Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary

Highlight of Tour

One of Myanmar’s Ramsar Sites, Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 40 square mile and is located around an artificial lake constructed in 1904, at Bago and Waw Townships in the Bago Region. The lake is dry during summer, although some permanent water bodies exist. Welcome you to enjoy our unspoiled nature at the Moeyungyi Wetlands where the migratory and residential birds over 125 species and many aquatic plants including lotus and water hyacinth are growing.

There are questions and interests always from the visitors when they have more time in Yangon, what else can we do in Yangon next after the visit to Shwedagon Pagoda, colonial downtown walk, Scott Market and Kandawgyi Lake?  This is creatively designed for the local discovery by public transport beyond Yangon. A perfect choice for those who want to get the experience of exploring rural Myanmar; the nature, people and culture by travelling public transport and discover what’s happening outside of urban city, Yangon.

Our experience guide will pick you up and transfer to Yangon Central Railway Station (built in 1877 by British). We’ll take 08:00am train toward Bago (42 miles north of Yangon). You’ll meet locals on the train, enjoy the bumpy train ride passing the backyard of the houses in Yangon, through paddy fields and beautiful landscapes along the way to Bago. Truly relaxing and an exciting journey to rural Myanmar sitting together with locals around you on the train. Upon arrival Bago station, tuk‐tuk driver will be waiting for us heading to Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary, 20 miles north of Bago.

A nature and eco tour by a relaxing boat trip

Take a visit to the little museum and listen to a brief presentation about Moeyungyi Wetlands, migratory birds, and how the Forestry Department is trying to preserve eco system in this area. Of course, this presentation will lead to make the most highlight of your trip and get to know more details about Moeyungyi. Continue by a boat trip in the lake, this will take away all your stress and a good retreat for body and mind. Refreshment drinks and snacks will be served on the boat. 

Mengzi Wetlands has 10 boat shaped bungalows and some Deluxe and Family bungalows for overnight stay. The best to do the Birding and boat cruise is in the morning and evening sunset time on November to March. Other period we’ll only see native birds, enjoy boat ride, lotus fields and fresh breeze blowing over the lake. For those who wish to extend their visit, make sure you take a sunset cruise or early morning birding or both)

Many local villages surrounding Moeyungyi Wetland their daily livelihood is on fisheries, handmade bamboo and rattan households, dried fish and farming. In addition, there are some communities here doing micro‐business such as cheroot and iron recycling productions. We’ll be visiting some villages to see their works. Sitting with host families here and having Burmese tea leaf salad and plane tea and tasting a freshly made cheroot. It’s a fun and great local experience and the girls and women from the cheroot cottage will be happy and proud of their works.  Nearly 30‐50 girls and women are working comfortably and cheerfully under the same roof, working to get extra income for their families while their husbands and brothers are going out for fishing, duck farming or cultivation in the fields and Moeyungyi Wetland. Very tranquil and beautiful villages to visit and be being in touch with the locals, especially girls and women of rural Myanmar at their workplace.

Afterward, we’ll continue to visit Iron recycling workshop in Ywar Thit Village. The badly rusted iron heaps will be recycled and reproduced into nearly 300 kinds of new iron products. Collecting all old and rusted iron from near and far. Boil them up in the traditional ways of charcoal fuel in the iron container and reproduce as new items for the households and machinery spare parts. Some products are exported to Singapore. We’ll see all these processes which truly inspiring and knowledgeable about the great ideas of “reuse, recycle and reduce”. At the same time, we’ll see this is very helpful for the humankind, saving resources and reducing environmental impacts. U Aye Win (owner of  this  workshop)  has been  recognized as  the  great  innovator  of  micro‐business  production  and  selling  in

2013 by the government of Myanmar. It’s worth a visit and a small souvenir made from iron is planned during this trip.

Eventually, our tuk tuk driver will be taking us to a Nat Ka Daws’ (Transvestite Spirit Wives) home in Bago. Our guide will explain the story and cultural background of 37 Nats of Myanmar. Myanmar is an exciting and adventurous destination to explore. The devout country is splendid by the glittering gold of thousands of pagodas and temples from the smallest. Nats are creatures of the universe living in other realms, the spirits of animist worship are also acceptable creatures although they are more like ghosts. These superhuman Nats, when correctly propitiated, could aid worshipers in accomplishing important tasks, vanquishing enemies and so on. The pantheon of Spirits that are worshiped throughout the country are called the 37 Nat’s of Myanmar.

Among 37 Nats, Bago Mother Royal Nat in Bago region is treated very respectfully. It’s represented with a buffalo head and horns. Originally, she was a female buffalo living near Hantharwaddy and breastfed to the little prince from the place when his mother was passed away in the war, as per the legendary (nowadays called Bago). 37 Nats (Spirits) had own stories and our guide will tell some or all of them on the way back to Yangon. Our trip will be ended in Yangon around 6 or 7:00pm after taking a public bus from Bago to Yangon.