We had a beautiful day cruising up the Ayeyarwaddy River on a very comfortable boat which resulted in seeing dolphins. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly and we felt... read more very informed. After a delicious lunch in a village, we saw dolphins. So amazing. We...More

  We went on the 2 day sail. During the sail we stopped a few times to see local people and villages. The real beauty of this tour is the authentic... read more experience. There were very few tourists, in the villages we were the only ones. At night we stayed on a beach that we had to ourselves in very comfortable beds and everything was thought of throughout the way.
Our guide Chit was very pleasant and had well knowledge about everything we saw. Do yourselves a favor and go on the 2 day trip. You won’t regret the amazing experience. Big appropriation to the boat crew which was also wonderful and comfortable, we even had beds inside the boat for resting throughout the sail. Wish we could do it again, maybe in the future.

  Taking this trip in the hottest month in Myanmar turned out to be a great idea. As a group of 4 we opted for the 2 days/ 1 night trip... read more and enjoyed the cooling breeze and beautiful scenery as we slowly made our way up...More

  Cruise was very relaxing although weather was slightly hot. Our guide "Chit" was knowledgeable & kind! We took the small sampan out to search for the dolphins. It was a... read more long time but finally managed to catch a few glimpses of the endangered irrawaddy dolphins...More

  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.

  Chit our guide collected us at 730 for our day trip. We were the only 2 guests on the traditional river boat. Chit and the crew were very kind and... read more attentive. The 3 1/2 hour cruise up river was relaxing and peaceful and so interesting...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!

  Joined 3-days tour in December 2018. Comfortable river cruising on the boat. Fantastic cooperating fishing with dolphins by skillful fishermen. Beautiful sunset over the river. Warm hospitality from villagers.... read more Very much fun campfire with villagers in the dark. Shining stars through the breaks in the...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. …