- Explore the homeland of the legendary Padaung Women known for elongated necks adorned with Brass Rings
- Venture out for gentle trekking, while exploring local beliefs and ways of life
- Learn about traditional artisans and musicians in their homes
- Spend time with communities in three different villages around Samkar Lake
This tour is focused on hill tribe villages around Kayah State (Myanmar Ethnic Group). You will experience the living style of Kayan people with brass rings on their neck which is an iconic symbol of Kayah State. Visit their homes, learning how to weave traditional textiles and make Kayan bracelets and taking photos with them. Inle Lake, the second largest lake in Myanmar, is surrounded by mountains. Nothing surpasses Inle in providing rest and recreation to the travel weary. Your attention will be riveted on leg rowers, a creative breed of rowers you can’t find elsewhere in the world, the most famous and unique feature of Myanmar. Floating islands made up of compost and silt and Inthars (ethnic group) growing plants and flowers on their floating gardens are part of the attractions.
Day 1: Yangon Arrival and Sightseeing
Mingalarbar! Welcome to Myanmar and upon arrival at Yangon International Airport, our friendly tour guide will meet you. Begin your day with the busy traffic of Yangon towards the downtown for about 1 hour drive. Explore its fabulous mix of architecture and historical buildings along the strand road which have a faded colonial charm that you cannot see elsewhere in Asia. First you will see the post office –a lovely historic building, passing by Strand Hotel, Mahabandoola Garden and Independence Monument along the way. After an hour, visit famous Chauk Htat Kyi Pagoda, home to a 70-meter long reclining Buddha. The soles of the statue are carved with reliefs of traditional symbols and often many locals gather to pay homage and pray. After lunch, visit Bogyoke (Scotts) Market (closed every Monday and public holidays), the finest place for shopping in Yangon due to is one-stop function for both locals and foreigners to get incredible bargains on myriad local products (Myanmar souvenirs, lacquer ware, tapestry, gems & jewelry and etc.). Finally, visit Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the world wonders because of its glittering gold stupa. No visit to Myanmar is complete without a visit to the 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda, which enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other holy relics. At the same time, enjoy the amazing sunset view from Shwedagon pagoda. Check in to your hotel and enjoy your night in Yangon.
Day 2: Yangon - Loikaw (Flight) and Loikaw Sightseeing
After breakfast, our guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and transfer you to the airport for a flight (about an hour) to Loikaw. Upon arrival at Loikaw Airport, our stationed guide will welcome you and take you on a visit to Htee Se Khar Waterfall which is situated 15 miles north of Loikaw city, full of natural wonders surrounded by lush forests and then Kayah cultural Museum, where traditional dresses, handicrafts and culture are on display. In the evening, enjoy the sunset from the top of the Taung Kwe Pagoda perched atop an outcrop, one of the famous places of interest in Kayah State. Enjoy your night at a hotel in Loikaw.
Day 3: Soft trekking to Panpet and Hta Nee La Leh (Community Based Tourism)
After breakfast, our guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and head to the Salong Kana, one of the five hamlets of Pan Pet community, considered to be the homeland of Kayan, or ‘Padaung Women known for elongated necks decorated with Brass Rings’. The brass rings worn by some Kayan ladies have become an iconic symbol of Myanmar. You will have a chance to explore ‘behind the scenes’ by visiting the homes of how to make Kayan bracelets, weaving traditional textiles, carving wooden statues and weaving bamboo. After visiting the villages, a short drive to Pemasong hamlet. On arrival, the community guide will welcome you and lead you along a nature trail, for approximately 2 hours. Finally, you will arrive at a beautiful viewpoint, with a panoramic view of the mountains, paddy fields and 5 hamlets of Pan Pet. At the meeting point, our waiting vehicle will take you to to Hta Nee La Leh which is simple farming village with traditional Kayah totem poles. After short visit in Hta Nee La Leh, return to hotel and enjoy your night in Loikaw.
Day 4: Loikaw – Pekon – Samkar Lake (Thar Ya Khone and Khon Thar Village) - Inle Lake
After breakfast, our guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and visit local markets. Drive to Pekon about 1.5 hours to take a boat to Samkar. The boat trip will take about 1 hour and as soon as you arrive in Samkar, the local community guide will meet you. Start your walking tour about 1 ½ hour to explore Thar Kaung Pagoda and Thar Ya Khone village where you can try your hand at making rice crackers at a small workshop. At midday, enjoy a home-cooked traditional lunch at a local family’s home in Samkar village. After lunch, you will have some free time to explore Samkar village with your company guide. In the afternoon, relax on a 1-hour unique bamboo raft ride to admire the beautiful scenery and discover an ancient aqueduct near Khon Thar village with a local community guide and pilot. Then take a boat to Inle Lake about 2 hours and enjoy your night at a hotel in Inle.
Note: This package is not available from 1st May – 30th September due to low water levels affecting the bamboo raft tour.
Day 05: Inle Lake Sightseeing
After breakfast, our guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and begin your morning with Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda, Nampan village- famous for cheroot (traditional cigarette) factories and the weaving village of Inpaw Khon - also a popular tourist attraction, famous for its weaving workshops and produce multi-colored fabrics on looms made from bamboo poles lashed together with ropes and extend your visit to traditional blacksmith workshop. Return to hotel and enjoy your night in Inle.
Day 06: Nyaung Shwe – Kalaw day trekking
Trekking hours: 4 hours
Trekking level : Medium
After breakfast, our trekking guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and leave around 8:30 am to Myin Ka village in East of Kalaw by vehicle and drop you at the meeting point. From meeting point, you have to take a footpath with the roads and trails going through the beautiful, natural scenery. After approximately 1½ hours, you will arrive in Pane Hne Pin, a Palaung Tribal Village and observe how they make their living from farming and hunting. They live in long houses, sharing with 4-5 families. Return to Pane Hne Pin and walk back a different route about 1½ hours to reach your original meeting point, Kalaw. Our waiting vehicle will drive you to Pindaya for about 60km and approximate driving time is 1½ hours. Along the route, you can enjoy the marvelous landscapes of hilly region with vegetable patches and terrace cultivation. Upon arrival to Pindaya, visit the Pindaya Caves (famous for its limestone caves, home to 8094 Buddha Images of various sizes), Umbrella Workshop – which makes umbrellas using traditional Shan paper made of pulp. After observing Pindaya and its environ, drive back to your hotel and enjoy your night in Inle Lake.
Day 07: Heho – Yangon (Flight) - Departure
After breakfast, our guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and transfer you to Heho airport (approximately 1 hour) to take a flight to Yangon (about 1 hour and 10 mins). Upon arrival at Yangon Domestic Airport, our vehicle and guide will be at your disposal until your connection to international departure flight.
What is included in the tour
- All sightseeing tour and transfer services with private air conditioned car as detailed in our itinerary
- Accommodation with breakfast at 3* hotels as specified
- Domestic flight tickets and airport taxes
- Transfers and tours with English-speaking locally stationed guides
- All entrance fees for the places as mentioned in the program
- Boat trip Pekon – Samkar - Inle Lake
- Samkar CBT day tour package
- Soft trekking in Panpet – Hta Ne Na Le on day 3 with lunch and local trekking guide
- Soft trekking in Kalaw on day 4 with lunch and local trekking guide
- Service charges, room tax and baggage handling
- If there are 16 people and above we will grant 1 FOC for tour leader in single room.
What is NOT included in the tour
- Services not mentioned in our itinerary
- Lunch except on day 3 , 4, 6 and dinners for the whole trip
- Myanmar Visa fees
- International flight tickets to and from Yangon
- Expenditure of a personal nature (Such as: uses of mini-bar and refrigerator, laundry service, telephone call and etc...)
- Travel insurance (cover against all cancellation costs, medical expenses, including repatriation, in the event of accident or illness)
