Stunning sea of clouds becomes Nawnghkio’s sole tourist attraction
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Htet Nadi/Saw (NP News) - November 19
U Pyae Zaw Aung, the owner of Cloudy Villa, told The Statesman Journal that in some tourist-accessible areas of northern Shan State, Nawnghkio Township, locals have to rely solely on the sea of clouds due to local conditions.
It is reported that starting from June 25, 2024, the camps near the sea of clouds have had to be closed for about a year due to a full-scale offensive by armed forces against the government troops, units, and security headquarters in Nawnghkio Township,.
Currently, the Tatmadaw has regained control of the Nawnghkio-Kyaukme-Hsipaw area. This has allowed normal travel along the Union Highway to resume and has kept the area peaceful.
“At present, only the Nawnghkio sea of clouds remains a destination while Kyaukme and Hsipaw are quite far from us. So, we’re now trying our best to keep the Nawnghkio sea of clouds lively and open,” he said.
He said that although many people are interested in visiting the Nawnghkio sea of clouds, there are few tourists as it just opened this year, and only three camps can be reopened for visitors to stay.
“In the past, there was a waterfall called Ban Bwe Gyin in Nawnghkio. There was a place called Mon Hoon Mon Phon in the Dokhtawaddy River where there were boats. There were also paths that led down to the Gokhteik. These are no longer available due to the situation in the area. Currently, only the Nawnghkio sea of clouds is open to visitors,” he continued.
In addition, preparations are underway to resume operations on the Pyin Oo Lwin-Nawnghkio- Gokhteik-Kyaukme railway section of the Mandalay-Lashio railway, and State Security and Peace Commission Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has urged the government to use coal-fired locomotives on this section of the railway.