20/02/2019
Last week, I was in Putao, a small town located far-north of the country. Encircled by snow-capped mountain, beautiful streams, forests and many tribal villages of Lisu, Rawan, Shan, Kachin. If you are lucky enough, the snow is visible from the town. That's what I was told but I wasn't lucky enough. Actually, it is nice to walk around the town to see a market, traditional houses, old post office and Khakaborazi National Park where you can learn about wildlife, flora, and fauna of the area. The town itself is not as much interesting as the vicinity. The vicinity is very attracting. There are jungles in the distance, which are great for hiking and a really serene place to be. I walked up into the forest about two hours beyond upper San Kaung Village which was an unforgettable experience. Next day, took a motorbike to Ma Kyawt village which is 15 min away from Putao, and walked into the forest for several hours which is an even better experience than the first one. I fell in love with the nature. There was nobody there except nature; the singing of birds, beautiful mountains and blue sky. Wish I could have done an overnight trek. There will be an opportunity in the future for foreigners to explore more of the area. So far, the foreigners can go up to Kaungmulon Pagoda, Machawbaw and Mulashidisrea. Wherever you go in and around Putao, I'm sure you'll always find an interesting place. Just be there. Fly there either from Yangon, Mandalay or Myitkyina. There are also nice accommodations in and out of the town. Of course, we, Santa Maria, can arrange the tours. - just let us know.
