Transfer to the airport in Yangon for domestic flight to Lashio. Your Shan guide will pick you up from the airport for a 1.5 hour drive through Shan state towards Hsipaw. Arrive in this small town in Northern Shan state known for the beautiful scenery which happens to have one of the last remaining residences of a former Shan prince. Shan village walk In the late afternoon your guide will take you for a 2.5 hour walk through a panoramic scenery of paddy fields and other seasonal crops passing small creeks, Shan villages and local schools and monasteries. The guide will explain in detail about Shan life around Hsipaw and show you some home industries like cheroot (cigar) rolling and bamboo weaving. He will explain why each Shan village has a spirit house build at the entrance of the village and make sure you will get to know the spirit of the local people in Northern Shan state. Attention: In case your flight to Lashio is delayed the guide will arrange to do this trip the next day.

Guide: Included for the day

We start the tour by car in direction of the Baw Gyo pagoda where the family’s Buddha statue is currently situated. From here we drive to the Jetty where we hop on the boat and continue the tour by boat on the Dokhtawaddy River towards the junction (Myit Sone) where 2 rivers become together and stop at the junction while tea leaves salad and local tea served. We continue a boat ride back to Hsipaw town and we drive by car to a monastery built by one of the princes for the Hsipaw royal family and a traditional Shan lunch will be served in little garden next to the monastery. The kind of food the last prince of Hsipaw would have taken it. Learn the history of the Shan Palace in Hsipaw as your guide will bring you to the entrance gate of the old Shan palace and tell you the story of Shan Prince and his relatives who still live in the palace. This interesting story is also documented in the book “My life as a Shan Princess” from Inge Sargent and starts like a fairy tale for the Austrian born student marrying a Shan prince while both studying overseas and continued living happily in Hsipaw but ends in a tragedy. Recommended reading material! Since March 2020 it’s no longer possible to enter the palace compound and we can see the palace from a distance.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Tai House Resort

Going local today! The 7:30 local bus will depart opposite the post office (an impressive colonial wooden building) at 3 minutes’ walk from your hotel. And when we say local we mean local… the bus is stopping at every village to let people or goods in an out and basically functions a bit like the local postman (for letter, packages or big bags of rice). Expect to be surrounded (or sit on top of) vegetables, rice and anything else you can imagine surrounded by local people. We suggest you to leave at 07:00 or 07:15 from Mr Charles to the mini bus stop which is right opposite the post office (an impressive colonial wooden building) on the main Namtu Road. Somebody from Mr Charles will walk with you. The local bus will stop everywhere to pick up more passengers, goods, letters and whatever on the way. The end stop of this bus is Kyaukme market which is about 1 km off to the right from the main Lashio – Mandalay road (that’s where everybody gets out) so stay seated till the end. On arrival at the busy market street look out for somebody holding a signboard with your name or with “Khiri Travel” who will start trekking with you. Arrive around 08:30 in Kyaukme and get out at the final bus stop right at the market where a local Khiri representative will be waiting for you. During a full day trekking through the mountains surrounding Kyaukme the guide will give you an insight in the life of the Palaung people living in the hills. We have lunch in one of the Palaung villages. A great day out in the nature in an area where you can still find people who have never seen a western foreigner in their life and who live according to century old traditions. Your guide will discuss with you if you want to do a tough trekking or a more relaxed walk through the villages. Overnight local village house

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

• Standard Accommodation: Kyaukme

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