Mt Victoria (Myanmar)
Natma Taung (or) Kaw Nu Symm/Thum is
what locally known to Mt Victoria of Myanmar’s
third highest peak at the altitude of 10500ft
(3200m), and located at the southern part
of mountainous Chin State, is an area of
great biodiversity with many forms of rare
flora and fauna. Mt Victoria is a home to
numerous temperate and sub-alpine species
as well as temperate semi-evergreen and
evergreen forests with 2500 vascular plant
species. Through hiking to the summit with
stunning views reaching out from the plains
of central Myanmar, Bay of Bengal, and to
the neighboring country of Bangladesh, visitors
may discover coniferous, broad-leave evergreen,
montane, pine, & oak forests; medicinal
plants, wild orchids, lianas, cycads, and
most prominent flowering tree – rhododendrons…
etc. These forests, which grow on top of
the mountains, are thickly covered with
mosses and ferns as it wrapped with green
woolen sweaters, are not only sustaining
many endemic plants and animals but also
serve as the source of water to many rivers
and streams. The Mt Victoria National Park
and the surrounding Chin settlements offer
various hiking trips of Nature studies and
Ethnic adventure tours of tattooed face
Chin villages to the Bird Watching of some
rare and endangered indigenous and migratory
birds including Nuthatches, Pheasants, Hornbills,
and Babblers.
Interested?
Starting & Ending City: BAGAN
Operating Season: November to
April
Accessibility: The trip to Mt
Victoria can now easily be made from Bagan
via two popular routes; 1Bagan-Chauk-Saw-Kanpetlet-Bagan
or 2Bagan-Pakokku-Pauk-Kyauktu-Kangyi-Mindat-Mt
Victoria-Bagan. It is possible to make a
looping trip like: Bagan-Chauk-Saw-Kanpetlet-Mt
Victoria-Mindat-Kangyi-Kyauktu-Pauk-Pakokku-Bagan
or vice visa. Whichever road you take to
Mt Victoria, you will drive through picturesque
villages and farms quite different from
other parts of central Myanmar as well as
safari across deep jungles of renowned Pondaung-Ponnyar
range, home to the Origins of Human beings
after the findings of a 45 million-year-old
primate – of which (said to be) humans evolved.
Type of Vehicles: Reconditioned
Jeeps from WWII era and 4x4 Double Cabs
without air-conditioner
Places to stay: Kanpetlet: There
is a simple, eco-friendly, charming guesthouse
with 9-Chin traditional huts built at an
elevation of 2400 meters above the sea level.
Mindat: There are two places to
stay; the government operated Kaw Nu Guesthouse
and privately owned Victoria guesthouse,
both with very limited number of rooms and
basic facilities – shared bath & toilets,
hot-water bucket etc.
Important: It is necessary to make pre-arrangements
to visit Mt Victoria as it’s required to
get “Special Permissions” from two ministries
that required at least 30-days before your
arrival to Yangon.
Further Information of Mt
Victoria (Nat Ma Taung) National Park –
Myanmar
1. Location
Located between 21 24 N and 93 ‘55’ E in
Kanpet –let, Mindut and Matupi Townships
of Chin State.
2. Area
279 square miles
3. Year of Establishment
Established in 1994
4. Access
Yangon to Bagan-Nyaung –Oo (320 miles
by flight / by car),Bagan to Chauk (18 miles),
Chauk to Hsaw (69 miles), Hsaw to Kanpelet
(12 miles) by car
5. Forest/Vegetative Types
Hill Evergreen Forests
Moist Upper Mixed Deciduous Forests
Pine Forests (above 9000 feet)
Hill Savannah
6. Wildlife
Mammals such as tiger bear wild board, leopard,
guar, serow, gibbon, etc. and 159 bird species,
reptiles and butterfly are present
7. Opportunities for Study and Recreation
Recreation and viewing of the natural mountain
scenery
Visiting the third highest Mountain in Myanmar
which is (10018) feet high, and hiking a
distance of 15 miles from the old Kan-pet-let
city , or driving 10 miles by car from Kan-pet-city and hiking another
3.5miles to the peak
Observation of 159 bird species including
5 indigenous species and also Blyth’s Tragopan,
a very rare species
Participation in organized Orchid Tours
where the most attractive Myanmar Orchids
exist
Observing the traditional and cultural heritage
of Chin people and their living systems
Observing the natural forest and trees,
especially Rhododendron arboretum
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