My husband and I did the 3-day Explorer. I don't even know where to begin. This trip was so amazing on so many levels. First of, I have... read more to talk about the cooperative fishing. Do you know that there are only THREE place in the...More

  What a great company & great day trip. We did the 1 day tour as that was all the time we had. Unfortunately we didn't see any dolphins which is... read more unusual from reviews I have read. This was due to the rain which was heavy...More

  My wife and I booked a private 1 day tour (we wanted to do 2 days, but only had 1 extra day in Mandalay). We booked in advance, Paul... read more was very responsive via email. On the day of the tour, Ko Nyein our tour guide picked us up at the hotel and also took us back in the evening. We first took a larger 2-level boat to the location where the dolphins "hang out", and then transferred to a smaller boat. We spotted many dolphins and witnessed how "cooperative fishing" worked. U Maung Lay the "dolphin whisperer" and another fisherman demonstrated from another small boat, which was very interesting to watch. You need to concentrate and be very fast to take photos, as you cannot predict where exactly dolphins might appear. We just wanted to be quiet, in the moment, and soak in the experience of seeing the dolphins do what they do. We had lunch on the boat, brought from the village, which was as expected. We went to Singyun Village, met with villagers and learned about bamboo hat making, etc. A special and unexpected treat was, we saw part of a local family's child's Buddhist "novitiation" ceremony. The villagers also treated us to snacks and teaf leaf salad, etc. Before returning to Mandalay, we chose to visit Mingun's "Mya Thein Dan" pagoda, as we had already seen other pagodas and the big bell during a previous trip. Ko Nyein and the family who operated the boat offered to take us further up river or to another village, but we declined as we didn't feel like packing too many things into one day. We would have been perfectly happy just to be on the boat, as the entire experience was so tranquil, enchantingly peaceful, and the scenery so beautiful. Ko Nyein and U Maung Lay were very knowledgeable, and the boat family were accommodating. This is a great tour if you want to learn about the dolphins, the conservation efforts, and rural Burmese life and the agriculture industry around the area, mainly peanut farming and some rice. Strongly recommended, and do two days is you can. …

  I checked off an item from my my bucket list, which was meeting the Irrawaddy dolphins. I contacted WCS, the living Irrawaddy dolphin project. First, we headed to Sinkyun Village... read more along the Irrawaddy river. Around 10am, we found 3 or 4 dolphins in the Tha Phan Nout area. So, we followed them with a skillful fisherman(U Mg Lay). He has been collaborating with dolphins for fishing since 1984. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to see them again at that time, even though we spent 2 1/2 hours in the river. After that, we studied the villager’s life at Sin Kyun Village. Around 4pm, we planned to head back to our hotel when something happened. A huge group of dolphins were playing near our boat. That was the most breathtaking view I have ever seen. More than 15 dolphins were swimming, fishing, and splitting the water. Never have I ever had that kind of moment in my life. I really appreciate everyone, especially our tour guide— Ko Nyein, a fishermen leader— U Mg lay, the gracious Sin Kyun villagers, and so on. …

  What a great day! Back in December, my partner and I were lucky enough to be the very first tourists to experience the Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Projet 1-day trip. We... read more didn't have enough time to do their usual 2 or 3-day trip, but Paul and...More

  We had such a fun trip with Chit and his team floating up the Irrawaddy earlier this month. It was incredible getting to see the dolphins up close and we... read more saw a number over the course of the 2 day trip - whilst this isn't guaranteed - the team make every effort to work together with the local communities and fishermen to share sightings. It's a good mix of being able to experience a little flavour of village life, boating time and fishing with the expert fishermen who have been honing their craft for decades, their commitment and skill is amazing. Camping on the sandy island was one of our highlights and it was so comfortable to be in the tents as other reviewers have said, definitely more comfortable than our night in Mandalay, everything was set up for us already when we arrived at the island and we could relax, have a beer and watch the sunset. Absolute bliss! Thank you to them all for their kindness. 2 things to keep in mind: - If you don't do a private tour, you spend 24/7 pretty much with your fellow tour-mates, so get ready to make friends! If this does not appeal, consider the private tour option. Our friends opted for the private tour and also highly recommended, that gives a little bit more flexibility around how long you spend in each location also. - Check the itinerary closely, the dolphin tour includes a visit to Mingun, if you're travelling in Mandalay beforehand, it may be worth saving that trip so you don't end up visiting twice and use the time to see other fun things in Mandalay instead. …

  I cannot recommend this trip enough. The service was top quality, with a very friendly, helpful and informative guide. The food was delicious, organic and restaurant-beating (made by villagers). Their... read more flat beans, chapattis and home-made peanut butter were especially tasty. It was wonderful to be welcomed into their homes and gardens, and to see their many skills, learning to make bamboo hats and about cooperative dolphin fishing. And of course, the dolphins - how magical to see them splash out of the water so close to our boat at sunset, as well as in the morning. The dolphins work with the fishermen to catch more fish together: one of the last examples of animal-human cooperation on earth. Much of the money gained from your fare goes back to these rural local communities, as well as to dolphin conservation. It was so enjoyable to just sit on deck, drinking tea in the sunshine and watching the sleepy Irrawaddy world go by. Gleaming gold pagodas appear between forests and riverbanks, as well as ancient sites, such as Mingun village - a fascinating trip in itself, which is included here. We were also taken to a deer forest, a monastery and sailed past a natural mountain of marble. We dined by candlelight on the riverbank in the evening and slept in the beautiful (and very comfortable) tents. Being here is good for the soul - you remember the joy of nature and forget the madness of modern life.

  Did the 2 day experience at the end of Feb 19. This trip was just fantastic. Firstly I had 2 great fellow travellers (James from the UK and Michelle... read more from Singapore) who were such fantastic company. We went to remote villages to meet locals who...More

  My husband and I booked the 1 day dolphin tour. We were picked up on time by our Guide Chid and taken to the jetty where we boarded a slow... read more boat owned by a Myanmar family. We were the only ones on todays tour and...More