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Minor Destinations
Chin State
The Chins are the Tibet-Burma people living at the great mountain chain running up western Myanmar into Mizoram in north-east India. Capital of Chin state is Hakar. There are 14 townships in the Chin State: Cikha, Hakha, Falam, Kanpale, Matupi, Rezua, Mindat, Paletwa, Rihkhuadar, Thantlang, Taddim, Tuithang and Tonzang. There have 52 sub-tribes among the chin. Many Chins settle in the middle to the north of the state care to call themselves Mizo. In the past the arduous terrain meant there was little communication between villages. The Chins had to aid on their lowland neighbors for food and supplies in times of emergency. Modern development and the foundations of basic extent have made their life easier. We have been known for 1.5 million Chins in Myanmar, we can distinguish for more than forty sub-groups by their matchless of facial tattoos and costumes. Some women live in the southern.
Traditional Tattoo
Chin Hills are still tattoo at her face. The tattoo tradition knowledge began a thousand year ago. The man from neighboring places captured pretty Chin girls as Salvery. The reason is girl's facial tattoo are refrain from grabber of compel. But tattoo designs are different between Munn, Makhan and Dine tribes. Tattoo of Munn's deigns is a line of small circles throughout the neck, straight lines making half moon shape for the cheeks. Young women of the Munn tribe in Mt. Victoria field are eager to do this customs. Dine's deigns is a lot of spots the whole face. Dine ladies are also show that they exert to be drudge and its testimony was a ring shapes tattoo around the ankles which they still have today. Makhan's deigns is like as a spider-net shape tattoos, it can't be found around Mindat. At present, we can't see the mass the female chins with tattoos on their faces in north and central Chin state, but we can see other south Chin villages still detention this tradition.
Agriculture & Culture
In the hilly chin state harrow are created for many narrow flat levels in a hillside. It is not easy to farming for the cattle in their mountain areas. Chins are cultivating for corns, rice, beans, potatoes, mustard, mandarins, apples, mulberry, and grapes. Chin races are famous like as hunters. The chin Hills are covered with thick forests and plentiful for wildlife. Firstly, they used for traditional knots and arrows but later with local-made black power guns. But, now, the Chin people began capably for hunt. If you visit to inside of Chin house in any Chin village, you will see the skulls of animals on their wall that the shot of themselves. There will be skulls of mithans, bears, wild boars, sambhurs, muntjacs, monkeys and hornbill beaks adoring the wall.
Interesting Places
Most famous places are heart shape lake is called "Reh Lake", it is so beautiful and one of the attractive of Chin and close to the Indian border. Mt. Victoria can also be mountaineering. And then, you can also visit to the Nat-Ma-Taung (Mt. Victoria) nature park in the Chin State. The New Year festival of Chin is celebrated at 20th February in Chin State on the waxing moon of the Myanmar month Kason, English month May. The purpose is making farewell to the old year and welcoming for New Year. And they wish for everyone new life with new vigor, and also happiness.
How to get there?
It is significant by car on bad roads along the mountain sides and valleys. One of the points for not easy is harsh nature of landscape. It is one of the feelings. You can be reached Kanpatlet (the national park of Mt. Victoria) and Mindet from the center of plain field. Firstly, you pass the Ayeyarwaddy River by Boat and go with use by road to Mindet along Kanma, Pauk, Kyaunkhtu. It takes be long approximately 08 hours for 92 miles. Bagan, Chauk, Saw, Kanpelet are the second route, 97 miles with a day trip. We would like to recommend to the visitor it is more sutiable for visit at the month of November to April.
Natmatunag (Mt. Victoria)
It is one of the Eco-tourism sightseeing. Mt. Victoria is stands with 10,018 feet high and it is also known as for highest mountain of Chin State. And it is 279 square mile wide and founded in 1994 for Natmataung National Park. It is extended to Mindat, Kanpetlet, Matupi Township. There have many species of mammals such as bear, wild boar, leopard, guar, serow, gibbon, butterfly, reptiles and more than 159 bird species. Hill evergreen forests, Moist Upper Mixed deciduous forests, Pine forest and Hill Sanannah are there like as different types of forest.
Mindat
Mindat is district for Matupi and Paletwa. Munn, Makan and Dine tribes are live in Mindat and they incinerate the fatality corps and insert into jar for the ash. In Mindut you may observe various Chin traditional dances, frighten away the monkey to protect their crops, dance when someone dies, ritual offering dance, frightening evils dance. And also find Chin musician who blow the bamboo flute with his nose and a church. Farewell dinner with local Chin traditional dance over a bonfire joining hand in hand.
Myeik
The Myeik archipelago is located on the Taninthayi Division, southern part of the country and the coast side of the Andaman Sea. It is far about 862 kilometer from the south of the Yangon. It is one of the world’s hidden tourism destinations. In 2011 the population of Myeik district is about 209000. The visitors can take 1 hour 40 minutes by domestic flight from Yangon to Kawthaung. From Thailand, 30 min boat trip from Ranong( border of Thailand) to Kawthaung. Daily domestic flight takes 1 hr 15 min from Bangok to Ranong and daily flight takes 20 min from Phuket to Ranong. From Yangon to Myeik, it takes 2 days by car (express car). Myeik’s Archipelagoes are very popular and worth to go there. In 16th century, the Myeik was a seaport and trading center with Europeans, Thai, Chinese, Indian, Malay, Portuguese, Dutch, French and English. Most of the people know Myeik as “Mergui”. After the England war (1687) the French officer Chevalier De Beauregard was made the city of Mergui’s governor. This Myeik Archipelago is very huge area vast about 36000 square kilometers (14000 square miles). This island is lies on the Peninsula and extends to the Andaman Sea. The population is occupied in rubber, coconuts, pearl farming, sea products which from get the sea like shrimp paste, dried fish, ngapi, salt and also bird’s nests. The bird’s nests are expensive and rare product. This is get from wall of the mountain. It is very good for health and use for age defense. Myeik’s natural pearl is majestic and value attraction on the world. Exports products are include tin, tungsten, dried fish, prawn, fish paste, salt, rubber and bird’s nests.
Tanintharyi is included the eight hundred and ten islands of Myeik Archipelago, which is part of the Mali Island, north to Zardetgyi Island and south west of Byinnaung point( Myanmar’s end boundary). Due to its virtual isolation, the Myeik Archipelago, many islands and around the seaside are very attractive with amazing variety of flora and fauna and very colorful underwater sight and marine life. Tanintharyi is the major manufacturing place for natural resources like pearl, bird’s nests and sea food products. All of the Myeik’s islands have silvery sandy beaches. Good for snorkeling and scuba diving. There have many places for sports activities like sea canoe, fishing, diving and snorkeling. In the deepest underwater, the sea ground is covered with rock apex, coral and reef. The visitors can see gracious dolphins, sharks and variety of fish species. Diving in there has marvelous talent, yet invisible environmental problems make threats the reefs. Along the beach, make sailing is the really cool and refreshing knowledge. In this place sailing is permitted since 1997 and now there have 30 licensed companies. From October to April, the villagers start to trawling and meshing at this season. But some unknowledgeable villagers caught with dynamite it can be destroyed the beauty of underwater. In Myeik Archipelago there have many expert divers, they make searching for oysters and pearl.
The islands are rocky, undestroyed land topography, and huge limestone and granite scenery. The huge majority are unoccupied and untouched by humans. These parts have natural beauty coral reefs, charming landscape, colorful vast fish species and invertebrate lives. And also see huge caves, lagoons, superb silvery beaches, green forests, rare species birds and sea gypsies (who stay in the sea for long term). The others choice for visitors are scuba diving trips with wide range of many locations and dive sites. Famous Myanmar Andaman Resort is located at southern Myanmar, Macleod Island in Myeik Archipelago. It is far 40 miles from Kawthaung and Ranong (Thailand’s border town). Myeik and Thailand is far only 160 miles. The Andaman Resort is decorated with natural beauty like to get sunshine in daytime, sand, sea and shell which get from sea as well as take part in activities of Marine Eco Tourism.
Salon Gypsies
Why are they unique?
“Salon” nation from Myanmar, they refer to themselves as Morgan. They are freely roaming in the ocean with small boat from birth to death. These ethnic groups known as "Sea Gypsies" are still found from the Philippines to Borneo to Thailand to Burma. They don’t have home they used their small boat as home. Their lives are romantic but actually, they are fight for their survival. These natural pearl are restrained by sea gypsies, who sail from island to island. During dry season they live on boat and fishing nets but during rainy season they rest at land and repaired their boat after end rainy season they left their rest place and move to sea. Next rainy season they are not sure for their rest place and may be new. They learnt fishing and boat building techniques for generation to generation. These people can be found near the Kawthaung Island. The never do farming on land. They survived by doing roam in the sea and marine products which get in their strange by using various traditional ways.
They are really skillful people which concern with sea. They can dive without oxygen tanks to gather real pearl from the deepest underwater. They can hunt for stingrays and sharks without any modernized equipments. They searched for sea cucumber and abalone. They lives very hard life but they scorn modern medicines, they thought they don’t need any medicine for survival. During the hot and cold season they survived by fishing, gathering and selling of natural marine products. During the rainy season, they can’t sail on boat because of so windy and roughly sea waves. And they settle down at the nearest island they could find. They search and sell marine products like not only sea shells, oysters, mollusks, ambergris, seaweeds, pearls etc. but also nest that is safe to eat, honey, plants. They worship two spirit gods- the good and the evil. During the spirit festival, the shaman is the central element. At this festival include pop corn, alcohol, and honey betel, flesh and blood of ducks, chickens, dolphins and turtles. One of their musical instruments is made from monitor lizard skin.
The sea gypsies’ festival celebrates during the second week of February at Ma-Kyon-Galet village on Lampi Island. It is located at the southern part of Myeik Archipelago. The visitors can see the sea gypsy’s dances and traditional dances of local tribes of Dawei and Kawthaung. And also feel the charming beauty of the sea and wonderful islands of Myeik Archipelago.
Kawthaung
Kawthaung is the southernmost town in Myanmar about 928 km from Yangon and 648 km from Malawmyaing. Kawthaung was built by British and named as Victoria point. Kawthaung is one of the entry ports into Myanmar and only separated from Thailand by Pakchan River. Across the river is the border town called Ranong, Thailand. Kawthaung is also the gate way of Mergui Archipelago and it was located at the southern edge of Myanmar. Visitors can take 25 minutes boat trip to Kawthaung for sightseeing and shopping. By air, it takes about an hour from Yangon and takes about 2 days by special boats. Traveling by air and boats are recommended for comfort and safety while travel by road is not advised and not comfortable for visitors. Most of the visitors who come from Ranong to Kawthaung by crossing to the river with small long tail boat to enter Mergui archipelago and also come directly from Thailand’s most famous topical paradise city Phuket.
The town is an important border point to trade the products such as seafood, palm oil, rubber and cashews nuts. Visitor can observe the statue of King Bayintnaung in Kawthaung and he is a symbol of Myanmar Patriotism. The world's largest pearl was discovered in the Makha Lauk pearl oyster exploration area in the north west of Zardatgyi Island in Kawthaung Township. The colorful people are living on that small town. Among of them Burmese, Thai, Malay, Indian and Chinese are prominent. But most Kawthaung people are speaking Burmese and Thai. High numbers of teashops, stores and shops arranging boat charters to Thailand for visitor and trader are located in Kawthaung waterfront (Harbor).
Foreigners can use their passport to enter Kawthaung through Ranong easily by visa extension in Phuket. For local Thai people, they can use their passport to visit Kawthaung. Around Kawthaung , there has an Andaman Club provides recreational facilities such as 18-hole golf course, huge swimming pool, satellite TV and IDD phone call service. For ecotourism, bird watching in Birds' Nest Island is the famous tourist spot in Kawthaung. The other interesting sites are; underwater diving sites, Dolphin training center, Salon people, Lanpi Marine, Biological Park, Shwe Kyun (Runnel Island). However, since is the harbor town, there still retains the atmosphere of a Fishing.
Mawlamyine
Mawlamyine is situates at the river bank of the Thanlwin, Gyaing Rivers and the Attaran Brook entering the sea, is the second busiest seaport, trading center of Myanmar and also third largest city of Myanmar. It is also the capital city of the Mon State. Mon, Kayin, Bamar, Indians and some of Chinese are live in Mawlamyine with total population of about 300,000. Mawlamyine has a good transportations links with other major cities. Now’s day, the bridge is already built across the Thanlwin River, so, it is acceptable by car within a few hour from Yangon. Thanlwin Bridge, the longest road and rail bridge in Myanmar with total length of rail bridge over 7.6 km. And then, you can go also from Yangon by railroad via Bago, it is long 169 miles. The railroad continues south up to Ye terminal (90 miles), but the motor road continues up to Myeik (Mergui) to the far south.
Mawlamyine was the capital of British Burma from 1827 to 1852, during which time it was a major teak port. The colonial legacy remains in the elegant building along Strand Road The won is attractive to visiors with her colonial buildings, wooden Chevrolet buses and it’s Costal tropical weather. The Payon Cave filled with stalactites and stalagmites consists countless of Buddha images resembled in shrines while the Kawgaun Cave, locally called the Cave of Ten Thousand Buddha, has a great number of Buddha image in divers forms and sizes. About 300 km away from Yangon, it can be reached by road and rail or by a 40-minute's flight from Yangon.
Where to Visit ?
Mawlamyaing Vicinity
Hpa-An
Kyaik Kha Mi Yele Pagoda
Kyaikkhami Pagoda is also called Yele Paya, sits atop a flat offshore rock and is jointed to mainland by a covered causeway. Several Buddha relics are said to be enshrined at the pagoda. Kyaikkhami Pagoda was built literally in the sea. It is a popular destination for local pilgrims and some tourists One can see the nearly 100 years old of colonial buildings near by. This pagoda festival is also one of famous festival in Myanmar.
Another 28 km southward lies Kyaikkhami, a popular coastal resort during British times with its well-known Kyaikkhami Pagoda built literally in the sea. Like the rest of Mon State, Mawlamying, Thanbyuzayat and Kyaikhkami have a hot and wet climate.
Kyaikmayaw
It is situated in Mon State, 24km south east of Mawlamyine. It is easy to arrive with good road condition but it is only a small town. The temple is also well known for its hundreds of beautiful glazed tiles. Queen Shin Saw Pu ,the builder of temple with Mon Style, built in the late 1455. It is near to Mineral spring sof Yaebu (Hot Water) Village. The Pagoda festival is usually held annually during the transition of Myanmar New Year in April.
Kyaik Tha Lan Pagoda
Kyaik Tha Lan Pagoda was erected in 875 A.D, during the reign of King Mutpi Raja. The pagoda is the city’s tallest and most visits in town and one of the famous pagodas in Mon State. The pagoda is enriched with hair relic of the Buddha, Tripitaka manuscripts and gold images of the Buddha.
Mahamuni
Most famous and largest compound in Mawlamyine is Mahamuni Pagoda. Originally built by Mon Style link with many buildings and prevented brick paths. This pagoda is cast in likeness as Mandalay Mahamuni pagoda.
Thanphyuzayat War Cemetery
The Cemetery located at ThanByuZaYat which is about 60 km from Mawlamyine. Cemetery is well maintained under the Commonwealth War Graves’s commission and is reminiscent of Htaut Kyaunt War Cemetery at Yangon. Thanbyuzayat was the starting point of famous “Death Railway” connecting Myanmar with Thailand constructed by Japanese during World War II. There is a well-kept Allied War Memorial Cemetery for prisoners-of-war who died while constructing the "Death Railway" during World War II; the Railway Museum and a Japanese-built pagoda in memory of the perished Japanese engineers and prisoners-of-war.. Most of those buried were British but there are also markers for American, Dutch and Australian soldiers Two miles outside the town, you can see the ancient city of Waguru (13th century). The walls are still plainly visible and the view from the hilltop is wonderful.
Kyaikkhami Set Se’ Beach
Another 24 km southward lays Set Se’ Beach, a popular coastal resort during British times with its well-known Kyaikkhami Pagoda built literally in the sea. Like the rest of Mon State, Mawlamyine, Thanbyuzayat and Kyaikhkami have a hot and wet climate. You can see the vendors who sell by fresh coconuts juice and get for seafood at some restaurant. The beach is beauty not only for local but also for tourist and it is also attractive point.
Hpa-An
The capital of Kayin State is Hpan-an. It is just a village with 200 housing in the bank of Thanlyin river last over 1000 years ago. In 190, it is developed from the stage of village to town. One of the interesting things in Hpa-an is Zwe'kabin mountain. Other interesting place is King's brother cave western part around 12 miles from Hpa-An. There have hot spring and cold spring are flows inside the cave alongside but not combine between each other.
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