Hlawga National Park
Many tourists plan on visiting Yangon City for a moment. They sacrifice this city to visit more famous and central destinations during their Myanmar trip. This is truly regrettable as Yangon is one of the highlight destinations in Southeast Asia. In addition to owning the largest religious buildings in the region, Yangon will definitely conquer tourists with the evergreen parks and
Leaving the bustling city life behind, traveling to the Hlawga forest only takes about 1 hour drive. The park was founded in 1982 by the UNDP and Burmese Government with the aim to protect the forests and preserve wildlife species, their natural habitats as well as the ecosystems here. The park comprises a "mini zoo" with various species such as monkeys, bears, birds, cats, crocodiles, snakes and deer kept in a spacious enclosure; as well as a larger Safari park. Tourists can hire a safari-style bus tour or an elephant ride service to begin the excursion trip around the park. Elephant riding service is available with a fee of 1,000 kyats. Driving around the Safari, tourists will have a chance to join in the nature and witness monkeys roaming freely, deer running, elephants enjoying their sugar canes or hippos playing in the water. In the park grounds, there are some picnic sites and coffee shops, suitable for tourists to spend a day here having fun with friends and families. While visiting the zoo, visitors can buy food at many stalls to feed animals at an affordable fee, which is a very interesting activity for both kids and adults.
Hlawga National Park
Hlawga complex features 3 areas for tourists to choose from. The first area is the rest and retreat zone. This site comprises forest eco-lodges, boathouses and a health spa resort, suitable for relaxation after busy work life. The second one is the adventure and recreation zone, offering an isolated area for various activities: from jungle trekking, bird watching, wild life safaris, camping to thrilling sports like mountain climbing or parachuting. The final area is the education and hobby zone. This area consists of a timber species display center, a butterfly park, an insect kingdom, a reptile park and fishing spots, where tourists can explore a variety of flora and fauna while expanding their knowledge at the same time. Hlawga Wildlife Park also has a number of huts (5000 kyats) and wooden houses (20000 kyats) that can be rented for daily use only (overnight stay is not allowed). The idea is to blend in with nature and relax in the lake-scattered natural scenery for a day, maybe better with a barrel of beer.
Monkeys in Hlawga National Park
The most ideal time to visit Hlawga National Park is from November to February when the weather is cool and relatively pleasant. The park is opened daily from 6 am to 5 pm with an entrance fee of 5,000 kyat for adults and 3,000 kyat for children.
