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Discover the last wild mangrove in the delta of Irrawaddy - search for dolphin and salt water crocodile |
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Yangon is located on the western part of the Irrawaddy delta. It is a superb area that is spraying from Yangon to the Gulf of Bengale, you have thousands of waterway, villages, and local farmers or fishermen with no or very limited contact with people outside the delta.
You will find in the delta a very rich animal life, with a lot of birds, superb countryside, mangrove, the famous and dangerous salt water crocodile and if you are lucky some of the last Yerrawaddy dolphin (they are living in the same area than the crocodile).
We propose you to discover in few days the last wild mangrove of the Yerrawaddy delta. It is an opportunity to discover place where very few tourist are going, to see beautiful countryside, to discover the daily life of the people living in the delta and to help to protect this wild area (it is also important that local population understand that they have to protect the mangrove, that tourist will come to admire such beautiful place, instead of cutting down the mangrove to make charcoal...)
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Public boat for Bokkalé - A real local experience. On board "restaurant" at the back of our boat.
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For who . Important points to remember ?
Sunset on the Irrawaddy river from a public boat
to Bokkale (on the right, private "cabine". |
You must feel well (and safe) travelling by boat on river and mangrove. You will travel with local public boat, or very small boat is the mangrove area. It is a very beautiful place, but hot, with a lot of forest, water .... nothing special but you must feel ok with that.
Accomodations are very simples, the boat is local, with local food, prepared as for local people. The first night on the boat, there is no shower, and common toilet, the second night you have also no shower but you can get bucket of fresh water to clean.
- Food : local food, prepare for the locals, by locals (not a restaurant)..
- Shower : none for the frst night, cold water bucket for the seconde night.
- Weather : hot, no rain, cool in winter, very hot in March and April.
- I
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Program (could be easily modify)
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Local boat for the delta mangrove reserve.
You will take your early breakfast in the village
before going to the crocodile - dolphin area.
Sunset, search for rare Irrawaddy dolphin
and salt water crocodile (much more common..).
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From Yangon, it is possible to organise the journey to Bokkale and the mangrove reserve with a 2 nights - 3 days program or with a 3 nights -4 days program.
It is also possible to reach Bokkale by car instead of the public night boat but we do not recommend it as the public boat is part of the journey to discover the delta area as the Myanmar do.
1st night. Departure from Yangon with a public boat for Boakkale. Departure is from the Yangon city jetty, and the boat sails usually at 17h00 or 18h00. Night on board on a private double cabine (no shower on boad.)
Local "restaurant" on board, this is a boat for local Myanmar people going in the delta, absolutely not for tourist.
You can get electricity on board for your digital camera.
2nd day : Arrival very early at Bokkale (around 5 or 6.00), the passenger jetty is the same than the market - food stuff jetty, so you will disembark with all locals, food and everything the boat can carry...and middle of all the small fishing boat arriving or departing from the jetty.
Breakfast in a local tea-shop (local food), it will takes two hours to comply with local paperwork, visit the market, relax at bit, enjoy the place.
Departure with a small engine boat (at picture on the left) for the mangrove reserve, at the southern part of the delta. It will takes few hours to reach the place.
On board, you will find binoculars to watch birds and animals.
Lunch in a local bamboo house, all day and afternoon you will visit the mangrove and if lucky will see some Yerrawady dolphin.
Before night, at sunset, you will go deep inside the mangrove by small water way to look for the famous and dangerous salt water crocodile (use your torch light to find him). Way back at night to your bamboo house, quick diner, night in the mangrove (you will have some water and snacjs on board).
3rd day :
- complete day visit in the mangrove, or
early departure by boat, crossing the island by very small waterway, middle of the mangrove, superb view, very quiet, you will be middle of no where, with the sunrise on the mangrove...
Back to Boggale early or middle afternoon, quick lunch and drive back to Yangon (+- 4 hours drive). |
Best time to come to discover the mangrove and the Irrawaddy delta area ?
Obviously, you must avoid the rainy season, the monsoon. It is raining really a lot, all the day, with water level very high and winds... no good idea with so many crocodiles... You are visting the mangrove with small boats and security conditions will not be good during the monson.
Best time : Novembre - January.
Good time but hot to very hot: February - April (in May you have a risk of heavy rain or cyclone).
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(sunrise inside the mangrove reserve before taking a boat deeper into the water way).
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What do you need to take with you ?
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"Guest house" in the reserve. Simple bamboo house - your boat for visiting the mangrove on the right of the photograph. |
We supply one binocular for bird and animal watching in the mangrove.
You must bring a torch light, a very strong one is better for searching the crocodile at nigh (their eyes are becoming red when illuminated by a torch ligh).
Take a hat, sun block cream, a lot of insect repellent as you will go and sleep in the middle of the mangrove.
Photo camera: there is no electricity, no where in the mangrove area, so take enought battery for your camera.
Weather : for December and January, keep with you some warm clothes for sleeping, it is "cold" in the bamboo house, at least enought to be not confortable if you do not have some warm clothes. |
How to organise my trip in the mangrove reserve and my journey in Myanmar.
This excursion to the mangrove reserver and salt water crocodile (and dolphin) reserver can start only from Yangon.
So it is quite easy to insert for your more traditionnal tour of Myanmar, either at the begining of your holidays, or when you are coming back to Yangon, before your international departure.
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Nice salt water crocodile... around 2.5 3 meter long. I took the picture 5 meters away with a flash, not dare to come closer at night, by foot in the mangrove.
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