Putao lies in the northern town of Kachin State, on the Namlaung River bank. It takes about 4 hours to fly from Yangon. This is a beautiful town which is surrounded by mountains filled with snow. Around its outskirts, tourists can see a lot off of exotic orchids and birds.
The climate in the town of Putao is cold all around the year so you will always see mountains which have been covered with snow from a distance. The ranges of mountains which are near Putao will quickly get icy while the groves had become reddish already. Your Myanmar tours will help fulfill yourselves with the beauty of Mother Nature such as icy snow-capped mountains and various ethnic minority tribal people in the north of Myanmar. In this town, you will see many kinds of rarest species, floras, and faunas in the world. From November to December, water gets to freeze because of frigid temperatures, then the ice stops being frozen in April
Climate & Best time to visit
Putao’s featured climate is humid subtropical. In January, the temperature is 13.1°C on average while it is 25.9°C. In August. The annual precipitation is about 4001mm in total. The major seasons in this place are:
– Winter spreads from November to February. This is an ideal time for tourism when you can admire blue skies in warm days and cool evenings.
– Summer is from March to May. It is warm in the day while cool in the morning as well as evening.
– Rainy season takes place between June and October. Flora and fauna develop most during this time.
– The ideal time Myanmar travels & tours to Putao is the dry season. It is from November to the end of March.
4-day trip to explore beautiful Putao
Day 1
On the first day, you will discover the beauty of Putao on an elephant, along with Nam Lang River, seeing the fascinating rice fields which show you the way to the village of Yegyawd. After the short journey, you will be taken back to Malikha Lodge to have a big and delicious dinner with various drinks. The meal can be carried out in front of the open fireplace.
Day 2
The whole day means a memorable chance to hike and get to know how the daily lives of Rewang, Lisu, and Shan tribal people go on. Any journey to one of the three villages is very worth trying. During the trip, you can run into an entertaining hunter that gives you an invitation to use his crossbow or have a hot cup of tea at a Christian church in the local area. While wandering the villages, a picnic lunch, as well as a cold beer, are awaiting to serve you well, so that you can understand more about their nature, traditions and living habits.
Day 3
The third journey is a gentle raft from Mulashidi suspension bridge down the Nam Lang to Malikha River and then the picnic spot. You will prepare and have lunch at the spot, where you can see the Riverside’s spectacular view at the same time. In the afternoon, you will join a cruise on the river of Malikha while observing the forested hills, rolling in white river beaches and spend time watching the sights of villagers who are bringing gold to the village of Manchanbaw. In this village, you will have a short stroll then coming back to the lodge as soon as the sunset takes in.
Day 4
This is a chance to admire exotic birds in the early morning after having tasted some traditional Shan noodles. Afterward, you can go shopping for woven hats or baskets in the village of Rewang before returning to Mulashidi village. This village is perfect to find out the culture as well as traditions of Putao people. You can also get a chance to discover several local industries as well as pay a visit to the Wildlife Conservation Society Museum. The afternoon will be spent with a bike adventure on a local track, then you will return to Malikha Lodge to have a hot bath and massage before having dinner.
Ideal places to visit
Tha Wan Razi
As a well-known restaurant in the middle of Putao, Tha Wan Razi is supplied with electricity during the day through batteries. This restaurant is not only famous for Chinese food but also Kachin and Burmese specialties. Even in the evening, you can feel like having dinner in a seeming bar of the town where the local and foreigners get together for drinks of cold beer.
You can ask the owners whether they offer a small guesthouse. This kind of accommodation is quite cheap, at around US$20.
Kham Su Ko
Situated in a corner near the Central Market, this is a friendly place to enjoy Chinese and Burmese food during Myanmar travel tour. Although the family owns an attached guesthouse, they have not offered it to foreigners yet.
Central Market
The Central Market is an ideal place to know about, especially when you have just arrived and local people have arrived from out of town. It is open at 6 in the morning, so you should start to visit it from 5.30am and join the crowds. You will find it busy and noisy until it strikes around 8 am when people leave for their villages. If hungry, do not forget to take some noodles or soups at small food stalls.
Fascinating activities
As adventurous travelers, you should join trekking or hiking in this town for satisfaction. The best place for trekking is Himalaya Mountain with the memorable scenery. Mt. Hakaborazi, Mt. Phonegan, and Mt.Phangran are also very famous for trekking.
Besides, your Myanmar tours can be filled with trips to different hill tribes, canoeing, river diving, mountain biking and kayaking. You will know more about this remote and mysterious area through these activities.
Find out the beauty of various valleys by bike, on foot or even by raft. There are many kinds of cruised designed suitable for any fitness levels, in which the highest level means 5,889 meters high Hkakabo Razi provided that travelers have six weeks for preparation for the trek. You can choose to challenge Ziyadam 1,040 meters which take only five days to finish while you can admire exotic views surrounding the region, such a favor during a journey to an untouched village near the Indian border.
Pay a visit to tribal villages. Pluta is home to many tribes which was formed long ago. These include the Hkamti Shan – the first inhabitants here, then the Lisu and Nung Rawang with their own language and writing ways appeared and lived with the former. There is also the T’rung (Taron) tribe with the average height of 4 feet live in the foothills, but their population is rapidly decreasing.
Hkakarbo Golf Club
This is one of the cheapest golf course worldwide with a lot of beautiful mountains around. You can find cows, water buffalos and more in this place, making your trip like an adventurous golf. The bill will be at K10,000 in the total.
Putao Trekking House
Putao Trekking House is an original trekking operator which is to the far north of the country. It has a lot of kinds of day treks which offer a chance to visit its base in the town. During the trekking, you can rest in the upscale village houses in camping tents while reaching peaks on the border with India.
Icy Myanmar
Icy Myanmar is operated by several local guides. It offers tourists trips of trekking and whitewater-rafting day trips on the rivers around Putao. It also offers multiple day treks. If you want to discover more, you can take long whitewater-rafting trips.
Accommodation in Putao
Malikha Lodge
This wonderful lodge is a perfect place with the view onto the Nam Lang River, opening your eyes to glorious mountains as well as rice terraces. The lodge’s design has been devised by Jean Michel- a worldwide famous architect. In here, you can find a mixed feeling of luxury and seclusion amongst the wilderness.
The main lodge is the focal point in this lodge of Myanmar. During your tours, you can gather around burning log fires to drink, dine or just relax.
The lawns and gardens of the resort combined with a lot of old bamboo trees, which creates a landscape. Some bungalows in the traditional style have been placed in a sophisticated way in order to bring tourists a sense of tranquil rural life in a garden paradise.
Facilities: Room service, Restaurant, Laundry Service, Internet, Heater, Hairdryer, Spa
Tel : (95-1) 399334
Web: www.malikha.com
Hotel Putao
Out of many luxury accommodations for travelers, Hotel Putao is usually highly recommended. It stands on the hill, opposite the snow-covered mountain. This hotel has been ranked 3 stars and is managed by a dominant hotel group. It is very near the airport so it takes around 4 minutes to drive from Pluto.
Facilities: Room service, Restaurant, Laundry Service, Hairdryer
Kham Su Ko Guest House
Kham Su Ko is placed in the downtown and it is very near the market. This place has become a population destination for many travelers. It belongs to a Kachin family and actually, we can call it a cozy house. This used to be a family house before being turned into a guest house which is suitable for both foreign and local people. There are more and more visitors coming to this place. It is also combined with a restaurant.
Facilities: Room service, Restaurant, Laundry Service, Hairdryer
Hta Wa Razi Guest House
This guest house is situated in the downtown so it is convenient to visit the market in the morning. You can easily reach villages, Hkakaborazi education center and Phonganrazi national park from here. It takes just 5 minutes to drive from Putao airport, making this place an ideal choice. If you desire a bath room in your room, you had a better book in advance. Choosing to stay here will help to support local people because it is run by a local Rawan family. Moreover, both airport transfer and breakfast are also included in the price.
Facilities: Room service, Laundry Service, Hairdryer
How to reach it
Putao is a small town surrounded by snow so you can only access it by air.
You can travel by Air Bagan, which has two flights per week on Tuesday and Friday, from Yangon, Mandalay, and Myitkyina. Myanmar Airways is a good choice, too. You can travel on Tuesday and Saturday every week.
However, whether these flights can take off depends on the weather condition.
