Exploring the Tattooed Tribes of Chin State, Myanmar (6 days)

Arrive in Yangon, the country’s former capital, filled with beautiful colonial-style buildings. Stroll through downtown to see old homes and the gorgeous architecture amidst the busy city life. In the afternoon, enjoy shopping at Scotts Market. Pay a visit to Chauk Htat Gyi to see the massive reclining Buddha. Learn about a culture within a culture as you wander through Yangon’s own Chinatown. Spend the night at a hotel of your choice-- we recommend The Governor's Residence or The Strand.

Fly to Nyaung Oo and transfer to the jetty to take a boat down the Irrawaddy River to the Kyunchaung jetty. Climb into a jeep and enjoy the scenery as you sit back on the way to Mindat, a little town sitting at nearly 5,000 feet elevation. You will see the heart of the central dry zone and several toddy plantations. Once in Mindat, you’ll spend the night in a welcoming local guest house.

Learn about the daily lives of the Mon Chin, Dai Chin and Magan Chin tribes people during your time in Mindat. The women have intricately-tattooed faces and the people still don their colorful, traditional dress. Sit down for a meal at one of the flat stone tables created near the tribe’s houses. Visit Kyardo after a pleasant trek from Mindat. Meet members of the Mon tribe and learn about their ways of life - many of the men still wear only loincloth. See where the tribe makes sacrifices, their stone table cemetery and learn about their burial traditions using small pots. Return to Mindat and retire to your guesthouse.  

Take a two-hour trek to the Chait River. Along the way, you’ll pass through the Chin’s mountain cultivation farm. After crossing the river, travel up on foot for four hours to the Aye Village, a small off-the-beaten-path village dotted with little wooden huts. Walk beneath the towering pines before retiring for the night, at either a local house or setting up camp in a tent.

Enjoy a savory breakfast before beginning your journey to Bagan by jeep. Delight in the panoramic view of Chin Hill and Mindat as the sun rises across the sky. After a seven-hour drive through the countryside, arrive at the Ayeyarwaddy River jetty and cross by boat. Reach Bagan that evening and relax at a local hotel-- The Aureum Palace Hotel is a great option.

Experience Burmese culture at its finest as you visit the old-world temple of Sulamani and the neverending Dhamanyan-gyi temple famous for its intricate brickworking. Visit a handicraft shop specializing in lacquerware, a unique craftsmanship in the Myinkaba village. That afternoon, transfer to the airport for your return flight to Yangon to begin your trip home.