The Gen XY Lifestyle
Mrauk U Opens Up Through Khiri Travel
Bucket list travellers take note!
Khiri Travel has opened up a new six day tour that runs from Bagan to Mrauk U, through the Chin State in Myanmar, an area that borders Bangladesh and India. As Myanmar warms up to tourism, this is a unique opportunity for travellers to discover a new country and even better, a new destination that was previously unreachable.
The six day adventure trip is positioned for travellers that are “comfortable” with no electricity or phones and therefore an excellent antidote to the over-connected world that we are part of.
Imagine a week of being close with nature, without the distraction of electronics, with basic accommodation (really it’s all about mosquito nets and communal facilities), eating simple local dishes prepared by the guide, reading a book as twilight approaches and enjoying the sights and sounds of areas throughout the day where time seems to have stood still.
The tour offers fantastic scenery, remote Chin villages, plantations, jungle, boat rides, two days of reasonably strenuous hiking, and a glimpse into a rich living history that few people outside of Myanmar have seen.
After leaving Bagan, travellers can expect to drive through dry mountain riverbeds on a 4WD, take a 2-hour hike to the top of Mt. Kanpetlet (over 3000 metres) and swim in the seven-tiered waterfall at the source of the Lay Myo River amid impressive forested mountains.
Between Matupi and Amsway, the tour group will get further acquainted with nature through a 22 kilometre hike and an overnight in a local house, sleeping on bamboo mats.
As the tour reaches its destination at Mrauk U, travellers will enter the city in a “Raiders of the Lost Ark – Harrison Ford” style on a boat, up the Lay Myo River from the Chin to Rakhine state. Mildly turbulent white waters give way to calmer waters (and a congratulatory picture if there’s still battery life left) where the river opens out into the fertile valley and the ruins of Mrauk U await.
Mrauk U was the capital of the Arakanese Empire that stretched from Ganges river to the western reaches of the Ayeyarwaddy River. Mrauk U is home to a variety of temples and pagodas, similar to Bagan. Unlike Bagan, Mrauk U’s temples were constructed of stone bricks instead of mud and clay. Several notable temples in Mrauk U are the Shite-thaung Temple Htukkanthein Temple (Htukkan Ordination Hall) and the Koe-thaung Temple. Other travellers have shared their reviews here and here.
Infrastructure is (again) basic in Mrauk U and travellers should prepare for common travel situations such as getting required medical injections (pre-trip), bringing along a well-stocked first-aid and medicinal kit, enough spare batteries for the camera as well as both dry and wet weather clothes.
From Mrauk U, travellers can arrange with their hotels for private boat service to take them up the Kaladan River to Sittwe and from there, a domestic flight back to Yangon.
