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Upon arrival at Putao airport in the remote far-north of Myanmar, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your guest house. Putao lies in a flat valley and is the jumping-off point for trekkers who want to explore the region’s deep forests, villages, wildlife sanctuaries and snow-capped mountains. After a brief freshen-up we shall take an orientation walk in and around Putao. We shall have our dinner and overnight at the guesthouse.

Sat - Day 02.  Putao - Machanbaw – Alangga. (jeep/trek)

After breakfast we board our jeep for the journey to the attractive, colonial-style town of Machanbaw, a distance of 22 km which takes about one hour along a part paved, part gravel road. Our adventure starts here as we get off the jeep, cross the suspension bridge on foot and begin the trek along a winding road that snakes its way through the mountain ranges to Htikha Camp. The camp, situated near Htikha Creek, lies in a region of lush vegetation with many fast-flowing streams and waterfalls, and should take about 4 hours to reach. We cross a 73 metre long suspension bridge and continue a further hour to today’s destination, Alangga, situated at 1,520 ft, 460 metres above sea level. This is a majority Lisu village though there are also Rawang and Kachin inhabitants. We shall have our dinner and overnight at a local home.

Sun - Day 03.  Alangga – Htangga. (trek)

Following our breakfast we start to trek to Htangga village, a distance of 19 km which should take us about 6 hours, passing through dense forest. This is probably the most challenging stretch of the entire journey. Once we cross Namti creek, the road winds steeply upward with a gorge to the left and a wall of mountains on the right. The higher the altitude, the colder the weather becomes. As we pass through dense forest, we sometimes come across barking deer, jungle fowl and various other birds flashing through the woods. We finally cross a 55 metre suspension bridge and arrive in Htangga village, situated at approx 2,200 ft, 670 metres above sea level. The majority tribe here is Kachin though there are also Lisu people living here. We shall have our dinner and overnight at a local home.

Mon - Day 04.  Htangga – Uringga. (trek)

We have breakfast at our accommodation, and then set out along the smooth path to Uringga, a distance of 15 kilometres which should take us about 5 hours, passing through Hprutkha Creek en-route. As usual, we have our dinner and sleep overnight in one of the local village houses.

Tue - Day 05.  Uringga – Babaw. (trek)

Following breakfast we head off for today’s destination, Babaw, a six hour trek. We cover a distance of 18 km today, along a mainly gradual downhill path through pristine forest noted for its wildlife. Once we reach Gasang Creek, we cross a cane bridge to reach Babaw, situated at 1,750 ft, 520 metres. The village is split into two parts, divided by Babaw creek that flows into the nearby Gasang Creek. We cross another, 52 metre bridge to get to Babaw II, where we plan to overnight at a guesthouse situated at the confluence of the two creeks. The majority tribe in this village is Lisu, mixed with some Kachin and Rawang inhabitants. We shall have our dinner and overnight at the guesthouse.

Wed - Day 06.  Babaw - Rapbaw – Kwinmaling. (trek)

After breakfast we shall be head towards today’s destination, Kwinmaling, a distance of 19 kilometres and a six hour trek along the dark-green Gasang Creek. We first aim for Magwiza Camp, located 12 km from Babaw at the junction for Nomung, Hkawnglanghpu and Hkawbude. We pass Dashehtu village and cross the creek via a 113 metre suspension bridge which links Ratbaw villages I and II. From here we continue to trek for about 6 km along the smooth gravel road to Kwinmaling. This is a majority Rawang village mixed with some Kachin and Lisu inhabitants. We eat our dinner and sleep overnight at a local home.

We have breakfast at our accommodation and then trek onward to our final destination, Nomung, situated at an elevation of 1,640 ft 500 metres; the last frontier town of Myanmar. Our trek today covers a distance of 6 kilometres which we should cover in about 3 hours. We cross a 30 metre suspension bridge across Beekoat Creek, heading for Beekoat Mountain. We then trek up the shoulder of this steep mountain before descending toward the lowlands along the plantation-lined creek. The majority of people here belong to the Rawang tribe, and we can spend a pleasant and easy afternoon, socialising with the local inhabitants and learning about their culture. We will have dinner and stay overnight at one of the local village houses.

Fri - Day 08.  Nomung – Maza. (trek)

After breakfast today we set off on the homeward-leg of our journey, heading west towards Maza. Our return journey is via a different route along mule trails. Our first 6 kilometres takes us along Kasankha Stream, which should take us about 3 hours. We then cross a suspension bridge and continue trekking a further 8 km which should takes us about another 4 hours. At Maza we will pitch camp and stay overnight in tents.

Sat - Day 09.  Maza – Namti. (trek)

Following breakfast we pack up and head south-west towards Namti, situated at 2,300 ft, 700 metres. Total trekking distance today is 19 kilometres which should take us about 6 hours to cover. The first 6 km winds uphill towards the shoulder of the 6,150 ft, 1,875 metre Mt. Babulonhtan, locally known at Noi Ngum. Along the way you can see many different species of orchid, and the area is known for its profusion of birdlife. From altitude there are spectacular views of the snow-capped mountains off to the north. This is the area where famous botanist Frank Kingdon-Ward discovered many rare species of orchid during his botanic survey of 1920. Some of the rare orchids, such as Phiopedilum Wadii or Cypripedium Wardlamon (generally known as the Black Orchid) were named after their discoverer and are endemic to this region. Beside the Black Orchid, there are many other species of orchids to be seen here, including: Indrovian, Clanthi, Simpidium, and Simpripedium. Upon arrival in Namti we will have dinner and overnight either at a local home, or in our own camp.

Sun - Day 10.  Namhti - Namsabum – Putao. (trek/jeep)

After our breakfast we will start our morning trek along a winding mule trail to Namsabum; a 15 kilometre journey that should take us about 5 hours. On the climb up the slopes of Mt. Noiwinlit (4,525 ft, 1,380 metres) we have good views down to the meandering Namti Creek in the distant valley below. Once we cross Htikha Creek by suspension bridge, the track undulates through the hills all the way to Namsabum. The track passes through dense forest where noisy groups of monkeys are often seen. After lunch we continue our trek to Salundum, a further 5 kilometres along a relatively easy path which should take some 2 hours. Once we reach the Malikha River, a boat will be waiting to take us across to the village of Htawadum where our waiting jeep will pick us up for the ride back to Putao. Tonight we will go out for a farewell dinner with our fellow group members, including the guide and porters, to commemorate the experience we've shared over the past 9 days in this unique part of the world. Overnight at our Putao guesthouse.

Mon - Day 11.   Putao / Mulashidi. (jeep)

We can have a leisurely breakfast this morning and relax at the guesthouse following our long trek. In the afternoon we board the jeep and set off for the attractive Lisu settlement of Mulashidi; a 35 km journey that should take us about one hour. The village is famous for its picturesque 159 metre long suspension bridge that spans the Mula River. We can explore the village and enjoy the beautiful scenery set against a backdrop of high mountains, snow-capped in winter. We return to Putao late afternoon for dinner at the guesthouse.

Tue - Day 12.  Departure.

Enjoy your last breakfast in the far-north at the guesthouse. After breakfast there may be time to visit the market for some last-minute shopping and photography. Should time permit, you will visit one of the local villages where you can interact with the local people and observe a traditional Rawan or Lisu dance performance. Your northern adventure ends with a transfer to the airport and your onward flight to Mandalay, Yangon or Myitkyina.