Eco-tourism

Myanmar is a land full of richness in nature and the diversity of species. The ecosystems in this country constitute one of the biological reservoirs in Asia. The land area of Myanmar is 261,228 square miles, with a variety of natural resources, plants and animals. The Ministry of Forestry is responsible for maintain the forests of Myanmar. There are over 7,000 plants and over 1,000 endemic species. Also, there are about 1,000 bird species, 300 mammals, 350 reptiles are recorded. The richness of the biodiversity in nature gives Myanmar a way for Ecotourism. The general concept of ecotourism is to restrict the number of visitors within the carrying capacity of the ecotourism site. The allowable tourism level at such areas will vary with the tolerant sensitivity of the type of forests and its environment. Now there are nature reserves and wildlife centuries for ecotourism development. Contact your tour operators for detail information about the ecotourism trips.

List of Eco-Tourism Sites in Myanmar

• National Kandawgyi Botanical Garden

National Kandawgyi Garden is located in Pyin Oo Lwin, Mandalay. The Area is about 344.81 acres and was established in 1915. This Garden before was known as National Botanical Garden.

It serves as a recreation centre for the public and as an ecotourism site for the tourists. The Botanical Gardens has 514 species of indigenous trees and 74 foreign species, 75 species of bamboo, , and 75 species of crotons. Of the 300 species of indigenous orchids, 178 were already collected in 1942. There are 25 rose species, and 6 land lily species.Medicinal plants for traditional medicines are also grown.

• Inle Lake

Inle Lake is a freshwater lake located in the Shan Hills in Myanmar (Burma). It is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of 44.9 square miles (116 km2), and one of the highest at an altitude of 2,900 feet (880 m).  The watershed area for the lake lies to a large extent to the north and west of the lake. The lake drains through the Nam Pilu or Balu Chaung on its southern end. There is a hot spring on its northwestern shore.

Although not a large lake, there is a number of endemic species. Over twenty species of snails and nine species of fish are found nowhere else in the world.

• MoeyunGyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary

Moeyungyi wetlands is situated in Bago Division, about 70 miles north of Yangon, by the Yangon-Mandalay highway. It is just two-hours drive from Yangon. In 1878 a water storage reservoir was constructed in Moeyungyi area. Many years later, the reservoir changed naturally into wetlands with the extent of 40 square miles which have high wetland conservation value. As a result, the wetlands have been notified as a wildlife sanctuary since 1988.

According to census at Moeyungyi revealed that there are 125 species of water birds including 70 species of migrants. Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Sarus Crane, Asian Open- Bill, Ruddy She duck, Purple Swamp hen, Spot – Billed pelican, Pheasant Tailed Jacana, Black Winged Stilt, Great Cormorant, and about 26 Species of butterfly etc., can be seen abundantly. The best season to visit is from November to March.