While Yangon has it’s fair share of plants and trees growing around and even through buildings, it can be difficult to find any real nature without a plane ride. One option for those looking to escape the traffic and lottery ticket bullhorns is to head about 70 kilometres outside Yangon, slightly past Bago to the Moe Yin Gyi Wildlife Reserve.
Much of the area is covered in water, so the most common activity is to hire a boat and go birdwatching, as the wetlands are home to over 88 species of birds, 30 species of fish, and numerous other animals.
The region was hit heavily by Cyclone Nargis, but tourist infrastructure has been rebuilt, and numbers are slowly climbing.
Moe Yin Gyi is hardly virgin wilderness, though, as inhabitants of the 17 villages in the area can be seen using the reserve to graze cattle or ducks. Still the region isn’t overwhelmed by tourists, even in the high season. It is best viewed between September and March, while the weather stays hospitable.
