Nestled in the hilly regions of eastern Myanmar, Kayah State hides behind its sluggish façade, a world of enthralling wonders, enigmas, and intrigues. With ten tribal minorities inhabiting the region including the long neck women , Kayah is the most ethnically diverse state in the country.

The diversity weaves a rich tapestry of beliefs, languages, trades, and traditions but also contributes to years of armed conflict. For decades, Kayah State was off-limits to visitors due to the skirmish between ethnic rebels and the Burmese military.

In 2006, the state slowly opened its doors to local and international tourists. Now, the region is fast becoming the favorite of intrepid travelers who are longing for off-the-beaten-path spots to explore, from the undulating Dawna Range to the lush Karen Hills and the wild Salween River.

Loikaw Town

Loikaw, the capital of Kayah, serves as a base for tourists who want to explore the state. With its wooden houses, empty roads, morning markets, and small farms where chickens roam free, the town exudes a rural charm that is perfect for a relaxing break after a long day of sightseeing.

While Loikaw’s tourism is still in its infancy, the sleepy town has its fair share of must-see destinations. Its most iconic landmark, the Taung-kwe Pagoda, a complex of golden-spired shrines mounted on the peaks of nine craggy limestone hillocks, attracts a steady stream of visitors yearly.

Loikaw Myanmar

In the town center, you can stroll down Thiri Mingalar Market, explore local street food at Daw Na market on the banks of the Pilu River, or sample authentic Burmese cuisine at a lakeside restaurant in Naung Yah.

The Kayah State Cultural Museum will help you understand the history, as well as the eccentricities of the region. At the Weaving Center, you can learn about the art of weaving and dyeing a longyi.

In the surrounding villages, you will find Kayhto Bo or sacred spirit poles, worshipped once a year by some tribes who preserved their traditional animist practices.

If you are looking for an unusual place to stay, the recently launched Pekhon Houseboat on Lake Pekhon, a scenic lake a little over six miles from Loikaw, provides unique accommodation.

The Long Neck Women

Nestled in the hilly regions of eastern Myanmar, Kayah State hides behind its sluggish façade, a world of enthralling wonders, enigmas, and intrigues.  With ten tribal minorities inhabiting the region, Kayah is the most ethnically diverse state in the country.

The diversity weaves a rich tapestry of beliefs, languages, trades, and traditions but also contributes to years of armed conflict. For decades, Kayah State was off-limits to visitors due to the skirmish between ethnic rebels and the Burmese military.

In 2006, the state slowly opened its doors to local and international tourists.  Now, the region is fast becoming the favorite of intrepid travelers who are longing for off-the-beaten-path spots to explore, from the undulating Dawna Range to the lush Karen Hills and the wild Salween River.

Who are the Long Neck Women?

A short drive from Loikaw takes you to Pan Pet, a village of five settlements predominantly occupied by the Kayan Lahwi or Padaung tribe, a sub-group of the Red Karen. The Kayan Lahwi is undisputedly the most recognizable of Myanmar’s 135 ethnic groups, mainly because of their long neck women, so-called for wearing coils of brass rings around their necks.

Long Neck Women

Kayan girls begin to wear the neck rings at the age of five, starting with four or five bands and adding more each year as they adapt to the increased weight.  The coils could weigh up to 25 pounds, depressing the collar bones of the women and making their necks appear elongated.

Even the Kayan people do not know exactly how the tradition began.

One legend claims the rings protected women’s necks from tiger attacks, while another says the coils dissuaded men of rival tribes from abducting the women.  Today, the rings function as accessories and a cultural sign of beauty.

Long Neck Women

The Long neck tribe in Thailand

The mountainous province of Mae Hong Son, located near the Thailand-Myanmar border, hosts communities of Kayan people.  Almost all of them are refugees who fled Myanmar in the 1980s to escape the political unrest and persecution in the Kayah State.

Back home, the neck rings are part of an ancient and complicated tradition.  In Thailand, they are a cultural oddity that travelers from around the world pay to see.

During peak season, busloads of tourists arrive at the village to see the long neck women.  They chat with the women, take their photographs, or buy from their stalls of exotic knick-knacks.

On good days, the women make as much as 700 baht by selling souvenirs, supplementing the 1,500 baht they receive as monthly salary from the village owners.

For many of these families, tourism is the only source of income, as the Thai government strictly limits their access to employment.  The restriction compels the Kayan women to continue working in long neck villages. Over time, the villages have expanded to the more touristy areas of Chiang Mai and Pattaya.

Demoso Market

The industry drew disapproval from outside observers who compare the set up to a human zoo that exploits migrants as mere curiosities.  Furthermore, the Kayans often live in crammed wooden huts, with a lack of electricity and proper sanitation.

Sadly, these conditions are part of the “experience” the visitors paid to see.  As one worker succinctly surmised, tourists will not be interested in visiting the community if the village is developed.

With the closure of several tourist-based businesses in Thailand at the onset of the pandemic, many Kayan workers have lost their means of livelihood.  The once-bustling villages now look deserted.

Because of the lack of job opportunities, many Kayan families have gone back to Myanmar, where farm work is available.

Why visit the long neck tribe in Myanmar?

The answer is simple.  If you want to meet — and we mean, really meet, not just snap pictures, buy a souvenir, and leave – the Kayan long neck women, the best place to do so is in their homeland. 

Unlike the put-up long neck villages in Thailand, where the atmosphere seems a little bit staged, Pan Pet shows you the authentic Kayan way of life without invading the privacy and dignity of the villagers.

Pan Pet is not as hectic as the exhibition villages in Thailand, but still, it bustles with energy.  You will find orderly little booths selling handcrafted wooden dolls, locally-woven scarves, and curious trinkets, including individual bronze neck rings.

The recent years have seen the rise of Community-Based Tourism (CBT) in these tribal villages.  Ethnic groups who want to share their culture with the outside world invite interested tourists to visit their communities.

The CBT paradigm is a win-win for everyone:  it brings income to the villagers and provides tourists with a genuinely meaningful experience. 

Long Neck Tribe Myanmar

Some of the women work for six months in long neck villages in Thailand, particularly during peak season, and spend the rest of the year in Myanmar.  It goes to show that they will always consider Myanmar their home.

In their hometown, they don’t pretend to work furiously on looms weaving cloths or smile blankly at tourists while standing at the foot of souvenir stalls. 

Here, they live regular lives – chatting with friends, walking on the streets, or buying goods from the market.  Knowing the value of hospitality, many of these women will ask you to their homes (and they usually have better houses here compared to the overcrowded ones in Thailand).

They love to trade stories, play their musical instruments, and perhaps offer a drink or two of their homemade rice wine.

Long Neck Women

To fully immerse into the culture of the local tribes, visit Kayaw people in the nearby village of Htay Kho and the Kayah tribe in Hta Nee La Leh.

While the tribes are not as popular as their long neck women counterparts, their unique costume, consisting of polished leg rings, bright red clothes, ornate necklaces, and huge earlobe holes, is quite a fashion statement.

Long Neck Women

More importantly, they, too, have marvelous stories to tell.

While in Loikaw why not try the amazing experience of the balloon ride over Loikaw? A great experience and not as demanding  as the hot air balloon ride in Bagan.