Known as Fort Hertz during the colonial period, Putao is the last town of any size in the far North of Myanmar. Almost cut off by land from the rest of the country, this peaceful country town is the gateway to Myanmar’s last great wilderness; the foothills and mountains of the Eastern Himalaya – crowned by the imposing ice-capped Mt Hkakaborazi, the highest mountain in mainland South East Asia. Only around 500 foreign travellers visit this remote town and the valleys beyond each year making this one of the most untouched and unspoilt corners on earth.
The town of Putao, population 10,000, sits in the picturesque Putao valley at an altitude of 1,320 feet in far northern Kachin State. The population of the region is a mixture of tribal peoples; Lisu, Rawan, Khamti-Shan, Kachin and the few remaining Tarong, the only pygmy race in Asia. Most people are farmers and live a very simple, uncomplicated lifestyle. Kind and hospitable, the people grow hill rice, maize, gourd and marrows. In the hills many villagers still hunt for game and fish the ice-cold mountain rivers using conical fish traps and harpoons.
The hills and mountains surrounding the valley are heavily forested and home to rare species of orchids. The foothills are covered in sub-tropical evergreen forest which gives way at higher altitude forests of oak, maple, birch, walnut, chestnut and rhododendron trees. Conifer forest takes over at around 2,750 metres and gives way to alpine meadows at around 3,700 metres. These bio-diverse forests shelter a wealth of wildlife; Takin, Red Panda, Himalayan Black Bear, Red Goral, various species of rare Monkeys, Wild Boar, Musk Deer and Flying Squirrel are present as well as hundreds of species of butterfly.
The Far North is open to visitors during the dry months of October to May. All visitors must be booked onto a tour as independent travel here is not allowed. Flights serve Putao twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday and start in Yangon, with stops in Mandalay and Myitkyina en-route. All of our tours include all accommodation, meals, guides, porters, road transport and bedding / camping equipment. All the tours can be extended with additional nights in Putao and daytrips to surrounding towns and villages. It is also possible to link two tours together, for instance the ‘Last Frontier’ trek and the ‘Mt Phongun Razi Expedition’. All prices are based on four persons travelling and small supplements apply for smaller groups. Please contact us for more details. Putao is also the base for Virgin River Rafting on the scenic Nam Lang and Mayhka Rivers – please see the ‘Adventures’ page for details.
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The Rawan Trail - 4 Days |
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The Lisu Trail - 5 Days |
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The Last Frontier - 12 Days |
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Phongun Razi Expedition - 12 Days |
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Phangran Razi Expedition - 15 Days |
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The Adunglong Valley - 26 Days + Switzerland of Myanmar Extension - 3 Days + Mt. Hkakaborazi Base Camp Extension - 10 Days |
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