Nestled between forested mountains rising up to 2700 metres, the township of Homalin is a truly picturesque place. You won’t find many tourists here, making it a great location to experience Myanmar in its rawest form on one of our Chindwin River Cruises.
Homalin on the banks of the Chindwin river
There are local shops here that you can visit as well as a few small bars for grabbing a drink. There are also temples here too to explore. Despite being a sleepy town, it does have its own airport located on the outskirts. Most of the settlement is fairly walkable, although you can grab a tuktuk to help get around if you’d prefer.
Homalin has an intriguing history. During world war 2, it was briefly occupied by the Japanese. It was also once a regular stop for the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company – a historic ferry company made up of paddle steamers that were the inspiration behind Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem 'Mandalay'.
Gold has been found on the beaches of the Uyu river – a tributary leading off of the Chindwin river. Local villagers often come to the beach to pan the sand in the hope of finding gold particles. Gold nuggets have even been found washed up on the beach.
Homalin is located in Northwest Myanmar near the Indian border. It's the farthest navigable point of the Chindwin river and so is rarely visited by cruises. Two of our cruises stop here, which you can find more information on at the bottom of this page.
Market stall in Homalin
Tamanthi Wildlife Reserve
Homalin's closest and most popular attraction is Tamanthi Wildlife Reserve. The sanctuary was founded in 1974 and boasts an area of 596.7 square kilometres.
Within this reserve you'll find a diverse array of wildlife, some of which is incredibly rare. Some of these animals include elephants, tigers, leopards and bears. Javan rhinoceroses are reported to have once been sighted in the reserve, but these are now thought to be extinct in the area.
This could be a great adventure for those that love wildlife.
Naga new year festival
The Naga are a local indigenous people within the area. If you’re visiting during January, you may catch the Naga new year festival. This event runs for several days and involves plenty of jubilations in which the local people dance and have dinner over a bone fire.
Our Voyage to Nagaland and the 7 Night Chindwin cruise offers a more in depth exploration into Naga culture, stopping at smaller villages further down the bank. For those that are interested in exploring this side of Myanmar, take a look at our cruises visiting the area!
