Activities

Hsipaw offers a wide spectrum of cycling and trekking activities. Here are examples of what you can do:

For your convenience we are using the 1 to 6 difficulty grading system:
bridge
1 – Very easy trip. Can be done by everybody.
2 – Easy trip. Walking for maximum of four hours on the easy, mostly flat terrain
3 – Medium. Walking up to seven hours of walking on mostly easy, flat terrain
4 – Medium. Walking up to eight hours. The terrain can involve some hills and rough surface.
5 – Difficult. Walking up to 12 hours on rough, hilly terrain. A typical grading for a 2 days/1 night treks. Recommended for fit and young travelers only
6 – Very difficult. Multiple-days treks on rough, hilly terrain.

1. Shan Villages Walking Tour (Half Day)

 After breakfast in your hotel you will be met by your guide. Walk to farmers’ villages enjoying the panoramic scenery of paddy fields, seasonal crops, mountains, and a river. Experience traditional lifestyle of Shan Villages by visiting houses, where women weave, roll cheroots, and produce fans and bamboo baskets. After about four hours of walking you will be back to Hsipaw for lunch.

Total walking time: 4 hours
Difficulty Grade: 2 (Easy)

2. Nam Tok Waterfall (Half Day)

 After breakfast in your hotel you will be met by your guide. Walk through the rice field to reach the Nam Tok Waterfall, which has a nice pool at its base. Visit a limestone cave on the side of the waterfall and climb up 100 ft (30 meters) to enjoy a splendid view over an ancient pagoda and Shan Royal Tomb as previously seen on the path in the rice field. Come back to Hsipaw for lunch after about four hours of walking.

Total walking time: 4 hours
Difficulty Grade: 2 (Easy)

3. Boat Trip (Half Day) 

After breakfast in your hotel you will be met by your guide. Walk to the jetty on the bank of the Dokthawady River and take a boat up the river. Enjoy the beautiful scenery full of mountains, valleys, orange, and orchard plantations along the river for about one hour. Leave the boat and walk up the hill for about half an hour to see a Shan monastery believed to be 150 years old. On the way you will see plantations of pineapple, papaya, and orange, which are widely grown along the way to the monastery. Return to the boat and continue your journey to the confluence of two rivers, where swimming is possible. Enjoy the view, take a dip in cool water and return to Hsipaw. On the way you can visit a Shan village with typical houses, small charming garden, railway connecting Mandalay and Lashio, and a small animist temple.

An alternative boat trip can be arranged in the opposite direction to the confluence of the rivers. You will visit two Shan villages famous for making of salt and rough paper, Bawgyo pagoda and monastery. 

Total walking time: 2 hours 
Difficulty Grade: 2 (Easy)


4. Hot Springs (Half Day)

 After breakfast in your hotel you will be met by your guide. You will walk for about 1,5 hours to the natural hot spring through villages, rice fields, and streams. Take a bath, rest, and come back to Hsipaw for lunch. 

Total walking time: 3 hours
Difficulty Grade: 2 (Easy)



5. Visiting Northern Suburb (Half Day)

 After breakfast in your hotel you will be met by your guide. Drive to a monastery, which is more than 150 years old and see lacquered image of Buddha in Bowgyo Historical Pagoda. Afterwards visit Salt Making Village, which is located just behind the pagoda. Learn about the interesting process of making salt and return to Hsipaw for lunch.

Total walking time: 1 hour
Difficulty Grade: 1 (Very Easy)

6. Palaung Hill Tribe Village and Tea Plantation II (2 DAYS / 1 NIGHT)

 After breakfast in your hotel you will be met by your guide. Walk through Hsipaw, rice paddies, multi-denominational cemeteries, and along a stream hosting a number of improvised power plants on a flat terrain for about 2 hours. Next 3-4 hours is a steady climb on a rocky road among the beautiful mountainous landscape, seasonal crops, Shan villages, and a tea plantation. The climb is not too steep, as the villagers are able to go up and down on their motorbikes. Eat lunch in the village and learn about traditional lifestyle of Palaung Hill Tribe (Mon Kaumer) whose women still wear their traditional costumes. Eat dinner with the Palaung family and spend the night in their traditional home. On the next day, after breakfast, trek down to Hsipaw.

Total walking time: 10-12 hours (5-6 hours per day)
Difficulty Grade: 5 (Difficult)