIN TAUK (Akha & Enn Villages with Black Teeth)
Enjoy your breakfast at hotel take the car about 45 minutes for a hiking tour into the Pin Tauk area. Lush mixed monsoon forest with a view to the plain rice fields looks like a huge, green patchwork blanket and visit the villages of Akha and Enn hill tribes. There are 3 different religions; some people are Buddhists, some are baptized and some are still animists.
The Enn is an ethnic group which tourists have found particularly interesting and also known as the "Black Teeth". Although they live on the higher slopes, the tour from village to village can be made by soft trekking slowly and it is not difficult to trek up. They have distinctively different costumes and beliefs from the other hill tribes. It will take about 4-hours to visit these villages. Have a lunch at Pin Tauk water-fall and come back to the hotel in the late afternoon. Overnight at the Hotel in Kyaing Tong.
Accommodation: Hotel in Kyaing Tong
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 4: (WAN NYET-WAN SENG) (Loi Tribal Villages)
After breakfast at hotel, start a full day excursion to Loi tribal villages. Firstly, drive approximately 2 hrs on the road to Maila which is a border town at the Chinese Border. The scenery along the way is very fantastic and there are many places to take photos. On arrival at the start point of the trek, travel on foot for an uphill walk of a ½ hour soft hike to Wan Nyet village, one of the Loi tribe villages. Explore the village and visit the magnificent wood monastery which was built over 300 years ago and it is very different form the other monasteries.
And then proceed to another Loi village (Wan Seng). It will take to you nearly one hour soft hiking and there are very beautiful sceneries along the way and also be truly amazed and refreshed. Then return to Kyaing Tong at about 17:00 PM. Overnight at the Hotel in Kyaing Tong.
Accommodation: Hotel in Kyaing Tong
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 5: WAN PAUK (Palaung Villages)
After breakfast at hotel, drive approximate 25 minutes to Palaung tribe village (Wan Pauk). The Palaung tribes are locally known as "Silver" Palaung who live at here. And also there is another branch of the same tribe locally called "Gold" Palaung, lives in Northern Shan State.
Three hours hiking from there is Lahu Shi villages, kunpe-1 and kunpe-2. Lahu Shi, Black Lahu and Red Lahu are the same tribes. It is a trekking through forests and also valleys and gorges are very fascinating along the way. On arrival at Lahu Shi village, spend a few hours exploring the town and learning about the Lahu people. Although only a short distance from Kyaing Tong, the people and villages in this region are undeveloped and untouched by time. And then return to Kyaing Tong at nearly about 16:00 PM and over night at the hotel in Kyaing Tong.
Accommodation: Hotel in Kyaing Tong
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 6: LOIMWE (Misty Mountain)
Enjoy breakfast at hotel, drive to Loimwe (appr. 2 hours drive) 33km away from Kyaing Tong. Loimwe which literally translated means "misty mountain" is at an altitude of over 1600 meters above sea - level. It commands a magnificent view of the surrounding area and enjoys a temperate climate. Once, an outpost of the British, remain many Colonial buildings and also a Catholic Church at there. The main attraction along the way is the scenery on the ascent to Loimwe, which passes through forests, terraced rice fields. On the way to Loimwe you will have several stops to visit different villages such as Wan Lun Shan villages, walk and explore the native village life; Ho Lup Akha village where you can see the traditional Akha tribes with their colorful dresses; Nang Cho Wa villgae and Panwai Lahu village on the left and right side of the road. Late afternoon you will be back in Kyaing Tong and over night at the hotel in Kyaing Tong.
Accommodation: Hotel in Kyaing Tong
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 7: MAILA (or) MONGLA
After breakfast at hotel, drive approximate 3 hours to Mongla, a town on the Chinese Border, 86 km away from Kyaing Tong. The places where you can enjoy Mongla's recent development are - a lot of grand hotels & restaurants, grandeur Buddhist temple (Dway Nagara Golden Pagoda), night clubs, Casino Halls and antinarcotics museum which is cited as progress in the combined efforts of Myanmar, China and Thailand to eradicate the drug trade. Tourists can observe the photographs of the burning poppy fields, the destruction of refineries and seizure of heroin shipment and weapons. Mongla's past has already changed under the fresh paint.
Accommodation: Hotel in Kyaing Tong
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 8: KYAING TONG-YANGON (by flight)
Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel, morning visit to central market which bustles daily from 6:00 to 11:00 in the morning. The market offers products from China & Thailand, and also it has local traditional clothing, antique coins and other implements for sale making good souvenirs. Then proceed to Naung Tong lake and the Wat Jom Kham Pagoda, where sacred hair relic of Lord Buddha is enshrined in it. Legend says Wat Jom Kham dates to a visit by Gautama Buddha. If features a tall gilded stupa topped by a gold umbrella inlaid with silver, rubies, diamonds, sapphires and jade and also hung with gold tinny bells. Then transfer to Kyaing Tong Airport.
Accommodation: Hotel in Yangon
Meals: Breakfast