How to Plan a Trek in Myanmar

SKIP AHEAD

Why Trekking
Tips for Planning a Trek in Myanmar

With the country just having opened up in recent years, trekking in Myanmar has become a new possibility for tourists. For the moment, however, a large portion of Myanmar remains relatively untouched by the heavy footfall of tourism, due to the poorly developed transportation network. Trekking in Myanmar offers a great opportunity to discover aspects of local life unseen by large travel groups.

The whole country is home to rustic and beautiful trekking trails, from the Myanmar-China border in the north to the ocean in the south. Although trekking can be arduous, the reward for giving up Wifi and Starbucks for a couple of days can be surprisingly rich.

Breathe in the pure air of a remote village in Kalaw, or be greeted by chirping birds as you trek up to Phongan Razi and witness local women doing their morning laundry by the Namlang River in Putao. No matter whether you are a hardcore trekker or just an amateur, the country has something special to offer when you travel by foot. If your Myanmar trip is intended to help you experience something different, our insider trekking guidelines will facilitate just that: a great experience that you'll be talking about for a long time afterwards.

Why Trekking

Enjoy the novelty of reaching the previously unreachable

With more tourists pouring in, Myanmar is experiencing a kind-of springtime as a generally-loved travel destination. That said, most of this large country still remains unreachable, as road conditions are not always friendly to large vehicles.

This is precisely the situation pertaining to many remote hill tribes, for example in the northern mountainous part of Myanmar. Traditions, laid-back lifestyles and pristine landscapes avoid being overwhelmed by an inrush of tourists and for the time being, get to survive.

Putao, a popular yet hard-to-reach trekking destination, is situated in the far north of Kachin state. Trekkers to this region are required to obtain an MTT Permit (Permit of Myanmar Travels and Tours). Though restricted by law, and in terrain surrounded by mountains and dense forest, a trek in Putao provides a great view of the Himalayan Mountains in the far distance.

Nature there is well-preserved and there are opportunities for close encounters with friendly locals, whose lifestyle remains relatively untouched by the outside world. Trekking in Putao is relatively safe, as our local trekking tour guides are obligated to lead the tours only on the main trekking trails, and through authorized villages and areas.

More advantages than expected

Go where no one has ever gone before. Every sense comes alive when you are on the road. This is true both physically and mentally. Your trip through Myanmar may be mostly by car; but it'll still be good to see how far you can go on foot. Your metabolism will be boosted after trekking through jungles and fording streams. Allow yourself some moderate challenges, and this will benefit your daily life after returning home.

Find yourself awe-struck as you set foot in a different realm. Submit to contemplation as you observe what the Creator has given and how a people with different skin-color make a living. Women in Chin state, in the northwest part of Myanmar bordering India and Bangladesh, have been used to tattooing their faces as part of their identity. Sneak a peek at this outlawed act, no longer practiced, during your Myanmar trek.

Travel responsibly

Life impacts life, and so does every step you take on such a trip. Certainly, driving an SUV into the jungles of Putao sounds cool, but it is not necessarily friendly to the villagers and the environment they live in. Trekking helps minimize pollution that is easily caused by carloads of tourists. What's more, beautiful things like the innocent smile of a village kid, old-fashioned farming techniques and ancient traditions, will be kept intact without being disturbed by large travel groups.

Asia Highlights employs local people to be your trekking guides and porters. Most of our local guides were born and raised in small villages. For example, our tour guide Mr. XX was born in a tribal village near Inle Lake and has worked as a trekking guide for over 10 years. It has often taken tremendous effort for our guides to become educated and we wish to ensure that they enjoy the fruits of their labors. With a similar understanding of the importance of responsible travel, they will carry on our vision during your trekking trip.

Despite Aung San Suu Kyi's election triumph, let's not forget that the military in Myanmar still have a strong influence on tourism and other industry there. We believe money should be channeled back into the local communities. Asia Highlights hires local agents who have little connection with the military regime or its associates. Between one and three local villagers will accompany you as porters on your trek. We treat them with respect and proper training for operating tours; and this cannot be done without your support.

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China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.

Excellent planned and executed Myanmar excursion

Asia Highlights and their local Myanmar partner "mAsia" did an excellent job in planning and execution of a one week trip to Myanmar.The various tour guides and drivers had good knowledge and good command over English.

Gerd, Jan 2018

My experience in Thai

All of this was well organized by the local office. The holiday was wonderful. Our guide, Mr. Longdy（ Siem Reap）were exceptional. He shared his extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. Thank you so much .shared their extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions.

kelli, Jul 2023

Seamless Planning

From the day I submitted an inquiry request, I instantly received a response from Monica asking my preferences for my trip. She has been attentive and responsive to our every needs and we very much appreciate it. Looking forward to our trip in November but many thanks to Monica for making this experience to seamless thus far.

Sana Samhouri, Jul 2023

Very professional agency for a memorable trip to Asia

A special thanks to Albee who worked with us and helped to tailor the itinerary to our taste, she was amazing and always available for whatever we needed. The trip would not have been the same without her and her team. Thank you!

Daniela, Jul 2023

It was our first time in Cambodia and …

It was our first time in Cambodia and we had a wonderful time. The accommodations, food, and sites were really beautiful. We ended our trip with a relaxing massage. Sam was very accommodating to our needs and knowledgeable. Thank you for the laughter and for being so kind.

Amy Oakes Moon, Jun 2023

Our guide Borin - never boring!

Our guide Borin, in Cambodia, was knowledgeable, understanding and thoughtful in every aspect of the plan he put together for our trip to Siem Reap and in its execution. He can read the room, and knew exactly how to pace the tour, when to pause, when to break, and how to prepare us for the maximum benefit. He is extremely kind and caring, and it showed at every turn. He also is a dab hand with the camera, and we have a lot of great pictures to show for it. Kudos to my Asia Highlights coordinator - Cathy Chen, for picking Borin. Borin works with a driver (007) who was also very kind and caring. Whenever we returned to the car, he would have cold towel rolls and chilled water to refresh us. So amazingly considerate. It was an unforgettable experience

David Muliyil, Jun 2023

Great visit!

Our guide, Anna, was fantastic! She was highly informative and a delight to spend our days with. Would request her again if we were to return!

Alejandra M Almonte, Jun 2023

We've had such a great experience…

We've had such a great experience planning our honeymoon with Alisa at Asia Highlights! We gave her our dream itinerary, thinking that it might be impossible to do all the things we wanted, but Alisa made our dreams a reality! She's gone so far above and beyond to answer ALL of our questions and make little adjustments that will make a huge impact on our experience.

Lauren, Jun 2023

Alisa knows how to work fast and please a customer.

Alisa is very helpful and works very fast. I am a very difficult client because Inknow what I want in therm of hotels and comfort. She had a lot of patience with me, and moved a lot the plan of the trip, always following my requests. It was a pleasure organizing my trip with her. I recommend her a lot! Thanks Alisa. Malala from Argentina.

maria laura artola, Jun 2023

Trip-of-a-lifetime

In addition, I want to specifically mention the guides provided in certain locations. Rum, in Siem Reap, made the most memorable experience possible. His positivity was contagious - even when it felt like 1000 degrees and we were tired. He brought it all to life, and created a couple days of Ankor Wat, etc. that we will never forget! He heard my daughter's request for specific Cambodian food, and changed our itinerary to go to a village and eat at a locally known shop. He brought the dessert she asked about to us in the car! Overall, he and his driver "Lucky" were a reason to go to Siem Reap. In addition, the other guides (minus one which was switched out immediately) were stupendous. Mon in Bangkok was friendly and provided a great day there; Eak in Chiang Mai gave us a world-class food-tour and day touring the city and its surrounding temples with lots of laughs; Tommy in Hanoi kept us from getting killed in the traffic and gave a stupendous food and architecture/history tour - so very friendly and funny; the fishing village tour in Hoi An, as well as the side-car tour in Saigon, were both unforgettable! Thank you Sharon, and Asia Highlights. Would definitely use again for future trips!

Teri Simpson, Apr 2023

Cambodia and Vietnam adventure!

Our guide in Cambodia, Meas Darapolaith (Pol), was absolutely amazing. He was knowledgeable, friendly and so helpful. His English was excellent and he shared important insights about history and the magnificent sites we visited. We highly recommend him!

Jennifer Roth Krieger, Apr 2023

My daughter and I wanted to discover SE…

My daughter and I wanted to discover SE Asia. Being the first in that region, we wanted to use a tour service company. We ended up using Asia Highlights. From the beginning we were impressed with their services. We left home with of mind because all the pre-travel arrangements were taking care and communicate to us efficiently. All our questions were answered promptly. Once in the countries, we were welcome by our excellent tour guides. Everything was taking care for us. We did not have one issue. They selected the right tours guides for us, they were highly knowledgeable and so much attentive to our needs. We had Dhat in Vietnam and Borin in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I highly recommend Asia Highlights. I came back home so much rested, and with plenty of wonderful pictures and memories. I will definitely use Asia Highlights again for my next trip to Asia.

Isabelle Dessaux, Apr 2023

Fabulous tour and guide in Cambodia

We have been touring Cambodia, guided by Borin ( and driver 007) for the last 2 days. What a fabulous experience! Borin has been a wonderful guide, the best so far in Southeast Asia, explaining the history and culture of Cambodia through his tours of the temples in and around Angkor, as well as the Landmine museum. He has answered all our questions, made sure we were comfortable, and that we have had great food. 007 made sure we always had enough water and cool towels for our face/neck.We highly recommend Borin as a tour guide for Cambodia!!

Monica, Mar 2023

Best Travel Service for Asia Travel

Alisa Liu was in charge of making the arrangements and she helped us from the start to make all of the arrangements and also helped us when we had questions and requested some adjustments. Her service is of the highest professional level. We are 100% confident that our trip will be perfect. We’re also 100% confident that, if anything comes up during our trip, that Alisa will be there to guide us through and take care of us. We won’t even consider using another agency for travel around Asia and we would like to have Alisa work for us again.

Leo Pospichal, Mar 2023

Tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand

The tour guides and drivers were another high point. All were very good, friendly, knowledgeable and spoke English well. There were two that I want to call out for their excellence. Chan Sovannarith in Siem Reap was our guide in Cambodia. He really made the experience special. His knowledge, willingness to answer all my questions, helpfulness and general attitude made him fun to be around. In order to praise the second exceptional guide I have to explain about an unfortunate occurrence that I had. I'm normally a very active senior, but after leaving Cambodia for Laos I was suddenly struck by the most intense back pain I've ever experienced, couldn't even roll over in bed (turned out to be sciatica). The guide, Mr. Sonophet, really went the extra mile. He went with my traveling companion and bought a back brace and medications for me. When that didn't help much he took me to a clinic where I was seen by a doctor, given a shot and pain meds. He hand-made a walking stick for me that I'm still using! He made it possible for me to somewhat participate in the activities, i.e. a bed on the boat down the river. When it was time to move on to Bangkok he got me a wheelchair at the airport. I can't thank him enough for these kindnesses! This problem lasted for the remainder of the trip, through Bangkok and Phuket and these guides were also very helpful getting wheelchairs, etc. It was a terrible disappointment to have this wonderful trip disrupted, but it would have been SO much worse without the great help that I received from the guides and my poor travel companion!

Deb M, Mar 2023

In good hands with Sam

Sam Ol took very good care of us - lots of information, listened to and answered all our questions, was passionate about the places we visited and about his people and country. He was kind, had a great sense of humor, and made sure we felt safe and comfortable at all times. He helped us to fall in love with Cambodia in 3 short days.

Carol Jones, Feb 2023

Best tour guide in Cambodia

When we first arrived at the airport in Siem Riep it was so nice to be greeted by Mr Sam Ol. We instantly fell at home when we saw his friendly smile. We were impressed by his great English and knowledge of the temples. On the tour to the temples Sam took care of us every step of the way. He took awesome pictures of us. It felt like we were on a tour given by our brother who is also a professional photographer. Also, we appreciate his humor as well as the fact he had an answer for every question we had. I give Sam 5 stars, best tour guide ever :)

Len S, Feb 2023

Mr. Sam

Mr. Sam our guide in Cambodia, he and the driver out standing service they went above and beyond touring, my wife so amazed beautiful country, we're planning back here near the futures. Thank Mr. Sam,We'll feedback the whole trip next week when we be home in US

Pho Lover, Feb 2023

Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand

We are still in the middle of our trip, but we are just finishing up our time in Cambodia and our guide, Borin, has been AMAZING!!! He has truly made our time here unforgettable and I plan on referring all of my friends and family to come visit this beautiful country! Thank you, Borin, for everything you did to make our trip so fantastic!

Danielle Blount, Feb 2023

Excellent service and Wonderful Guides

All of our guides have been terrific. Mr. Sam in Siem Reip was especially wonderful. Both he and our driver were polite, safe knowledgable and informative. Sam made our trip memorable and enioyable. We will definitely recommend Sam and Asia Highlights to our friends.

Kaaren, Feb 2023

Tips for Planning a Trek in Myanmar

When is the best time to trek in Myanmar

As most of the popular trekking routes are in mountainous areas, namely in the northern part of the country, the best time to trek in Myanmar will be Octoberto next April. At this time of year, nature produces lovely colors and the climate is mild.

January to March might be particularly interesting, allowing you to trek up the snowcapped mountains to villages where people have just started their annual planting season. During the rainy season from May to September, the muddy paths are slippery, so could only be considered by experienced trekkers with a heart for adventure.

How fit do I need to be to trek in Myanmar

The answer is not necessarily very fit; you can choose a route according to your fitness. Bear in mind that the footpaths are often muddy, rugged and not well maintained, and we don't usually encourage people with young babies to trek. Nevertheless, senior travelers with good mobility might like to try trekking a relatively easy route.

For first-timers or occasional trekkers, a 1-day trek in Kalaw or Pindaya would be a nice supplement to an ordinary Myanmar trip. If you consider yourself up to it, plan a 3-day trekking journey in Chin state, home to Mt. Victoria; or in Hsipaw and Kyaukme, which are easy to access from Mandalay. Putao and Kengtung, with a rich combination of natural vistas, hill tribes and overnights in remote monasteries, have their share of trekking enthusiasts who trek there anything from 1 day up to a week.

Is it possible or safe to trek alone

Even if you regard yourself an introvert who prefers to traverse the trails alone, having a trekking guide has benefits you might not imagine. What's more, let's face it, you are not a local and all your knowledge about trekking in Myanmar is gleaned from the internet. Such knowledge might be found wanting when you're actually on the trail. You'll be glad of a reliable guide who knows where to turn or when to take a break.

The trekking tour guide, who knows his/her way around the terrain, can be your Huckleberry Finn for adventures in a totally different lifestyle and region. He/she will tell you, for example, how a seemingly useless plant is used in the daily diet of local people; will take you away from the main road to a unexpectedly-enlightening viewing spot; or will invite you to a local wedding ceremony or to the house of his/her grandma.

When it comes to safety, some travelers are apprehensive; we have never heard reports, however, of our clients being exposed to danger of any kind. This is as true for our trekking trips as for other tours. Such tours are conducted only in areas authorized for tourism. As for general safety concerns, such as diseases, scams and culture shock, you will be fine if you travel with an experienced guide.

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What to bring for my trekking trip in Myanmar

Here is a check-list of things to bring for your trekking trip in Myanmar:

- Sunblock: an all-season must for trips to Myanmar; you can also try out the local sunblock, Thanaka.

- Sunglasses and hat: we'll not walk for long periods in broad sunlight; but it doesn't hurt to bring these items anyway, does it?

- A good pair of walking shoes: occasional showers in the highlands might create muddy paths; a pair of comfortable, good-grip shoes is needed.

- A light jacket: on an 8-hour trek or a multi-day journey, you will experience temperature changes within the space of a day. It can get very chilly during the night, so it's better to have a light jacket with you.

- Some snacks: chocolate bars, or dried fruit and nuts recharge you in a jiffy.

- Water-proof bag: for keeping your valuable stuff, such as passports, wallets and camera safe from the rain, streams and possibly even your own sweat.

- Quick-drying clothes: it might rain, you might walk across a river and you will definitely sweat, so you need to wear something that dries up quickly, to stay cool and comfortable.

- Wipes and tissues: to clean your face, hands and feet (when you are going into a temple, you will need to remove all footwear).

- Bug spray: an absolute must if you are trekking in the woods or staying overnight in a local house.

Also, for the sake of responsible travel, we have a short rundown of what not to bring:

- Plastic bags or bottles: before you start out, your trekking guide will give you two bottles of drinking water each. Once finished, the bottles and other garbage will not be tossed away, but gathered together in one bag carried by the porter.

- Alcohol: to stay happy, you won't need any booze.

- Sweets: it's ok to pack some candy just for yourself, but don't think it's a good idea to give it out to local children. Doing so would teach them to expect things from foreigners and too much candy would rot their teeth, while they don't have a dentist in the village. If you do wish to give presents, pencil sharpeners might be a good idea, so the children don't have to sharpen their pencils with knives.

- Any items to be discarded that do not decay naturally.

If your mind is set on adding a trekking trip to your Myanmar travel plans, talk to our travel advisors, and they will help you design a route tailor-made for you.

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