CBT in Kyaikthale village is managed by the community and travel specialists for the community withthe aim of helping visitors to increase their awareness and learn about local communities & their lifestyleand how visitors can support and interact with the families in the village.CBT is an exchange of knowledge, experience, culture, and traditions. The aim is to help villagers build local skills and to distribute opportunities fairly. Visitors are encouraged to be culturally sensitiveand strengthen the unity of the community by supporting local enterprises and the livelihood of thevillagers.Our commitment is to sustain local cultures and environments and preserve the village with very minimalenvironmental and social impact.
Kyaikthale village is home to the Mingalar Bio Garden and Kyaikthale Community Based Tourism project where nearly 6-acres plot of fertile land was turned into an essential hotspot for vegetable production shortly after the Cyclone Nargis disaster in 2008. The main beneficiary of the nutrient richfood grown here is a nearby monastic school, home to over 800 students. The aftermath of the cyclone led to severe food shortage for the residents of the monastic school. In a bid to provide essential nutrients to the resident’s diet, the Mingalar Bio Garden was established and to this day, itcontinues to play a vital and cost effective role to the school’s food provisions.
Due to Kyaikthale’s remote and out of the way location, the residents have become increasingly reliant on home industry such as the production of bamboo baskets, the rearing of livestock and cropcultivation. Furthermore, the villagers also take great pride in being a part this small, yet close-knitvillage community and regularly seek to support and conserve their traditional practices and customs.
Activities
- All guests would receive a warm welcome to the community. This would involve a personal greeting and introduction to the village and committee members, whilst providing the perfect forum in which the guest can ask any community specific questions. (Benefits of this activity to the villagers: conversational English practice, opportunity to interact with tourists in a natural and unforced manner, helps to instill a sense of community pride, creates a job with structure and a respected position that the community member will take pride in).
- We would invite guests to the village to experience their day-to-day jobs together with the Mingalar Bio Garden’s existing workers. By doing so they can help to plant vegetables, whilst learning about one of Myanmar’s most important industries at the same time. (Benefits of this activity to the villagers: It would provide an opportunity for them to share skills/knowledge, encourage interaction regardless of language proficiency and most importantly, it will create an unrivalled sense of job satisfaction/renewed self-appreciation of the important work these workers do).
- Opportunity to visit a member of the community’s home to learn about their typical day to day living, home industry, farming and agriculture.(Benefits of this activity to the villagers: conversational English practice, opportunity to interact with tourists in a natural and unforced manner, helps to instill a sense of community pride, encourages information sharing, provides the host with an “at home” retail space to sell them goods and giving respected position that the community member will take pride in).
- Myanmar cooking lesson using freshly picked vegetables from the Mingalar Bio Garden. (Benefits of this activity to the villagers: conversational English practice, opportunity to interact with tourists in a natural and unforced manner, helps to instill a sense of community pride, helps to spread awareness of hygienic practice/basic principles, creates a job with structure and a respected position that the community member will take pride in).
Sights around the village
You can visit the Mingalar monastic school to greet the children only during recess to avoid any disruption to their daily schedule. During your visit, it will be possible for you to hand over the vegetables sourced from the bio-garden to make sure they enjoy a nutritious meal. Return to the lodge for lunch. You can also visit Maung Tee Zedi built by King Anawrahta, one of Myanmar’s most famous and popular King, Hindu temple, Paung Taw Chote Pagoda, Shwe Sandaw pagoda and Oh Bo ward in Twante to explore traditional pottery making techniques and the pot makers’ daily life.
When to visit Kyaikthale Village
Kyaikthale CBT is loated in Kyaikthale village which is just beside Yangon-Kawthmu highway road. So it can be visiting in all season.
Email : phyuphyuwin@myanmarcbt.org / ayechan@myanmarcbt.org / paingpaing@myanmarcbt.org
Call : 09-762088276 / 09-422126180 / 09-454730595
Website : www.myanmarcbt.org
Facebook : www.facebook.com/cbttwante