Special Features for Interest Tour

Padaung Tribe (Long - neck lady)

Padaung tribe, nativity of Kayah state. The Padaung people are hardly seen in lowland and if they come to appear at all, trend to congregate around the provincial town of "Loikaw" close to the border with neighboring Thailand. Although the Padaung, a Mongolian tribe who have been assimilated into Kayin groups, only on a total number of about 7,000 they have attracted a great deal of interest. The custom is more than a seldom and strange beauty. They wear bronze rings around their neck. Legend explains that the rings were similar of charm against to the danger and bite of tiger. 

Loikaw : A Wonderful Land of Myanmar

Loikaw is the capital of picturesque Kaya State. It is part of the Shan State Plateau and is noted for its beautiful water falls, lakes and doms. Excursions into the environs of Loikaw can also be arranged to visit the legendary Ngwedaung Lake, Mobye Dam and "Padaung Village". The social customs of Kayah are still primitive. In dress there is something distinctive in each of the tribal groups that inhabit the State.

The most unusual mode of attire belong to the "Padaung Women", who wear a number of brass coils around the neck. Known as "Long Neck" lady.

Naga Celebrations

Every year in January, a small town in the rugged mountains of the Northwest frontier, the bright coloured costumes, wild shrieks and the sound of thumping drums. Fierce-looking hunters and warrior chiefs gather to celebrate the New Year. The Naga New Year, which falls on 15th January. For the Naga who live in this remote region, it is much-anticipated annual event, where they stuff dressed in feathers, beads, fur,orchid stems, boars' teeth, bears'claws, and anything colourful they can lay their hands on. 

There are many sub-tribes, who speaks different languages and their costumes vary. At night they dance in celebration, chanting , whooping and playing drums the traditional music.

Resources of Tourism

From Mt. Hkakhaborazi - the far north to Kawthaung town at its southern tip, Myanmar has ice-lad Mountains, the salubrious and scenic Shan Plateau, excellent beaches touching the blue sea, a pearl producing archipelago, etc., Calm and races of Myanmar have their own cultural customs, traditions, faiths and languages all worthy of study and observation.

As for the major religion i.e., Theravada Buddhist, pagodas, temples, compounds, ordination halls and rest-houses abound to foreign tourists, Buddhist or not. Myanmar is the eco tourist's delight, too. There are still many pockets of natural beauty with rare flora and fauna where very few have set foot on. Mt. Victoria in Chin State is like a jewel in the crown in their respect.

A mountain with a lot to offer

Mt. Victoria for Eco Tour

Trekking to Mt. Victoria i.e., Natma-taung, a well known Summit in Chin State of Myanmar is gaining favor among eco tourism.

The increasingly appreciated Mt. Victoria is a force to be reckoned with in eco tourism.

A part from various trekking, its flora and fauna hold a great attraction for foreign tourists. Many spices and subspecies exist. 

Some peculiar to this region alone, Mt. Victoria is great for bird-watching and observing butterflies. Those interested in anthropology can study the Chins culture to their satisfactions.

More over, the local nationals are known to be friendly and hospitable. All these seem to be guaranteed to elect a repeat visit.

Due to its unique geographical position Myanmar is home to more than a thousand species of birds. It had the distinction of being the only home of four species, of which the white-browed Nuthatch (Sitta Victoria) is one.

Only a few specialists have seen this bird 10 to 17 birds of their species were observed, mostly paired, on Mt. Victoria recently. 

Nat Ma Taung ( Mt. Victoria)

Mt. Victoria is unique spot for eco-friendly people. The Chin hills, never been opened to Tourists. It is full of natural beauties, high mountains with various kinds of forests. The Chin hill is rich with flora & fauna.

The most well known flower of the region is Rhado-Deudron arboretum.

The Chin hills is notable for Nat Ma Taung rising to a height of 3055 meters above sea level, lies in Kan-Pat-Let Township. This part of the services of ridges along the southern extremely of the Himalayas Range.

Looking at the people of Chin hills "Tattoo faced" Chin women and "Naga" on the native of Chin States. They live along the long range of Chin hills from North to South.

The Chin State is notable for numbers of rare birds and endemic birds spices.

The National Park is believed to be one of the largest and best reserved resort type remaining with Chin States.

Chin National Day

Chin State Day is 20th February. On that day Tribal people living around the capital of Nortern Chin State "Mindat" came to celebrated their. "National Day" every year.

"Lon Yu" Ethnic Festival

"The Chin" - Myanmar's Ethnic Minorities of the aboriginal tribes of the hilly districts, in habiting the north-western region of Myanmar.

Birth right Chin have a great respect for birth, and bestow a natural reverence on the man who, by right of birth is chief of the tribe, clan or family.

The Name The name is given to them of Chin is by no means recognized by all the tribes, the title in fact being a Myanmar corruption of the Chinese word Fin or Yen, which simply means "Man".

A Visit to a Tribal Village "Kyar-Do"

On 20th Feb' 02. We went to attend "Chin National Day" at "Mindat" city of northern Chin State.

From Mindat we went to old Chin Tribal Village called "Kyar-Do". At Kyar-Do, we attended the celebration of "Lon-Yu" Chin Ethnic festival. It is Chin Tribal Grand Festival, costly and it takes longest celebration days to celebrate.

Festival Day

"Lon-Yu" festival celebrated after the end of cultivation month, which in early March. Normally they celebrated in April. The latest date is in May.

Aim and Objective

Chiefly to be nobleness and a place for a store of " Bone Pot" to be buried when expired.

Glory and Nobel

The celebration of "Lon-Yu" festival is great and glory with nobleness. Distance relatives are invited or it is a kind of tribal re-union of celebration.

Conclusion

"Lon-Yu" is a mission of greet and grand for a Chin Ethnic Minorities. We can see to its as mile-stone of Chin culture and tribes to survival for a living in a long distance hilly region of our Myanmar North-Western Frontier.

Lampi: An exotic island of Myeik Archipelagos

It is one of the 800 islands of Myeik Archipelagos, which is the most interesting feature in Taninthayi Division of South Eastern Myanmar, Elongated in Shape.

Lampi has a treat variety of interesting scenery and wild life with more luxuriant forests- evergreen forests, beach and dune forests and tidal mangroves, magnificent beaches and spectacular coral formations.

The surrounding water appear rich in bird-life, fish, marine mammals (dolphins) and marine turtles. It is also interesting to observe the way of life of the inhabitant "Salon"…the sea gypsies people.

The sea trip from Kawthaung through the beautiful islands of the Archipelago is great interest.

Lampi discovery will be indeed marvelous and memorable.

Adventures & Eco Tourism

Adventure and discovery is way of feeling where every you tour in Myanmar.

With new and exiting destination off the beaten track gradually being opened, there final frontier, are now set to take their place amongst the world's greatest and most spectacular wildness destinations.

"A land of jungles teeming with wild life" said Marco Polo in the 13th Century when he visited Myanmar. Today, vast areas in the North and for South remain much as they have done for the past 1000 year. For an adventure lovers Myanmar's mountains are beginning to open up a whole new range of possibilities. Trekking and hill walking is already well established around Inle Lake, Kyaing Tong in Shan State, Nat Ma Taung in the Chin State and Puta O in the Kachin State.

Working elephant camps and Tiger reserves can be visited in the teak forests not far from Mandalay and Yangon. The dormant volcano Mt. Popa, easily visible from Bagan, makes an enjoyable ride trip.

While across the Aye-yar-waddy River Nat Ma Taung is less than a day's drive away in Southern Chin State. At 100,500 ft above sea level, it is the highest mountain in Central Myanmar and is a botanist's delight. 

The most spectacular scenery and exciting adventure prospects however are reserved for the far North of the country around Puta O. Here in the Eastern most reaches of the Himalayas stands South East Asia's tallest Mountain-Mt. Hkakaborazi at just under 20,000 ft in a world of eternal snow and ice.

This whole area was recently designated National Park, and is also home to some of Myanmar's most exotic and primitive hill tribes. It also gives birth to the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River. 

Salon: Sea Gypsies

The Salon native peoples are known by the name by all themselves: the Moken.

They are the sea gypsies who live a nomadic life among the thousands of islands of the Myeik Archipelagos.

They are skilled on the sea and in the sea. They dive without oxygen tanks to gather real pearls; They hunt for stingrays and sharks; They gather sea cucumbers and abalone.

The sea is their backyard and for them, casting nets to catch fish to sell would be as easy as a farmer pulling up carrots.

They believe they are descended from Malaysian fishermen and the word moken could have been a variation of the name of the racial root.

The Salon live a hard life but disdain modern medicine.

During the rainy season, they live on the islands they have chosen for that season. There they plant and sow, as they know how to farm, but only enough for their food and to exchange with goods.

With the onset of better weather, they leave the huts, and if other Moken come by and live in them, no matters; there is no quarrel over property.

Eco-tourism in Myanmar

( Brief )

Eco-tourism sites in Myanmar:

Myanmar is a gifted country with natural environmental resources and a wide range of ecological conditions to attract to the flavour and preferences of most eco-tourist.

From snow-capped mountains in Kachin State in the far north to the southern coastal equatorial regions of Mon State and Tha-nin-thar-yi Division.

From the moderate plane of Shan State across semi-desert conditions of the dry zone of central Myanmar to the deep blue sea of the bay of Bengal in the West.

To preserve for long tern eco systems to those gifted natural possession, the Ministry of Forest designated 15 ecotourism sites including :

• Khakaborazi National Park
• Nat Ma Taung National Park
• Alaung-daw-ka-ta-pa National Park
• Indawgyi wild life sanctuary
• Myaing-hay-wun Elephant Camp
• Papa Mountain Resort
• Kandawgyi National Park, Yangon
• Hlaw-gar Park
• Zoological Garden, Yangon
• Inle Wildlife Sanctuary
• Sein-ye Forest Camp
• Chattin Wild life sanctuary
• Shwe Settaw Wild life sanctuary
• Moe-yun-gyi Wild life sanctuary
• Main-ma-hla-Kyun (Isle of lovely women) Wild life sanctuary.

Inle Wildlife sanctuary

It's the most suitable place for tourists who want to enjoy watching birds, aquatic life of fishes and ethnic culture at the same time. Established in 1985, the migratory bird species including Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) that visit Inle and resident species including Lesser Whistling Duck are completely protected under the Myanmar Wild life Act of 1994.

Geologist estimated that Inle Lake with the present measure of 23.41 sq.miles was formed 350.400 millions years ago. Located 12 mile south of the Shan State's capital Taunggyi, the daily life of Inthas (residents at Inle Lake) is spent in boats. The floating bazaars and famous for their unique style of paddling (one leg rowing).

Moe-yun-gyi Wetland Sanctuary

It's one of the potential lucrative eco-tourism destination based on bird watching and nature sightseeing tours.

Situated near Bago and War Townships in Bago Division. The sanctuary is just 62 miles or 2 hours drive away from Yangon on the Yangon-Mandalay highway.

Every year around October; during the cold season, millions of birds travel South wards along the East Australia. Fly away in search of Warmer Climate. Along this route, they stop to take a rest in the wetlands and Moe-yun-gyi is one of these.

Moe-yun-Gyi's peak tourist season is from October to April. At least 104 species of birds have been sighted at Moe-yun-gyi, 59 migratory and 45 residents, making this a perfect place for bird watcher.

Chatthin Wild Life Sanctuary

It's in Sagaing Division in dry zone.
Home to the Thamin (brow-antlered deer)

Shwe Settaw Wild Life Sanctuary

Which is dominant for its second highest population of the world's rare species of deer, the Thamin or brow-antlered deer. It is about 365 miles from Yangon.

The Isle of lovely Women (Main-ma-la Kyun)

It was famous for its crocodile population in an area located at the mouth of Bogalay River about 80 miles southwest of Yangon.

It covers 52.78 sq.miles of mainly Mangroves forest and Scrub.

Elephant Trekking

It's a popular holiday and recreational activity around the world.

In Myanmar, we have six places where elephant trekking facilities are available for tourists as well as for local people.

For a long elephant trekking;

• Myaing-hay-wun Elephant Research Camp.
• Hu-kaung Valley Wild Life Sanctuary
• Alaung-daw Kathapa National Park, and
• Sein Ye Camp are accessible for tourists.

Elephant trekking in Wild Life Sanctuaries and National Park has been carried out with the co-operation of Forestry and private tour companies.

Myaing Hay Wun Elephant Research Camp

It situated in Taik Kyi Township of Yangon Division.

There are 32 domesticated elephants in the camp and about 200 feral elephants are in the wild around the camp.

They give three services;

• Elephant trekking
• Elephant entertainment
• Elephant dancing

Can also observe the elephant research work conducted by forestry personal.

Myaing Hay Wun Elephant Research Camp sites on 10 acres only and 72 miles away from downtown Yangon.

Hu Kaung Valley Wild Life Sanctuary

It was established in 1999. It's an area of 6460 sq. kilometers.
It's is situated in Ta Naing Township in Kachin State.
An Elephant trekking is very interested by tourists how the elephants are tamed and taught to pull logs, how they push logs from slopes to the creaks.

Myanmar Beaches

Myanmar…is a country endowed with historical, cultural and natural resources. Endless wide of idyllic coastline with untouched and unspoiled beaches add much glory to her interest.

Seven beaches are waiting for visitors to come and relax. Among them, Ngapali, Chaung Thar and Ngwe Hsaung Beaches are famous for both local and foreign visitors.

Since Myanmar Beaches are striking in their natural and unspoiled beauty, both local and foreign visitors like to relax there. Generally, the beach-goers turn out in their multitudes between mid-October to mid-April. Visitors marvel at the beautiful sunsets as they relax on or near the white sand. Since the majority of beaches in Myanmar face west the spectacle is stunning.

Visitors can fully relax in the quite environment at the beaches as there are no speed-boats, no crowds, no hawkers, and no mass-uses.

Traditional bullock-cart riding, horse back riding, cycling or simply walking along the shoreline will give you pleasant memories which will last a life time.

Relaxation at beaches in Myanmar is not just to sit on the white sand and splash around in the sea, there are so many other things to do.

Ngapali Beach

Ngapali, probably the best-known beach of Myanmar, is in Rakkhine State. On the long and narrow western coast of Myanmar, divided by high mountain ranges from the mainland.

The name Ngapali came from a popular story. Which rays that a home sick Italian who lived here for a while told everyone the beach reminded him of beaches near Naples.

After a 45 minutes flight from Yangon to Thandwe airport it is just 20 minutes by car to the beautiful beach and the blue, inviting water.

Ngapali beach stretches over 3km, backed by swaying palms and casuarinas.

Some visitors choose to visit this island nearby, so we have a boat to accommodate 13 passengers. Foreigners usually go to islands for snorkeling, sea kayaking and to pearl island to watch the pearl production project.

Also have catamaran sailing boats and boards for wind surfing. Visitors can enjoy not only swimming but also excursions to nearby villages to watch the production of traditional earthen ware pots, the production of Rakkhine longgyi and famous pagodas.

Ngwe Saung Beach

It is a newly opened beach about 48 km from Pathein. This unspoiled beach stretches 15 km of white sand and blue sea. There are newly constructed bungalows with local flavor but equipped with modern facilities. Fringed with palm trees, all hotels face the beach.

ChaungTha Beach

Adventurous travelers that want to enjoy sightseeing by automobile choose Chaung Tha beach; near Pathien, Ayeyarwaddy Division.

5 hours drive from Yangon by private car or by public transport. It is 150 miles from Yangon. The beach is about one mile long and extends from the main village along to over a dozen hotels. 

Kyaiuk-pa-hto is a large rock that has been carved into a cave shrine. 

Two islands can be seen offshore, Thein-byu and Hpagala.

Traveling cost to cheaper and more convenience compare to beaches. Visitors can come even. As for business men, they can relax and keep on doing their business at the same time in hotel, as hotels are built a separate business center for business travelers.

Cruise Tours ( Rivering)

"A land you will ever know", so wrote Rudyard Kipling of ancient Myanmar a country whose historic sights are unequalled for scale and excitement.

We KST Tour de Myanmar unlock the country's secrets and its Unique Unspoiled Beauty.

Ayeyarwaddy, one of Myanmar's main arteries.

The ancient and spectacular pagoda filled city of Bagan, one of Myanmar's most unforgettable landmarks, covers over 30 square miles.

Myanmar's memorable, historic sights and friendly people help create an incomparable tour adventure that will live in your memories.

Express Cruise Tour sails the Ayeyarwaddy river between Mandalay and Bagan.

Travelers delight at some of the world's greatest wonders, such as Shwe-zi-gon Pagoda, Bagan Architectural Zone, Mingun Bell, etc.

As you cruise along the captivating Ayeyarwaddy, you will catch a glimpse of sacred cities, temples shrouded in mist, white and gold pagodas colored by processions of crimson-cloaked monks, and forgotten fishing villages where the customs and charm of the locals transport you back in time.

Highlights of express cruise tour are;

• Road to Mandalay
• Pandaw
• Ayeyarwaddy Princess
• Shwe Keinnary
• Delta Queen (Yangon-Ngwe Saung Beach)

Whether you are looking for a journey of culture, history, discovery or relaxation, our KST Travels will exceed your expectation in every way.