Hiking and scuba diving adventure

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Take scenic hikes up Buddhist holy mountains, melding dramatic vistas with ancient culture, then head further south to discover old colonial outposts; the end of the Death Railway; beautiful, untouched beaches; and finally underwater adventure in the Myeik Archipelago, one of Southeast Asias’ best-kept diving secrets.

Tour Overview

Book Tour

Start: 

Yangon

Finish: 

Kawthaung (for Ranong, Thailand)

Length: 

14 days/13 nights

Transport: 

car, plane, boat

Accommodation: 

hotel, lodge, cruise boat

Deluxe Hotel Supplement: 

$19 per day

Total Price From

US$2,9671

Per Day From

US$2121

Tour Highlights
Witness the huge golden rock perched atop Mount Kyaiktiyo, said to cover a hair of the Buddha
Hike up the holy Mount Zwegabin and discover the huge pagoda-filled caves of this ancient karst limestone landscape
Take a river boat to historic Mawlamyine, the former capital of British Burma and inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s poetry
Find the end of the WW2 Death Railway and war graves at Thanbyuzayat
Discover the empty white sand beaches around Dawei
Go for epic dives around the corals, caves, sharks and manta rays of the untouched Myeik Archipelago

Day-by-day Itinerary
Day 1 Yangon

Arrive in Yangon and head to the Buddhist heart of Myanmar – the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda.

Wander downtown during the balmy evening and explore the many restaurants and bars now cropping up in increasingly cosmopolitan Yangon. 

Day 2 Mount Kyaiktiyo

Discover the Golden Rock at Mount Kyaiktiyo, one of the three most sacred sites in Myanmar. The rock appears to defy gravity by delicately balancing on the edge of the 1,100m mountain; you will stay at a hotel at its summit, offering magnificent views of the area.

Days 3-4 Hpa An

Drive on eastwards to Hpa An, the charming and laid back capital of Karen State. The dramatic limestone karst mountain scenery of the surrounding area offers much to explore, including lush paddy fields; pagodas that sit atop strange rock formations; natural pools; and, best of all, a number of huge caves, which hold religious significance that date back many hundreds of years. The following day, you will hike up the monolithic Mount Zwegabin, which offers a good work out (particularly in the heat!) and immensely satisfying vistas when you reach the monastery at the mountain peak.

Days 5-6 Mawlamyine

After your exertions on Zwegabin, take a relaxing boat trip down the Salween River to Mawlamyine, the tropical capital of Mon state and one-time administrative centre of British Burma. This quiet city has many colonial buildings lining its streets and a magnificent pagoda with views of the surrounding area – it was a short visit here that inspired Rudyard Kipling to write his famous poem Mandalay.

Visit the gigantic reclining Buddha at Mudon and (time permitting) check out the rustic Bilu Island, located across the water from Mawlamyine and home to a variety of local shops offering fine handicrafts.

Day 7 Mawlamyine to Dawei, including the Death Railway

Take the road deeper into the south of Myanmar, and on into the Tenasserim Hills to the historical town of Dawei. On the way, visit the moving Allied War Memorial and the Burmese end of the Death Railway at Thanbyuzayat

Day 8 Maungmagan Beach

Relax at Maungmagan Beach and discover the untouched, white sand beaches of the Dawei Peninsula.

Day 9 Dawei to Kawthaung and the Myeik Archipelago

Head down to Kawthaung, a seaside border town that will come as a bit of a shock after travelling around more remote parts of Myanmar, with its eclectic mix of business people, backpackers and old, grizzly travellers who come across the border for their visa runs. 

Day 10 Kawthaung to Kyat Mauk

After immigration clearance, your boat will leave for the Myeik Archipelago, heading first for Kyat Mauk island. Kyat Mauk and its neighbouring islands are known for their limestone cliffs, caves and long white sandy beaches similar to Koh Phi Phi in Thailand. The dive sites are nothing short of amazing, with colorful soft coral and, for experienced divers, challenging conditions within the caves. We will make two fun dives and one night dive in total, including opportunities to see blacktip sharks, tuna, snapper, stingrays, turtles and other rare and beautiful species.

Day 11 Honour Rock, Western Rocky and South Rock

Start the day at Honour Rock and find beautiful coral and a huge sea fan forest; the area is similar to Thailand’s Richelieu Rock, but much bigger. The second dive is at Western Rocky, one of the best dive sites in Myanmar. Highlights include a cave-like tunnel at 20 metres depth that goes all the way through the island. There are good chances to see bowmouth guitarfish, nurse shark, grey reef shark, cuttlefish, harlequin shrimps, frogfish, sea horses and a plenty of lobsters. Another dive will be set Western Rocky Pinnacle; sea leopard, grey reef and nurse sharks, eagle ray, eels, ghost pipefish and sea horses all congregate in this one area. The final dive of the day is in South Rock, where there are more opportunities a wide variety of beautiful reef fishes

Day 12 Macloed Island

The first two dives are around Macleod Island, where the dive sites provide opportunities to see manta rays, various shark species, harlequin shrimp, frogfish, and sea horses among other smaller ocean critters. The third dive is at the arch of Stewart Island, with beautiful coral reefs that are home to varied sea life. A fourth dive, at the North Twin, provides greater visibility of the wider archipelago. 

Day 13 Shark Cave and night dive at Great Swinton

Start with two dives at North Twin Island and the North Pinnacle of North Twin, renowned for clear waters, good coral life and good chance to see a variety of big fish. The third dive is in Shark Cave, one of the most famous dive sites in the archipelago, offering good chances to see sharks inside the cave. The final dive for that day is a night dive in Great Swinton, where you will get the chance to see barracuda around its beautiful reef.

Day 14 Rocky Island, High Rock and return

The final day offers two dives – Rocky Island and High Rock are considered the best macro diving areas in the archipelago. Watch out for pipefish, pineapple fish, frogfish, sea horses and the elusive nudibranch. At the end of your diving adventure, head back to Kawthaung where we’ll help you transfer to Ranong, Thailand.

Indicative standard and deluxe hotels for this tour
Standard hotels for above program Deluxe hotels for above program
 Yangon - Clover Hotel  Yangon - Chatrium Hotel
 Mount Kyaiktiyo - Mountain Top Hotel  Mount Kyaiktiyo - Mountain Top Hotel
 Hpa An - Hotel Zwekabin  Hpa An - Hpa An Lodge
 Mawlamyine - Attran Hotel  Mawlamyine - Strand Hotel
 Maungmagan Beach - Maung Ma Kan Resort  Maungmagan Beach - Maung Ma Kan Resort
 Myeik Archipelago - live-aboard boat  Myeik Archipelago - live-aboard boat

To get prices for this tour with luxury accommodation or basic accommodation, please enter a query in the ‘Any further queries’ field when you submit your tour booking form (link below). 

Our Service Include: 

Accommodation with breakfast (twin room basis)
Domestic flight tickets, including insurance surcharge and current fuel surcharge
Passenger service charges for domestic flights
Entrance fees and zone fees for the visits mentioned
All transfers and sightseeing by private air-con vehicle with drivers, as mentioned in program
Private local boat fare for Inle Lake excursion, as mentioned in program

Our Service Do Not Include: 

International ticket to/from Yangon
Visa fees and visa arrangements for Myanmar
Visits not mentioned in the program
Dinner at hotel
Drinks and personal expenses
Tips and porters at hotels
Any other items not mentioned

Important Notes: 

The above itinerary is indicative and some details may change according to conditions and availability; you will always be informed of such changes.

There may be changes to estimated prices depending on air fuel cost, domestic airfares, US$ exchange rates and festive season surcharge. All supplemental cost to be advised.

[1] Price per person based on two person tour (twin hotel room sharing basis). Larger groups will pay less per person, single person purchase will mean a higher price.

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Map data ©2015 Basarsoft, Google, SK planet, ZENRIN
Map data ©2015 Basarsoft, Google, SK planet, ZENRIN
 
 
 
 
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