Overview
Breaking new ground in this exciting destination, we have ventured into the sleepy south of Myanmar to the Mon and Kayin States. Starting off in a Mawlamyine, a town that was the first capital of British Burma. We explore its surrounds, for not only is it a historically important city, it is also situated in a lovely spot, at the mouth of the Salween River and across the water from Bilu Island.
We continue to the town of Hpa An. Although considered ‘mid-sized’ it is a far cry from the buzz of Yangon and its quiet country trails are ideal for biking. We spend two nights here allowing for ample time to pedal and paddle through it, giving you a genuine feel for the lives of Myanmar’s rural farmers.
The remainder of our journey takes us through to the town of Thaton and the lovely farming landscapes and communities in between. One of our last stops is the Golden Rock before we head by train to Yangon.
280 - 290 Km riding. The terrain is a mix of paved and unpaved roads on secondary roads and quiet country lanes. We aim wherever possible to be away from roads with traffic and have adjusted the itinerary over time to achieve this. There are no sustained climbs over the trip, making this a broadly achievable ride. The dirt trails do feature holes, gravel, sand and other obstacles, while the roads are often potholed. There is always a support vehicle on hand to give you a lift if you need a break from the riding.
Peak Season Surcharge: For tours commencing from Dec 23 to Jan 3 there is a peak season surcharge of 5% on the tour price due to hotel rate increases at this time of year.
Deposit: $800 USD
Highlights
Cycle to Bilugyun Island to explore small villages, jungle and bamboo forests.
Explore stunning Hpa An as you kayak the Thanlyin River surrounded by limestone karsts and rice paddies.
Take a truck ride and walk to the Buddhist pilgrimage site of Golden Rock.
Enjoy a scenic train ride to Yangon as you connect with locals.
Day to Day
You can arrive any time today, but you should try to get into town before midday. The city of Mawlamyine is actually the fourth largest in the country, but for a country that is predominantly made up of subsistence communities, it is not exactly a metropolis. It is however a charming town with leafy streets, pagoda-studded hilltops beautiful enough to inspire Rudyard Kipling to write his famous poem 'Mandalay'. In the afternoon, we take a gentle pedal and a walk to explore the city, some of the remaining British-era architecture and the market. Mawlamyine can be reached by bus or train from Yangon or flight from Bangkok.
Rather than check out and move on from this lovely spot, we take a day ride to explore a sizeable island sitting just off Mawlamyine. It is separated from the mainland only by rivers, so a short ferry ride with the locals and mountains of produce, connects us to the landing. We then ride through the diverse landscapes of the islands through villages, jungles and bamboo forests. We stop to see some local, village industries and then return to town by boat.
Today we ride inland on a smaller road. The landscape changes and we start to see more hills. The greenery also increases as we enter a more remote, less populated area. We arrive into the small town of Hpa An in the late afternoon. This is a town of only 60,000 people, located on the Thanlyin River and is the capital of the Kayin State.
We spend the day exploring the stunning landscapes of Hpa An. Setting off from our hotel by bike, we’ll make our way to a branch of the Thanlyin River where river kayaks await. Paddling along the quiet water, we will get an exclusive chance to discover the rice paddies and limestone karsts of Hpa An from a different perspective. We will return to our bikes and make our way to the other side of town where ancient caves and Buddha statues are hidden among tiny villages.
We get into even more remote territory today. The riding is mostly flat as we cycle quite close to the coast and at times close enough to get a view of the water. As the day continues, we cross a river inlet and continue on down a slightly busier road to reach Tha Thon. This is a small town and our accommodation is suited to pioneers such as yourselves. It is clean, but simple.
We continue through farmland and forests today on mostly flat road. Lots of good snack stops will be enjoyed along the way as we polish off the last of the fruit supplies. We arrive at the base camp in the afternoon and jump in to an open-air truck with local pilgrims to bounce our way up toward the famous Golden Rock, a precariously placed boulder (there is no temple atop). In keeping with Myanmar tradition, we complete the last part of the journey on foot, arriving at the gilded rock in the late afternoon. Having finished off the last day on the bikes, we can enjoy a satisfying drink and watch the sunset over a beautiful landscape.
We return down to the base of the hill by foot and truck and transfer to the nearby train station. We are in the upper class cabin, which is a curious term for it, given its dilapidated condition. Even so, the train journey is a memorable one. You are sure to make lots of local friends on board who will take delight in speaking with you on subjects ranging from history, current political affairs, to the English Premier League! The scenery is varied, from the urban areas of Yangon to the sparse areas around the edge of the delta zone. All things going according to plan (or timetable), the train will arrive into Yangon late evening. We will have a car organised to take you to a hotel of your choosing where the tour concludes. Meals: BL
WHAT MAKES US STAND OUT
GRASSHOPPER STYLE
We’ve carefully crafted this tour of Myanmar in order to take you to some truly spectacular off-the-beaten-path destinations far from tourists. Explore Mawlamyine and its nearby islands, kayak with views of Hpa An, make your way to a traditional pilgrimage site and along the way enjoy incredible views, fun cycling and cultural immersion. You’ll leave Myanmar with a greater appreciation for its culture and people after seeing genuine daily life on a memorable cycling journey.
