Hukawng Valley in Kachin State is one of the most impressive natural features of Burma. The site is best known for its tiger reserve.
The valley is situated in the Tanaing Township at the District of Myitkyina in Kachin. This is located at the northern part of Burma. The tiger reserve is at Tanai. This is also at the Myitkyina District.
What to See
This is the largest tiger reserve in the world with 50 tigers in total. There are other animals in the area including bears, elephants, leopards and several monkeys. There are several kinds of butterflies in the reserve as well.
Four turtle species are in the site as well as 37 freshwater fish species. The Hukawng Valley in Kachin State also has 46 species of frogs and over 360 species of birds. There are also 13,500 plant species here.
There are many rivers that drain the Valley. These include the Turong, Tawan, Tabye and Tanai Kha. Together they make up the Chindwin River headwaters. The valley is dominated by mountain ranges at the east, west and north.
The reserve was established on May 1 2003. Its purpose is to protect the remaining tigers in the area. Currently there are only 3,500 tigers on the planet. Only 1,000 of these are females that can give birth.
The entire reserve originally covered an area 6500 km2. However, the Burmese / Myanmar government recently declared the whole Valley a reserve. The total area covered has been expanded to 22,000 sq km.
The Ledo Road in the area was constructed during Word War II by the US military in cooperation with Chinese laborers. The purpose was to provide a route that could furnish supplies to the Chinese military in their fight against Japan.
Cost of tours to the valley. If you factor in the guides, food, lodging, entrance fees for a week long tour, it will probably cost at least 1000 USD. Shorter trips will cost less. You should check the price of tours so you can find the best deal.
Through the years, various industries have grown around the site. These include the gold and amber mining. Excavations conducted in 2006 unearthed some of the earliest known bee species.
Apart from the tigers, the Hukawng Valley in Kachin State is also home of the Leaf muntjac or leaf deer. This is a rare creature rarely seen outside the Valley.