Sample itinerary - actual
may vary
Day 01 Bagan - Mindat
We board on WWII jeeps and
cross Ayeyarwady river by
ferry to Let Pan Che. Here
the adventure safari starts
as we roll on in rugged and
dusty dirt road passing
through dry mounds, green,
and velvet plain of rice
fields (96 km, approx 4
hour) to Pontaung mountain
range.
(Pontaung region is famous
among archaeologist as
recent discovery by the
International team confirmed
the fossilized remains found
from Pontaung formation
about 34 to 50 million
years. The team discovered
fragments of such animals as
turtle, crocodile,
rhinoceros, and pig in
Pontaung stone layers)
We
have a lunch stop and
proceed to Mindat (64 km, 2
hour) passing through
tropical low land scarf
forest and eventually alpine
altitude of Mindat at 1480
meter above sea. Mindat is
the administrative town for
southern Chin State. Dinner
will be at local restaurant
and overnight in local
guesthouse. (Simple
accommodation, private room
but limited electricity and
no hot water supply)
(Once you get in to the Chin
country weather gradually
become cool and pleasant.
Its a great escape of the
heat and dust of the plain
during summer however it
could be rather cold during
winter especially between
December and February)
Day 02 Mindat - Kyar Do -
Aye Sakan
Breakfast at local
restaurant and we shall walk
in town before board on our
jeep for further drive down
to Che Chaung (approx 30
minute). From here you can
see Aye Sakan at 1730 meter
right across the valley on
the other side of the
mountain. We stop jeeps and
start trekking to Chin
settlement villages (approx
3 hour walk up hill) through
the farm land observing
daily life of this remote
tribe. Chin tribe women
wearing various pattern of
tattoo on their face and
attractive amber necklaces,
houses decorated with animal
skull and sacrificial posts
which is the symbol of
wealth and success.
We have pack lunch at one of
the villages and continue
trek through the valley and
up hill passing through farm
land (approx 2 hour) to get
to motor way where our
awaits jeeps will meet us
and
take us to our destination
Aye Sakan (approx 30
minute). Freshly cooked
dinner to be served with
local style. Overnight will
be at local home.(Simple
accommodation, with candle
light and central fire
place)
(If you are lucky, you may
come across one of the Chin
traditional ritual offering
ceremony in one of the
villages in the region. Chin
tribal ritual celebrates by
mean of offering an Nwa
Nyauk (wild ox) to the
Spirit and when sacrificed
the person got to raise a
totem known as a sacrificial
post recognition of his
prowess and successfulness.
Decorated
posts can be found in many
Chin villages and are much
like the forked posts found
among many tribal groups
around the world. As wild
oxen have become rarer, Chin
raises them domestically and
the sacrificial posts are
now raised more as a symbol
of wealth.
A Chin tribe who has offered
such offering certain
occasion would raise another
totem to keep his or her
burial pot near their home.
Thus, there are several
burial pots placing under
large stone plaque look like
a make ship smaller stone
caves)
Day 03 Aye Sakan - Mt.
Victoria - Kampalat
Breakfast and we visit the
village, there has been one
ironsmith producing Chin
tribal equipment for several
decades. Later we proceed by
jeeps (approx 2 hour) up
hill through the park system
among large oaks and laurels
which later change in to
rhododendron bushes. This
beautiful park system covers
a large area with dense
jungle, pine trees at higher
levels and oak trees. The
national park is an area of
great bio-diversity with
many rare forms of flora and
fauna.
Mt.Victoria offers superb
views of the surrounding
area from the top. Birders
may follow the rare species
of birds so as botanic may
explore species of trees and
plants some of which may be
only native to this region.
If you are neither birder
nor botanic then simply
enjoy the breadth taking
beauty of entire park from a
hilltop. Leave your jeeps
and trek to the summit
through lush tropical forest
mostly up hill (approx 3
hour). Vegetation keep
change as you gain the
altitude and become typical
Rhododendron garden when
reach above 2700 meter
towards the summit. We have
our packed lunch at summit
at 3180 meter and relax for
a while before return to the
jeep. Return route would be
easier by mule trek with
nice and easy slow ups and
down on the slope (approx 2
hour). We meet our jeeps at
10th mile post and
proceed
down road towards Kampalat
(approx 1 hour). Here we
have proper accommodation
with warm bed and hot
shower. Dinner and overnight
at local guesthouse.
(Kampalat, old town at 1575
meter is the originally
build by British however
later moved to lower
altitude at 1380 meter to
cope up with fierce winter
cold. Thus there has been
only and old British built
bungalow and two new resorts
exist)
Day 04 Kampalat
Breakfast and visit old town
Kampalat, trek to the Chin
settlements in the area
observe daily life of this
remote tribe. We have our
lunch at local restaurant
but dinner and overnight at
local guesthouse.
Day 05 Kampalat - Bagan
Breakfast
and say good bye to Mt.
Victoria and set off for
Bagan (160 km, approx 6
hour). As we start driving
down through Chin Hills
passing through winding
roads with green vegetation
however as you approach low
land the weather become
humid and you are looking
forward to the heat and dust
through the main land. We
stop for lunch as we arrive
Saw, a thriving village with
rich cultivation due to Saw
and Yaw creeks, flow round
the yea and continue drive
to Kazunma, a small village
situates between Chin
highlands and lowland
Myanmar and is a paradise of
birders of low land scarf
forest dwelling birds at
near by Pintha creek and
Winchaung dam site. From
here onwards the road become
pave and back to
civilization. Cross
Ayeyarwady river by bridge
and arrive Bagan in the late
afternoon to complete this
unique experience.