PutaO Myanmar - far east Himalayas

PutaO - Perfectly Peaceful

Early the next morning, we expected delayed flights. The first flight to Myitkyina was delayed. When we arrived at Myitkyina, the pilots turned off the engines and said we would have to wait for a big storm to pass over Putao.

Putao can be reached from Myitkyina by flight from Mandalay. We started in Naypyitaw, driving to Mandalay at night through a rainstorm with a strong wind pushing us into a dark Mandalay Hotel at midnight.

The puddles in PutaO were as big as the stormhad been. It seemed to clear up quickly, and we walked around the empty airport building to a wooden, temporary immigration building.

Considering the relaxed security conditions and a lack of electricity, they were fairly quick at processing our papers.

Check-in was very basic, consisting of a desk, scale, and handwritten luggage tags. The baggage claim was operated by men pulling the luggage to waiting passengers.

A very warm welcome from the staff at Putao Trekking House. There were four clusters of cabins with four rooms - two rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs. They were clean and comfortable rooms with showers and hot water.

The village was a sleepy place where there were few cars and more ox carts. PutaO had four hotels and two guest houses.

They picked us up in a van from the airport - one of the few vehicles in Putao. The most common transport we saw was motorbikes (many without number plates), then ox carts and small tractors.

Putao is at the bottom left corner of the map. The upper middle region is the far eastern edge of the Himalayas, with Hkakaborazi (5889m) the highest peak, followed by Welandrazi (5834m), Dandirazi (5180 m, Sheintalagrazi (4993m), Malikhurazi (4907m), Madoirazi (4616m), Phanganrazi (4328m), Phononrazi (4297m), Dandi Razi (4097m), and Phonyinrazi (3500m). Razi means mountain in the Rawang language, one of the larger ethnic groups living in the region.

At a corner in Putao, women sit and try to sell some of their products and a few fish.

Down the road, a well in front of a house offers passersby a drink of cool water from a clay pot.

Children play on the empty roads where traffic is just an occasional motorbike.

Women carry loads of wood from the surrounding forests to use for cooking. The use of forest products and shifting cultivation is affecting local biodiversity.

Old Buddhist temples are found in the area. Some are both temples and monasteries for young monks. 


The Lisu and Rawang ethnic groups are Christian and follow the Church of Christ. This was brought to Putao by an American missionary who also converted the Nagas in Nagaland North East India.

Young girls help in the home, watching younger siblings, cooking, and washing clothes.

What do teenage boys do for fun? They play a game called chinlone that is a cross between volleyball and football. The ball is made from cane and is very light. While playing, the ball cannot touch the ground or be handled.

The Hkakaborazi museum is supported by the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Forestry. It has an exhibition showing the flora and fauna of the region. There, we meet a handful of the 20 forestry officers who patrol the huge area of Hkakaborazi National Park. The officers have a few motorbikes, but most walk the area - still, poaching and deforestation are hard to control.

Flowering orchids and birds filled the trees - Myanmar hosts up to 1114 species of birds. We sighted many types of birds, butterflies, and dragonflies as we explored the area. 

Get up early! The Putao market starts before 6 am, selling fish and a variety of locally produced fruits and vegetables.

Breakfast on a banana leaf was delicious - it contained purple sticky rice, chickpeas, and a ground-up peanut spice topping.


So many fish, all fresh from the local rivers. They sell very quickly, and it was the reason to go early to the market. There are a couple of carp types. One woman was removing the scales from a Golden Masheer carp.

Many women were selling various sorts of greens, such as watercress, morning glory, coriander, and spinach.

A variety of different yams, ginger, tiny potatoes, and tomatoes were laid out in small piles.

On one side of the market, the goods from Myitkyina are brought in and sold. These large-sized fruits and vegetables contrast with the smaller sized local produce.

Day trips

Not far from Putao is the Kanugmulon Pagoda. 

This pagoda covers an ancient one that is said to date to the Asoka period. The outside was being restored and encased in a bamboo webbing. 

Buddha statues have long ear lobes and a flat face, which is unusual. These same features appeared on several Buddha statues in other pagodas.

The shoreline of the Malikha River was quiet and lovely in the late afternoon light.

The ultra-expensive Malikha Lodge is nearby, with jet ski watercraft parked on the riverbank. What a way to disturb the peace and quiet!

A husband and wife team were fishing for their livelihoods and dinner.



Many families were fishing and washing clothes at the river. The water was clear and clean.

On a walk through Rawang and Lisu villages, we made lots of young friends.

Some have made walking stilts and homemade go-carts to keep themselves entertained.

One little girl was sitting quietly with her grandmother and eating sunflower seeds that her grandmother placed in her small hands.

Trekking in PutaO

Trekking can be a challenge with narrow bamboo sticks for crossing over steep landslides and logs over rivers. It is worth the effort to visit a primary forest area, that as yet was untouched. This was a day trek with a lovely spot for a picnic lunch.


Departure of biodiversity
At the airport shop, one can buy many interesting and possibly illegal forest items. One highly prized and expensive item is the famed performance enhancer called Cordyceps sinesis. It that grows on its host moth catepillars in high altitude pastures. It is highly valued, costing more than gold in China. 


Other Cordyceps spp are found at lower elevations in the forest. Some fungi produce more than one horn or fruiting body that protrudes from the host like a horn. In the forests near Putao, this fungus invades other species of caterpillars, producing longer and more numerous horns. These are found on pine trees, but this one is not as highly sought after,r and the cost is much less.


This is the way that the local families generate income.

Interesting but controversial, the display of "medicinal" items contained endangered species. There were bottles of bear bile, deer gland extract, horns, and hoofs of a tiny mouse deer,r and other unidentifiable body parts. One elixir available was sold in a strong alcohol containing ginseng, caterpillar fungus, queen bees, and other seeds.

The future of the gentle villagers of Putao is in the hands of tourism development. It might happen once the road is completed and it is free of disturbances.