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Smiling village faces of Shan State

July 7, 2019 | Michael Turtle | 14 Comments

HIKING EXPERIENCE

Trekking from Hsipaw, Myanmar

The children smile and wave.

“Bye bye,” they shout out.

I’ve come to discover that it’s quite common for the young kids in Myanmar to think this is a greeting.

I smile and wave back and reply with a not-so-subtle “hello”, hoping they might get the message.

But it’s no great surprise they only know one word of English. I’m in the middle of Shan State, trekking through a tiny village accessible only along one dirt track by foot, animal or motorbike.

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

As far as my travels through Myanmar go, this is the middle of nowhere.

Along the track, I walk and the countryside passes by. Tea plantations; corn fields; sugar cane farms; small splashing rivers; pagodas and mountains.

The path is uphill and, although I was promised things would get cooler, the sun is fierce today.

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

The plan is for a two day trek. I’m with two other travellers – an American and a German – and we set off early in the morning from the town of Hsipaw with our local guide Dantay who will take us to a local village higher up to spend the night.

There are no hotels or restaurants here. It’s only through the kindness of local Shan villagers (and the opportunity for them to earn a bit of cash) that anything’s possible.

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

And we meet the villagers along the way. They’re working in their farms, looking after the children, or (in one case) standing half-naked in the river catching fish with their bare hands.

There’s always a smile and a wave. Although treks from Hsipaw are growing in popularity, I don’t imagine there are more than ten or twenty people who come by each day.

This is far from the tourist trail and beyond the range even of many backpackers. We’re still a novelty to the villagers. As they are to us.

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

Shan state villages

At lunchtime we stop at the house of a Shan family and are beckoned inside. The mother brings us food – a simple farm meal of lentils, beans and rice.

It’s obvious she’s made a little business out of offering her living room as a rest stop for trekkers. It’s also possible to stay the night apparently.

We’ve got further to go, though.

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

As the day wears on we start to encounter people on their way home from a day in the fields. Their tools are over their shoulders, their lunchboxes are in their hands and the smiles are still on their faces.

They’re happy for me to take their photos and to chat – although we don’t really understand a word each other is saying. (I’m pretty sure one man offers me the two women he was walking with, but I assume they’re just joking around.)

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

And as evening approaches we stop at another small village where we are to spend the night.

Another family has seen the potential in the foreign trekkers and has converted a large room in the upstairs of their house into a pseudo-guesthouse.

A row of mattresses laid out on the floor is our communal bedroom and, downstairs, the table with rice and beans and lentils is our pseudo-dining room.

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

The second day, much like the first, is filled with the faces of the local Shan villagers.

We walk past a group of children on their way from school, past a large gathering in a house (for a funeral, I’m told) and past small ‘factories’ where the sugarcane cut nearby is being processed.

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

Trekking from Hsipaw, Shan State trekking, Myanmar

To me, a trek can be about nature and views of the wilderness. But in this case, it’s more about seeing the life that operates within it.

Myanmar can seem remote and exotic at the best of times but it’s amplified out here. Lives have pretty much been led this way for generations, regardless of who was in charge of the country.

It’s unique, it’s beautiful in its simplicity, and it’s here for you to see and appreciate.

Myanmar Travel Guide

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MYANMAR?

See my Myanmar Travel Guide

To help you plan your trip to Myanmar:

  • Five ways to experience local Myanmar
  • Why the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is so important
  • What to expect on the Circle Line in Yangon
  • How to spend a day in Bagan
  • Visiting Mount Popa Monastery from Bagan
  • The best things to see in Bago
  • The story behind the Royal Palace of Mandalay
  • Don’t miss the U Bein Teak Bridge near Mandalay
  • Here’s why I didn’t like visiting Inle Lake
  • Hiking with locals in Shan State

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a Myanmar tour, rather than organising everything on your own. It’s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a ‘Wanderer’ with G Adventures and they have great tours in Myanmar.

You could consider:

  • Myanmar on a Shoestring (14 days)
  • Classic Myanmar Adventure (14 days)
  • The Heart of Myanmar- National Geographic (12 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. It’s not worth the risk, in case there’s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you use World Nomads for your trip.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. The Time-Crunched Traveler (Ellen) |

    February 23, 2013 at 12:23 am

    Reply

    Minglaba! Sounds like such a cool trek — a great way to experience life in rural Myanmar.

    • Michael Turtle |

      February 23, 2013 at 1:57 pm

      Reply

      Minglaba! (Incidentally, the only word I seemed able to say properly.)
      It was a great way to see the rural life. I just wish I could have spent a bit more time there and got to see a bit more of the daily routines.

  2. BlogDaz |

    February 23, 2013 at 12:45 pm

    Reply

    One thing that stands out about your time in Myanmar so far everything is still pretty much unspoilt, most importantly the people. There is barely a sign of any modern day items in these photos, how rare is that !.

    • Michael Turtle |

      February 23, 2013 at 2:01 pm

      Reply

      Well spotted. These photos are from the rural areas so there’s definitely no technology. In the cities, mobile phone stores seem to be becoming very popular but you still don’t see a lot of people with them (the military leadership apparently actively discouraged them because they were worried it would make an uprising easier).
      The tools of the modern world are spreading, though, so it won’t stay like this for long.

  3. Neelima |

    February 23, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    Reply

    This trek looks like a wonderful way to see the life in remote villages. But I wonder, how long will it last. Also reminds me a lot of Indian villages in the North East.
    Btw, I am loving your posts from Myanmar! 🙂

    • Michael Turtle |

      February 26, 2013 at 3:01 pm

      Reply

      There aren’t many tourists there at the moment at all. Although it’s easy enough to do, I think most visitors see it as a bit too far away and adventurous. There are no signs that the numbers are increasingly rapidly in this part of Shan State but I’m sure it will get more popular over time.

  4. Logan |

    July 23, 2013 at 3:44 am

    Reply

    Hello,

    This is one of the best blogs of Myanmar that I have seen yet. I’m going in late August and I would really like to take a few days to venture into the rural villages of the Shan State. How did you get to Hsipaw? I was thinking of coming from Bagan or Mandalay?

    Thanks!

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 24, 2013 at 2:31 am

      Reply

      Hi Logan. It’s easy to get to Hsipaw from Mandalay (or Yangon). There will be direct buses that you can organise once you’re there. With the trekking, you can easily arrange that at whichever guesthouse you stay at. The town has lots of freelance tour guides who will hang around the accommodation and be happy to answer any questions you’ve got.
      Have fun – you’ll love it!

      • Logan |

        August 4, 2013 at 5:13 pm

        Reply

        Thank you for your reply!

        Another question: What accommodations would you recommend while in Hsipaw and how would you go about booking them?

        Thanks!

  5. The roaming coconuts |

    December 1, 2013 at 10:44 pm

    Reply

    Great pictures! I”m heading to Burma in a few days and am hoping to check out Shan State while I’m there.

    • Michael Turtle |

      December 4, 2013 at 4:16 am

      Reply

      Make sure you do – you’ll love it. You’ll be able to hire a local guide from wherever you’re staying. I would definitely recommend doing at least two days/one night.

  6. Andrew |

    February 21, 2015 at 2:03 pm

    Reply

    Great pics mate!

    Would it be ok for me to link some of these shots on my Tumblr blog? I would make sure to link to the site and give credit for them…

    I totally understand if it’s not something you are ok with 🙂

    Peace

    • Michael Turtle |

      February 21, 2015 at 9:14 pm

      Reply

      Hi Andrew. Sure, that’s fine. Just put in a link back to the original post please. I checked out your blog too – looks great!

      • Andrew |

        February 22, 2015 at 12:14 am

        Reply

        Awesome thank you, yes I will be sure to direct people to your site 🙂

        Thanks!, I’m heading back to 10 days – can’t wait! 🙂

        Cheers

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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