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From Kyaing Tong guests will be taken into the hills to what was in colonial days referred to as ‘the geographical nowhere’. Up in the hills one can visit the Christian Lahu tending their green tea, the Loi village of Wan Nyat where the entire community bunk up together in long houses, and at the highest summits of the region, the reclusive Eng, where the women paint their teeth black, errant mountain children scamper around wearing nothing at all, and everyone appears to tightly grasp trusty slingshots.
Upon your arrival in Myanmar you can choose to either relax at your hotel or head directly into the City of Gems for sightseeing and exploration.
Board a boat at Mandalay jetty and be taken up to the village of Myit Kan Gyi where on the river you can observe Irrawaddy dolphins helping the local fishermen locate their catch.
On arrival in Kyaing Tong at the heart of the Golden Triangle you will be taken on a tour of this charming town, visiting the Shan-style Wat Som Khum temple and the 218 feet high ‘Lone Tree’ that looms over the town.
Visit Pin Tauk to see how the Lahu people manufacture their hugely popular rice whiskey. Hike past villages of the Akha tribe before reaching the Eng settlements where raggedly clad children run errant with trusty slingshots to hand.
High up in the Shan mountains, visit the old British Hill Station Loimwe. Pass by the Sisters of Charity Sacred Heart Convent and try the local fruit juices.
Trek over what less than a generation ago were acres of opium fields to visit various villages of the Akha tribe, some Christian, some Buddhist, others still set in their animist beliefs.
Visit the breathtakingly beautiful 300 year old monastery in a secluded glade outside Wan Nyat, before entering into the Loi village itself to meet the inhabitants who live together in longhouses.
Visit the colourfully-clad Palaung ethnic group before returning to Mandalay.
Before leaving the Golden Land you will be taken on the Grasshopper’s Foodies Bicycle Tour sampling the best breakfast snacks to be found in Mandalay’s myriad tea shops.
The spillage of empires has been mopped up. Mandalay remains Myanmar’s cultural capital.
To some it is ‘Special Region 4.’ To others, it is the Wild Wild East, Myanmar’s Sin City …
Sustainable tourism and the hidden ‘Little Switzerland’ of Shan State.
