Breakfast at hotel. This morning we drive out of Kyaing Tong in northwest direction. The road takes us through Kat Tauk Village and then to Pin Tauk Village, about 1½ hour by car. In Pin Tauk Village, Akha and Lahu people have converted to Baptism and they have built a church in the middle of the village. The Akha are the largest minority in the Kyaing Tong area and surely the most colorful. We park our car at Wan Ping village and start our trekking tour. After about 15 minutes walk we already arrive at the first Akha village, WANPIN, where people still dress in their traditional costumes. The Akha are famous for their women’s striking headdresses, which resemble heavy silver helmets. They consist of rows of heavy silver baubles, interspersed with beads, which are sewn on a bamboo cap. Akha embroidery is extremely intricate and includes panels of diamond and geometric shapes. The village has only a few houses and people welcome visitors with open arms. We might be invited for a cup of tea. The village we visit next is an Ann Village called Panlor, located on a plateau high above the surrounding countryside. People in this village are still animists and dressed in their traditional black costumes as well as painting their teeth black. According to their beliefs, it is better to be black from the outside and have a pure heart. You can also see totem and Nat Shrine in the middle of the village. Leaving the village behind, we enjoy a packed lunch in a small hut amongst the fields.
After lunch, continue walking about 20 minutes to Wanlar Akha Village; the path is not very steep. The Akha in this village have converted to Catholicism or Baptism. They are famous for their technique of hunting birds and if we are lucky, we can watch villagers making their simple but efficient traps. A steep path leads us up to another Ann Village, Nam Lin Kaung, the walk takes about 30 minutes. They are also still animist and each house has Nat shrine. It is a 2 hour walk back to the car through rice and vegetable fields. Drive back to Kyaing Tong and en route we can make a brief stop at Wan Kam, famous for its rice wine production. Dinner at a simple local restaurant. Accommodation at Hotel in Kyaing Tong.

After breakfast at hotel, start your active day to the hills. We drive out of Kyaing Tong in direction to Tachilek (approx. 1 hour). Then we drive high into the hills, to the top of Hokyin Mountain. The road is very steep and narrow and we can only drive up if the road condition is good. We can also walk up, which takes 2 hours. Once we reach the top, we see 4 different Akha Villages. In some villages there are 3 different religions; some people are Buddhists, others are still animists or have converted to Catholicism. Between each village is a valley and the path leads down approx. 15 minutes and up again approx. 30 minutes. The entrance of the first village where people are still animists is very interesting, decorated with the skin of a dog. Other houses have a stuffed wild cat hanging over the entrance. The Akha are very hospitable and enjoy welcoming you to their house for a chat around the stove. We make the tour from village to village and return back to the car. If you wish to do more hiking, we can also walk down the hill, which takes approx. 1 hour. The path leads through farms with beautiful views of the surrounding hills. Enjoy a packed lunch on the way.
Return in the direction of Kyaing Tong by car. Visit U Mulein Da’s Unique Shan Lacquer Ware Shop. This lacquer ware is distinctively different from the one from Bagan; it is not engraved, but the reliefs are glued on. Drive to the top of Lone Tree Hill for views over the surrounding countryside and Kyaing Tong. Return to the hotel. Dinner at a simple local restaurant. Accommodation at Hotel in Kyaing Tong.

Breakfast. This early morning we visit Kyaing Tong Market - a fascinating place to soak up the local atmosphere. On the big wet market all kinds of vegetables, rice, fruits, meat and fish are on sale. Minority people come to town to shop or to sell their goods. For the Akha the many silver shops are of special interest as there they can buy the silver coins to make their very unique headdresses! We can stop at one of the noodle shops and enjoy a typical Shan breakfast with Shan noodles and a cup of tea. Time permitting we can stop at WAT IN – a Khun-style temple or at the more “Myanmar”-style Maha-Myat Muni Temple. Also a pottery and a blacksmith shop can be visited. Lunch is taken at a simple local restaurant. Transfer to Kyaing Tong Airport.