Hsipaw
Hsipaw also known as Thibaw is a town in Shan State located on the riverbank of Dokhtawady River. It is about 200 km (124 miles) northeast of Mandalay and 73 Km ( 45 miles) from Lashio. It’s about a 5-hours scenic drive via Pyin Oo Lwin (Maymyo), Naungcho- Naungpain (railway stations for Goktheik Viaduct) and Kyauk Me. It takes only one and half hours drive from the airport in Lashio with a possibility of stopping at a Hindu temple, fruit plantations, Palaung ( hill-tribe villages), hydroelectric powered ice-mill, and a small lake.
Hsipaw trekking
Half day trek to Shan Villages
It will take 4 hours walking totally for this trek round trip. Along the trek, you will visit the Farmer’s villages, the panoramic scenery of paddy, seasonal crops, mountain, and river. There you will learn living style of Shan villages, House wife’s home business; had fan, basket with weaving bamboo, cheroot rolling).
Half day trek to Nam Tok Water Fall
Round trip of this trek to Water Fall will last 6 hours. It is over 100 ft height, nice pool at the base and you will enjoy the splendid view of ancient Pagoda. To reach the fall, you will have to walk through the rice field and from the path you will see Shan royal tomb, lime stone cave, aside the fall.
Half day boat trip and trekking
This boating and trekking take about 5 hours in total (round trip). You will enjoy the nice scenery with the mountain, valley, fruit plantations along the river while boating for 1 hours and stop to take short trekking up the hill through fruit plantation for 45 minutes to visit old Tai (SHAN) monastery which is 150 yrs old sitting alone in the forest. En route to monastery, you will pass through the plantations for pineapple, papaya, orange which are widely grown along the way. Learn some interesting thing at the monastery and return to the jetty, again take a boat ride to the river confluence at which swimming is available on the individual wish. On the way back of boat ride, go visit to a SHAN village which has typical houses with a small charming garden.
Full day trek to Palaung Hill tribe village, Tea Plantation
Early in the morning at 7:30 am start the trekking to Tea Mountain. En route you can visit the Shan Village and Palaung Village and enjoy the nice scenery of beautiful mountain landscape, Season crops, Tea plantation along the slope. There you can learn the living style of Palaung Hill tribe (Mon Kaumer). The ladies are still wearing their traditional costume. Totally it will last 10 hours as the full day trek.
1 Night / 2 Days trekking (Option 1)
Day 1 - Start walking from hotel along Tai (Shan) Village and seasonal vegetable crop, rice paddy along natural spring and stream. After 5 hours walking, you will reach Palaung (minority) village which is night-stop point, have local lunch in a house rest a bit or day nap. Take afternoon walk for sightseeing around village and through tea plantation, hill cultivation. Meet villagers in the evening and try to understand their conversation with the help of local guide then call it a day.
Day 2 – Have simple local breakfast and walk back to hotel along the path which local guide will choose different way and village for some part of trek for 4 hours.
1 Night / 2 Days trekking ( Optin 2 – longer trek)
Day 1 – Start walking from hotel along Tai (Shan) Village and seasonal vegetable crop, rice paddy along natural spring and stream. After 5 hours walking, you will reach Palaung (minority) village which is night-stop point, have local lunch in a house rest a bit. Take afternoon walk through little jungle and village for several hours and reach further minority village and stay overnight at one of the village.
Day 2 – Start walking after local breakfast along little forest for several hours and have break and lunch at a charming, beautiful Tai (Shan) village. Take afternoon walk along further Tai Villages at down slope and eventually reach Hi-way road and get pick up back to hotel.
2 Nights / 3 Days trekking
Day 1 – Start walking from hotel along Tai (Shan) Village and seasonal vegetable crop, rice paddy along natural spring and stream. After 5 hours walking, you will reach Palaung (minority) village which is night-stop point, have local lunch in a house rest a bit. Take afternoon walk through tea crops and pine wood, reach further minority village and stay overnight at one of the village.
Day 2 – Start walking after local breakfast through farther minority villages along little forest for several hours and have break and lunch at a charming, beautiful minority village. Take afternoon walk along further villages and reach Tai (Shan) Village, then overnight at monastery.
Day 3 – Start walking after local breakfast through further Tai (Shan) villages along down slope for several hours, have break and lunch at hot spring or in Tai village, Reach Hi-way road, get pickup back to Hotel.
