Natural Habitat Adventures Launches First Nature-Focused Tour in Myanmar (Burma)

Nov. 24, 2014 - PRLog -- BOULDER, CO, -- Natural Habitat Adventures (Nat Hab), the world’s premier nature travel company, is debuting a brand-new trip, Exploring Nature & Spirit in Myanmar & Thailand (http://www.nathab.com/asia-adventure-travel/myanmar-thailand-exploring-nature-spirit/), in 2015. This 13-day active journey showcases the little-explored wild side of Myanmar along with the biodiversity of the world’s oldest rainforest, Thailand’s Khao Sok National Park.

Natural Habitat Adventures’ (http://www.nathab.com/) in-depth tours (maximum 10 guests per departure) are scheduled for Feb. 2-14, Feb.23 - Mar 7 and Nov 30 - Dec 12, 2015, plus four dates in 2016. The per-person, double rate is $8,895 (single supplement is $2,295) plus internal air of $1,275 (subject to change).

Until a few years ago Myanmar (Burma) was off limits to most US citizens because of political sanctions. Nat Hab now joins a select set of companies introducing travelers to Myanmar, yet with a fresh angle. Its nature-focused itinerary pioneers eco-travel here by providing access to little-visited national parks and wildlife reserves such as Popa Mountain National Park, home to rare langurs (leaf monkeys), and the Mergui Archipelago where Burmese macaques, one of the world's few tool-using primates, live and breed.

The adventure begins in Myanmar’s capital, Yangon (Rangoon) where vestiges of British colonial life mingle with markets and commerce. Providing succor to monks (good karma for those on the path to enlightenment) and helping to feed and wash elephants at Green Hills Elephant Camp set the tone in the first days for a trip that mixes nature with spirit along the way.

At Inle Lake, the hub of a rural region centered on farming and local markets, guests witness age-old floating agricultural techniques passed down through the generations and visit Inle Lake Wetland Sanctuary, home to more than 350 different bird species.

Then, along the Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) River travelers explore Bagan (Pagan) that harbors the world’s most prolific collection of ancient Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and shrines, some dating to the 11^th and 12^th centuries. Back in Yangon are opportunities to delve further into Buddhist culture by circumambulating the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda, a pilgrimage for the devout.

After this introduction to the spirit of this land where time has stood still, guests fly south to board a private luxury catamaran to cruise the Andaman Sea along southern Myanmar and a sliver of the west coast of Thailand. The voyage passes through the Mergui Archipelago comprised of more than 800 islands, 770 of which are uninhabited except for abundant wildlife. The Myanmar government has made this region a priority for conservation management. Here and in nearby Laem Son National Park in Thailand, guests can observe Burmese macaques, one of only three primate species on Earth to have developed a culture of stone tool use.

Transiting the marine border into southern Thailand brings guests to Khao Sok National Park, a karst landscape of vertical limestone mountains draped in the world's oldest virgin rainforest and littered with caves, deep valleys and jade-green lakes. Accommodation here is in a floating “raft lodge” on Cheow Lan Lake, one of the best wildlife-viewing regions in mainland Southeast Asia. Recent camera trap recordings in the area by researcher Mike Clark have revealed extremely rare Malayan tapir, Asian elephant, leopard, guar (the world’s largest wild ox) and Asiatic black bear. Clark shares his knowledge of this intricate tropical rainforest ecosystem, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, in advance of a guided trek, the last activity before a champagne breakfast on departure day.

Throughout the itinerary accommodations have been selected for proximity to nature and reflection of the culture and spirit of each locale. Among these are an ecolodge perched high on the side of the extinct volcano, 6,000-foot Mount Popa; an overwater resort on stilts, furnished in gleaming teak, on Inle Lake; and an intimate private yacht with six luxury cabins.

For more details on the Myanmar and Thailand nature adventure, please see: http://www.nathab.com/asia-adventure-travel/myanmar-thailand-exploring-nature-spirit/

About Natural Habitat Adventures

Natural Habitat Adventures is a world leader in responsible adventure travel and nature-based ecotourism. Since its founding in 1985, the company has offered eco-conscious expeditions and wildlife-focused small-group tours to the planet’s most remarkable nature destinations. Inspired and created from years of scouring the planet for the singular and extraordinary, Nat Hab’s itineraries are artfully crafted experiences that are far from “typical.” Trips are guided by professional naturalist Expedition Leaders (http://www.nathab.com/guides-and-staff/guide-bios/), and Nat Hab enjoys a longstanding reputation for hiring some of the world’s best guides. Conservation is at the forefront of everything NHA does, and its philosophy is simple: tourism must work with and benefit local communities, which will in turn find value in protecting natural resources and wildlife. NHA is proud to be the travel partner of World Wildlife Fund (https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/wwf-natural-habitat-a...), sharing a mutual commitment to travel as a means of helping to protect the world’s wondrous natural places.

For trip information, descriptive itineraries, date availability and reservations, call 800.543.8917 or visit http://www.nathab.com/. Click HERE (https://forms.nathab.com/catalog/) to order a copy of the 2015 catalog.

For photos and/or more information please contact:

PR Contact:  Widness & Wiggins PR

Sara Widness / sara@widnesspr.com

Dave Wiggins / dave@travelnewssource.com

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