South East Asian Trips

Myanmar lies to the southeast of the Indian subcontinent, touching the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The country has mountain ranges along its eastern border with Thailand and its northern border with Tibet. Myanmar's highest peak, Hkakabo Razi (5881 m) is also the highest in South-East Asia, and lies along the Tibetan border.

Much of Myanmar, especially the central regions, consists of fertile and densely forested riverine plains fed by the Rivers Ayeyarwady, Salween and Mekong. The main river of the country is the Ayeyarwady (Irrawaddy) and the fertile flood plains of the river support the bulk of Myanmar's agriculture.

Nearly half of Myanmar is still covered by forest, but thoughtless and rapid deforestation- mainly for timber- is taking its toll. At the same time, there is extensive industrial pollution that results in contaminated soil, water and air, and is leading to further environmental problems.

Myanmar has a decent amount of forest cover- much of it is typically tropical. Common species of vegetation include teak (for which Myanmar is famed) and hardwoods. The forests also have lots of wildlife- amongst the more prominent species are elephants, monkeys, tigers, bears and leopards. The coastal waters of the country are rich in marine life and the River Ayeyarwady is known for its fresh water dolphins.