This trip was definitely one of the highlights of my time in Myanmar. The team made every effort to ensure we had a great time and that everyone on the... read more trip had the best possible experience. The boat's great and sleeping in the (super comfortable)...More

  I just came back home and I can definitely say that my 2-day experience with the Dolphin Project was a highlight of my travel in Myanmar. This lets you see... read more a totally different aspect of the country that you would not even think of. Getting...More

  So I'll admit to being slightly skeptical when I booked this. Given the tiny dolphin population left in the Irrawaddy River, I figured I'd be happy to see even... read more one during the 2-day trip, nevermind any supposed cooperative fishing. That feels pretty silly in hindsight....More

  From the first time I found this tour/experience online, I thought “this is something I must do!” and now, after having enjoyed it, I simply say to myself “this was... read more the best decision I’ve made in this trip to Myanmar!”.
Its nature oriented shape, its cultural uniqueness and responsible driven approach to local communities and nature made me definitely decided to change my initial Myanmar route to include it. And it was the WISEST DECISION I’ve made in this trip.
We’ve chosen the two days private tour mainly because we are very keen on our timings and we love privacy – things that you pay more, of course, because the private tour is not cheap – and we’ve made the right decision again.
Since the first moment to the last minute of the tour we always felt very well and happy.
The tour boat is great, with a few rooms and a toilet in the lower deck and a spacious and comfortable upper deck from where you can relax and enjoy the boat views on route along the calmness of the Irrawaddy river. The tour team, from our excellent tour guide to the main boat team, were very professional and friendly. Our amazing and polite tour guide had a lot of knowledge about everything and was keen to share it with us balancing the time in between the relaxing moments at the top deck when we wanted just to be on ourselves, and the moments where information was needed to be explained by him, which was really nice. All the necessary information has been provided to us, since the start useful and very detailed briefing to the explanations when we visited the villages and the spots during the tour.
The food was great; simple but tasty and great. Each meal was provided by a different village and made from local products.
The dolphin sub-tours were made in small boats like the ones used by the local fishermen and we could spot a lot of dolphins and we saw the cooperative fishing as well, which left us really happy to witness such amazing activity.
The night in a tent was fun. It’s an “almost glamping tent” with a very good bed inside and you need to use the toilet in the boat a dozen of meters walking from the tent. In the evening people from the nearby village from the other side of the river join us at the camp site and create a small bonfire we can join and have a nice moment with them after which we have the dinner at a table near the tent, under the dark night sky. It’s really nice and fun.
The bottom-line of this tour?
It’s something I just tell you: DO IT!
You’ll visit real people in real villages; you’ll eat real food made by that lovely people; you’ll witness such unique fishing way that cooperates with the local dolphins; you’ll be away from crowds and you really feel part of it. And you end up HAPPIER because this is a RESPONSIBLE tour that HELPS the local small communities paying them for the services they provide to us and it does everything on PROTECTING the dolphins environment.
CONGRATULATIONS Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project for what you are doing!

  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.

  First of all, I am Myanmar citizen who lived in Yangon for whole life.

I don't even knew there are dolphins in the Aeyyarwaddy .I was travelling across... read more Myanmar for a month,doing my bucket list. I found this tour by chance,someone from Reddit recommended to me.I booked the tour on spur of the moment and I don't have any expectation or rather that i don't have much expectation.
Did I enjoy the tour? Oh, I surely did.

I went there in last November which is over a month now and yet I am making an effort to write a good review here, because I found their Business card in my wallet. I'd plan
to go again next year.

Do you love the environment?
Do you want to help people?

Just go book a tour when you are in Mandalay. I believe in responsible vacations and, that I am helping people by my vacation. This tour checked both. They operating responsibly for the environment as well as helping locals.

  We weren't to sure about this tour as it was a part of our pre organised package. From the minute we stepped on the boat, we got great surprises. We... read more were lucky enough to have heaps of dolphin sighting throughout the trip. The village visits were fantastic, interesting and hands-on and didn't feel forced. The tour used local vllage people for catering and shared the love among several villages. The food was some of the best we have had in Myanmar. All the staff were amazing, helpful and knowledgeable. Our daughters 3 and 5 were catered for and the guide won their hearts. The tent accommodation was more confortable then some hotels we had stayed in. Overall we really loved how we were able to support several local villages and dolphin conservation. We got the surprise of so many dolphins, so much culture and historical sites. A really fantastic way to experience this part of Myanmar.

  I would really recommend this trip to everyone! The first day started with the pickup at our hotel. We went to the river and went on board the boat. The... read more boat was of good quality. First we got an introduction about safety followed by our...More

  As someone who does not typically like guided tours, I highly recommend this tour! It was a great way to explore Myanmar village life and the tour guide Chit was... read more very knowledgeable and friendly. We saw dolphins both days, although they caution that the dolphins...More