Travel Permit Required
Please book at least 3 weeks in advance of travel.
Situated west of Bagan, across the mighty Ayeyarwady River in the Southern Chin Hills, Mt Victoria lies at the core of Natmataung National Park. Known in the Chin language as Khon Nu Son, the mountain towers 3180 metres and is of volcanic origin. This is a generally isolated region, home to a proliferation of bird species (birdwatchers take note!) and endemic plants including the rare black orchid. The rhododendron forest above 2750 metres is a particularly beautiful area.
Situated west of Bagan, across the mighty Ayeyarwady River in the Southern Chin Hills, Mt Victoria lies at the core of Natmataung National Park. Known in the Chin language as Khon Nu Son, the mountain towers 3180 metres and is of volcanic origin. This is a generally isolated region, home to a proliferation of bird species (birdwatchers take note!) and endemic plants including the rare black orchid. The rhododendron forest above 2750 metres is a particularly beautiful area.
The local Chin people are a culturally distinct race of Tibeto-Burman origin who inhabit the hill region between here and the borders of Bangladesh and India. The people are traditionally animists and are most famous for their now dying traditional of facial tattoos. You can meet older women with traditional facial tattoos during the tour. Houses here are often decorated with animal skulls and sacrificial posts, a symbol of wealth and success.
This safari is particularly popular during the hotter months of March, April and May as the elevation of the hills means comfortably cooler temperatures. Kampalat was originally established by the British as a colonial hill station. Accommodation on this tour is in guesthouses, some rather basic and village homes.Typical tours last 5 days, start from Bagan and run on demand between November and May.
The following is a sample itinerary, the actual may vary.
Day 1. Bagan – Mindat.
The adventure starts today when your WWII style jeep meets you at your hotel and we set off, cross the river and take to the dusty, rugged dirt roads en-route to Mindat. Farmland turns to lowland forest as we near our destination. You will notice the temperature drop as we reach our desination at 1426 metres.
Day 2. Mindat – Che Chaung
After breakfast a drive and trek takes us to the Chin village of Che Chaung to observe the life of the villagers in this remote area. Some of the older women sport facial tattoos and wear attractive necklaces made of Amber. Total trekking time today is around 5 hours and we eat and overnight at a local home.
Day 3. Che Chaung – Kampalat.
We proceed by jeep into the National Park today and take the road up the mountain through evergreen, pine and Rhododendron forest. Here we leave our transport and continue to the top of the mountain by foot to enjoy the fantastic views. This is also an excellent area for bird watching. Total trekking time today is also about 5 hours following which we rejoin the jeep for the journey to the town of Kampalat.
Day 4. Kampalat.
Spend the day in around this cool and historic colonial town. Visit some colonial buildings and trek to some surrounding villages away from the influence of mass tourism. Overnight at a local guesthouse.
Day 5. Kampalat – Bagan.
Today we return to the Bamar lowlands. We join the jeep after breakfast and make our way downhill, out of the high country and head for the mighty Ayeyarwady River. We arrive in Bagan late afternoon and drop you off at your chosen hotel.
This itinerary can be extended for one or more days to allow for more time interacting with the local people, bird watching or trekking.
