Chin Village Trek & Mt. Victoria

Mount Victoria National Park was established in 1994, so-called as Natma Taung National Park. It is 279 square mile wide and settled in Chin State, and spreads over Townships of Mindat, Kanpetlet and Matupi.

This national park features various kinds of forest types, including Hill Evergreen forests, Moist Upper Mixed Deciduous forests, Pine forest and Hill Savannah. On the way to Mt. Victoria Summit, it’s possible to observe jungle trees, orchids and particularly “Rhododendron”. There are also 159 bird species consisting of 5 indigenous, unique birds like “White-browed nuthatch” for example, which may be seen only in Natma Taung National Park.

Tour Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
Tour Type: Adventure
Start: Bagan – Finish: Bagan
Available: from October till April
Departure: Daily
Activity Level: Moderate
Tour Route: Bagan – Kyun Chaung – Mindat – Aye Camp – Mt. Victoria – Kanpelet – Bagan
Price: Contact us

Day by Day Tours

Day 01: Bagan – Kyun Chaung – Mindat (L, D)
Day 02: Mindat (B, L, D)
Day 03: Mindat – Aye Camp (B, L, D)
Day 04: Aye Camp – Summit Camp – Mt. Victoria – Kanpelet (B, L, D)
Day 05: Kanpelet – Seik Phyu – Bagan (B, L)

Tour Prices (US$/person)

Group of 02 persons  : OnRequest
Group of 04 persons  : OnRequest

Important notes:
Surcharge in Peak Times eg: Christmas, New Year Eve, and Water festival may be applicable.

I NEED TAILOR-MADE

I’LL TAKE THIS TOUR

DETAILED ITINERARY:

Day 01: Bagan – Kyun Chaung – Mindat (L, D)

Early morning, we will transfer to the jetty and take a private boat to Kyun Chaung. Then, we drive to Mindat (roughly 8 hours). The countryside is dry and flat and there are numerous sand streams to cross. Stop at Pauk Township, we have lunch at Shwe Aye Ka Yee Restaurant. From Pauk forward, the countryside is getting more and more green and hilly. Before reaching the Chin Hills, it’s able to see rice paddies and vegetable cultivations.

The Amay Ye Yin Nat shrine marks the beginning of the Chin State. After taking a coffee break at Kyauk Htu village, we continue on the steep road up the Chin Hills to Mindat, as a former British Hill Station of the southern Chine State. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at Mountain Oasis Resort.

Day 02: Mindat (B, L, D)

Have breakfast before stroll around the downtown comprising visits of the market area and also private dwellings to witness how the locals earn their living. The time is enough to trek to some smaller Chin villages near Mindat. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at Mountain Oasis Resort.

Day 03: Mindat – Aye Camp (B, L, D)

After breakfast, we will start a trekking trip to Mount Victoria. On the way to Aye Camp, we stop at Khin Nu village to explore the native village life. The natives make their living by planting rice, corn, castor seeds and beans. From here, we will be on the small footpath to go further down the valley to the Chi stream.  Walking to the abundant water place, we stop for lunch and rest next to the Chi stream. After lunch, we cross the Chi stream then ascend steep tracks. We pass through hot and cultivated fields, then through cool and pleasant pine forests until we arrive the Aye Camp. On arrival, take a break and visit the nearby Chin village. Shy and cautious, you may be invited to enjoy a cup of rice wine, which will warm up and make closer between hosts and guest. Women dress colorful traditional costumes. The elders have bold tattoos like webs on faces and smoke cheroots (tobacco pipes). Some of the men still wear pure golden earrings, inherited by their fathers. Family stories will be exchanged, questions answered, children introduced. Packed with these memories before you return the Aye Camp for dinner and overnight.

Day 04: Aye Camp – Summit Camp – Mt. Victoria – Kanpelet (B, L, D)

From Aye Camp, our car will take you to the 8th Mile Junction. From here, we start a steep climb until getting in the Ranshi Junction where one way will lead to Mt. Victoria and the other to Mindat. The way from the Ranshi Junction to Summit Camp goes through the stunning alpine rose forests. From Summit Camp, it take only a 5 minutes of walk to the Mt. Victoria Peak (3055m). Explore Zi Na Man Aung pagoda on the top and take panorama of the surrounding Chin mountain ranges. In the afternoon, we hike back on the same trail to the 8th Mile Junction, then moving by car to Kanpelet. The road will descend and run through pine jungles with a lot of birds and butterflies. Kanpepet Township is located 1400m above the sea level. Enjoy dinner and overnight at Mountain Oasis Resort.

Day 05: Kanpelet – Seik Phyu – Bagan (B, L)

It will take 7 hours to drive back Bagan. The steep road is first down and it is possible to see a delightful town in a green valley. From here, the road goes up and down through deep forests and later the scenery is more and more arid. Along the way, we will stop for lunch at Kan Zun Ma village, then keep driving 2 hours to Seik Phyu, where you pass over a bridge to cross the Ayeyarwaddy River. Overnight in Bagan.

Tour Prices (US$/person)

Group of 02 persons  : OnRequest
Group of 04 persons  : OnRequest

Important notes:
Surcharge in Peak Times eg: Christmas, New Year Eve, and Water festival may be applicable.

I NEED TAILOR-MADE

I’LL TAKE THIS TOUR

Essential Notes

Passports and Visas

The first thing goes first. You definitely must obtain valid VISA in order to travel into any country and so is Myanmar (Burma). Unless your country is in VISA exemption list, it is your responsibility to get valid VISA before arrival. There are two ways to get Myanmar VISA:

• Go to Myanmar Embassies and Consulates in your home country and you will be guided procedure. You may want to check the list of countries where Myanmar has embassies and consulate offices by clicking here.
• Obtain VISA On Arrival (VOA). For tourists coming from countries has no Myanmar Diplomatic Rep offices, you can obtain VOA online via www.myanmarevisa.gov.mm – the official portal for VOA by Myanmar government. The portal launched in Sep 01, 2014 and took its pilot operation for a month. Providing you encounter any issue, please contact us for support.

Climate & Clothing

Generally speaking, Myanmar is a tropical country with rather hot weather. Sometimes in year or in some Northern places, temperature cools down but not that can be called cold. Roughly saying that the best time to travel Myanmar is from Oct to March due to dry and cool season. Other months, however, you may get very nice deals of promotion.For clothing: comfortable clothes, absolutely. We suggest you should take at least one long pan, a long skirt and a sleeve top because we will visit some religious site and many of them require proper code of dress.All of temples and pagodas require you enter with bare feet. A pair of sandals is highly recommended.

Cell Phones & Calling Cards

You may wish to carry a cell phone while traveling. Check with your cell phone provider if your phone will work in the destination(s) you are visiting. Myanmar service is dominated by the GMS technology standard, while some of the world such as U.S uses the incompatible CDMA standard. We suggest that you should check carefully or you may incur high international roaming fees.We said previously “the SIM card in Myanmar is not very popular and still quite expensive”. But now, forget it! SIM cards in Myanmar now are cheap and easy to buy in any main city as cheap as about US$ 02 each. Cell phones, even smart phones are available on sales widely.

Making Telephone Calls from One Country to Another

When dialing a number from one country to another, you should proceed as follows: dial your country’s Exit Code + destination Country Code + Phone Number. Country Code of Myanmar is 95.

Wireless Internet Access

Passengers traveling with WiFi enabled devices (such as a personal computer, smartphone, tablet, or digital audio player) may be able to connect to the internet via a wireless network access point (or hotspot). Wifi is now popular in most hotels from three stars up. Most of them are supplying Free Wifi but some may incur extra charges. We suggest you should ask the receptionist before.

Cards and Currency

Myanmar’s national currency, the KYAT (pronounced chat, abbreviated in MMK) is divided into the following banknotes: K1, K5, K10, K20, K50, K100, K200, K500 and K1000.We once said “ATMs are still very hard to come” but from my latest inspection of Myanmar, the country now starts using ATMs. Most three stars hotels up often have at least one AMT machine right at their lobbies. Main hotels now accepts credit cards payment.Anyway, we suggest you should bring with some cashes just in case. Local buying there accept Burmese and US dollars widely. However please pay at attention when bring US notes with you:

• The US$ notes must be new.
• The US$ notes torn, marked, folded will not be accepted.
• The US$ notes having series before 2003 backward may not accepted.

You are allowed to bring up to US$ 5000 in cash per person to enter Myanmar.

Trip Preparation

A little pre-planning can make your trip go a lot smoother. We suggest you should taking a checklist below:

• Several weeks before your trip, make a list of what you will need to take with you.
• Make sure your personal documents (passports, visas, driver’s license) are in order.
• We suggest that you make photocopies of passports, visas, personal ID and any other important travel documents and pack them separately from the originals. If you lose the originals while traveling, you’ll have copies for easier reporting and replacement.
• You may consider bringing a small supply of over the counter medications for headaches and/or anti-diarrhea pills. Pack a list of medications including dosage and generic names.
• We recommend that you pack a portable alarm clock.
• Avoid placing valuables such as cameras in your checked luggage.

Happy Travelling with CRYSTAL HOLIDAYS ASIA!

Free Quote