糖心vlog传媒

We're not taking new bookings for travel to Myanmar at the moment. Our specialists can advise you on all the destinations you can currently book with us.

East Gate at the Citadel Alternative Southeast Asia destinations
Skip to content

The town of Kyaingtong (formerly Kengtung) is situated in the far eastern part of Shan State. This sleepy town has had an interesting past and has played host to Chinese traders, British officials in the late 19th century, pilgrims and missionaries as well as famous writers. Somerset Maugham devoted two chapters of his 1930 travel book to the Kyaingtong Market.

Women of the Ann tribe paint their teeth blackThe area was opened up to foreign visitors in 1993 and is a seldom seen part of Myanmar with remote mountain valleys and stunning natural beauty. The town and surrounding area is an eclectic blend of many cultures, including Shan, Burmese and Thai, which renders this part of the country deeply fascinating and rather enchanting. The ethnic villages that inhabit the hills include the Khun, Wa, Ann, an animist tribe, Akha, Palaung and Lahu tribes which have all in part managed to preserve their ancient customs and heritage as well as their traditional dress.

Kyaingtong is a rewarding destination providing you have a sense of adventure. The tourist infrastructure in this part of the country is generally of a much lower standard than other, more popular destinations in Myanmar. We work with two basic family-run hotels that do not have the same level of service or attention to detail that can be found in the hotels of Yangon or Mandalay for example.

Vehicles and guides are arranged through these hotels so it is harder to have direct control over their quality. We do our utmost to secure the best vehicles and guides available in the region but please do be prepared for lower standards than in other areas. As the country has opened up, a better standard of vehicle is crossing the border from Thailand and used by these hotels.

The local guides may not have excellent English, but they do have good local knowledge however, and communicate well with the tribal communities. You'll be accompanied by a local guide, and one from one of the larger cities to help logistically.

Speak to someone
who's been there
糖心vlog传媒 specialist Mark

Start planning your tailor-made trip to Kyaingtong by contacting one of our Myanmar specialists

Excellent

Map of Kyaingtong

Places & hotels on the map

    Places near Kyaingtong

    Ideas for experiencing Kyaingtong

    Our specialists seek out authentic ways to get to know the places that could feature in your trip. These activities reflect some of the experiences they've most enjoyed while visiting Kyaingtong, and which use the best local guides.

    • Kyaingtong鈥檚 hill tribes & hill stations
      Women of the Ann tribe paint their teeth black

      Kyaingtong鈥檚 hill tribes & hill stations

      Kyaingtong鈥檚 hill tribes & hill stations

      The Shan hills surrounding Kengtung are home to a variety of ethnic tribes including Khun, Wa, Shan, Akha, Palaung and Lahu villages.

      View details