Hsu Hlaing Phyo
Mingalaba! I am Hsu Hlaing from Myanmar. I love traveling within my country, as well as to my neighbors countries, and these experiences made me become a travel consultant for the past 5 years.
My country's history, framed in our religion, offers a preserved culture with 135 distinct ethnic groups so I like to propose a wide range of unique itineraries that combined the local traditions, the possibility of cultural exchange, with soft or hard adventures in nature like cycling, hiking, diving, kayaking, motorcycle trips and border crossing. I am dedicated to responsible & sustainable tourism practices with CBT (Community Based Tourism) activities that will give you a different insight of my country.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"I am specialized in cultural and adventure tailor-made programs offering off-the-beaten-track itineraries within the diversity of Myanmar to Cambodia. With the aim of supporting rural & remote villages, I also encourage the travelers to have trekking and adventure experiences in order to have a first hand involvement."
How did you get involved in travel?
"When I was young, I wanted to become a Tour guide so, I chose to specialize in Tourism & Travel Management. Then I realized that being a Travel Specialist offers better opportunities to learn about more destinations as well as to communicate with many travelers from different countries. It is one of the great ways to share the world you know with people who want to experience it. There is nothing quite like the feeling when a traveler comes back from holidays and tells you just how much they loved their trip and how grateful they are that you made it happened."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"Traveling gives us a lot of great memories we can always look back on. While it gives us a peek into how the rest of the world lives, it also makes us appreciate more what we have back home.
My most unforgettable experience, until today, was my trip to Mergui Archipelago in Apr 2018 which is located in the far southern Myanmar and is part of Tanintharyi Region. I have heard so much about it I always wanted to go: It is one of the worlds most remote and untouched Archipelago's made up of over 804 Islands, varying in size from very small to hundreds of square kilometers with the gypsies, named Salon, as their only human inhabitants. It is the best diving spot in Myanmar, where you can sail, do snorkeling and kayak. I visited various islands and enjoyed an overnight stay in a tent on the island. It was one of my unforgettable trips and I do recommend to all of you to experience there."
Featured trips & expertise
Explore Myanmar by Bike - 10 Days
Explore Myanmar's stunning and diverse landscapes by bike. Start in the bustling Yangon to see busy Bogoyoke Aun San Market and the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda, then visit the sprawling temples of Bagan. See historical sites in the ancient capital of Mandalay and Amarapura. End your journey with a ride around the famed Inle Lake to explore local culture, meet local Inthar artisans, and enjoy the beauty of Myanmar's lush countryside.
The Culture & Heritage of Myanmar - 12 Days
This 12-day trip makes for an excellent introduction to the cultural highlights of Myanmar. You'll tour pagodas and temples, visit cities and tiny villages, and get a real sense of the country's strong ties to Buddhism and of its British colonial past. You'll roam the buzzing streets of Yangon, watch the sunset over the temples of Bagan, take a long-tailed boat tour of Inle Lake, and so much more!
Luxury & Adventure in Myanmar - 9 Days
Spend nine days traversing the sights of Myanmar on this itinerary. You'll visit the urban highlights of Mandalay and Yangon, cruise through the heart of the country down the Irrawaddy River, soar above the 3,000 pagodas of Bagan in a hot air balloon at sunrise, and sample handicrafts in village markets as you make your way through your tour.
Highlights of Myanmar - 10 Days
This highlights itinerary checks off Myanmar's top historic and natural sites. Visit the Shwedagon Pagoda and busy markets in Yangon, explore nature in Shan and Kayah States, and explore the world-famous Bagan archaeological site. Walk across the world's longest teakwood bridge on Inle Lake and tour the revered Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, then end the trip with two days of tropical sunshine and turquoise water in the Myeik Archipelago.
Explore Buddhism in Myanmar - 15 Days
This packed itinerary checks off Myanmar's top Buddhist sites. Visit the Shwedagon Pagoda and busy markets in Yangon, explore monasteries in Mon State, and tour the world-famous Bagan archaeological site. Finish your trip in Mandalay to see the splendid former capital Inwa, the world's longest teakwood bridge on Inle Lake, and the 17th-century Indein pagodas.
Recent trip reviews for Hsu Hlaing
An excellent time in Myanmar! · Myanmar - Sep 29 - Oct 11, 2019
Our family of five (with three kids aged 9-14) travelled to Myanmar in October 2019 having a wonderful experience. We had made some initial arrangements and bookings by ourselves as we were including a visit to our friends who were volunteering in Bagan. Because our trip was quite short in duration and we were unfamiliar with the country (and our kids haven't travelled much), I researched a lot on line about places to visit and people's blogs. I came across KimKim. We had an excellent... read more
Hi Margot,
Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review for us. I am really happy that everything went great and your family had a great time in Myanmar. It was a pleasure for me to be a part of this memory! I hope that you decide to come another time and we look forward to welcoming you again to our beautiful country.
Kind regards,
Hsu Hlaing
Best Time of Year To Visit Myanmar - Madeleine W · Myanmar - Sep 6 - Sep 13, 2019
This trip was nothing short of spectacular. Most memorable I found the pagodas in Bagan, and driving around exploring them on e-bikes. Also, the boat trip on Inle Lake was very nice. Our guides were knowledgeable and sociable. The people in Myanmar are very friendly, the food is great and reasonably priced.
The one thing I didn't like was riding on a horse-drawn cart in Inwa. The horses did not appear well-kept, and to watch one horse pull a cart with four adults was just painful.
Hi Madeleine,
Thank you for taking the time out for sharing your experience with us. It was my pleasure to organize your trip and I am delighted that you had a great time in Myanmar.
I am sorry you had that issue with the horse-cart in Inwa. It is not our preferred way at all, but this is the only way to visit Ava (even if it is not 100%), unfortunately, unless we do by walking or biking which wouldn't be appropriate for most of the travelers (too hot). We prevent carefully into the... read more
Local Highlights of Yangon, Bagan and Inle Lake - 8 Days · Myanmar - Aug 8 - Aug 13, 2019
Ms Hsu Hlaing was very closely in touch with us from the get-go. From the planning stage till the end of trip she kept in touch with us and our tour guides as our visit to Myanmar spanned across 3 states.
She also customised the trip to our preferences. Eg, we skipped Mount Popa and on hindsight it was a good decision as it was monsoon season and the day slated for it became an e-bike free and easy around Bagan and we were drenched before evening due to heavy rains. She also booked us lovely... read more
Hi Su & Jess,
Thank you very much for your lovely review and photos. I will share them with my team, guides and drivers. I'm delighted to hear that you had an amazing time in Myanmar. We would love to welcome you back again!
Kind regards,
Hsu Hlaing
Highlights of Mandalay and Bagan - 5 Days · Myanmar - Jun 27 - Jul 1, 2019
Amazing trip to Myanmar with Kimkim, Hsu Hlaing and our guides Tonn Tonn (Mandalay) and Min (Bagan). Itinerary was truly flexible and well planned - we managed to see so much! We felt this was also a really good value trip - all expecteds were included, hotels were really nice, tour was truly private and the price was very reasonable.
We felt our local specialist supported us well and was available for queries or for itinerary changes.
Hi Nick,
It was a great pleasure to plan the journey together with you all and I'm very happy to hear that you had an amazing time. Our guides are proud to have shared their hometowns with you and I will pass your great words to my team, guides and drivers.
We would love to welcome you and your friends back again!
Kind regards,
Hsu Hlaing
Highlights of Mandalay and Bagan - 5 Days · Myanmar - Jun 27 - Jul 1, 2019
Planning process with Hsu Hlaing was very smooth and she obviously had a lot of experience. She was very responsive, communicative and proactive and made the whole experience getting our ideal itinerary so easy as a local expert.
Both our guides, Tunn tunn in Mandalay and Min in Bagan were excellent - friendly and professional and had so much to share with us about the history, people and culture of Myanmar.
Overall a great experience and would highly recommend for planning your dream trip with minimum fuss!
Hi Deborah,
Thank you for taking the time to write this lovely review. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed your times with our guides and will share your feedback with Tun Tun and Min. I hope we have the chance to welcome you and your friends back again!
Kind regards,
Hsu Hlaing
Myanmar with Lauren · Myanmar - May 4 - May 12, 2019
Spent an amazing and memorable 10 days in Myanmar thanks to Kim Kim and Pergus Tours. The Kim Kim app Is easy to use and eases communication between you and the tour operator they put you in touch with. Hsu Hlaing made me feel that her main concern was for my trip to meet expectations in every aspect. A free call at the planning stage with an international consultant helped set expectations, flexibility on the itinerary was offered along the way, the guides were informative and hotels well... read more
Hi Marianne,
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experiences. I'm delighted to hear you enjoyed your time in Myanmar. It was a great pleasure to plan the journey together with you and I will pass your kindly feedback to my team, guides and drivers. Thanks for visiting and hope to welcome you back again to Myanmar!
Kind regards,
Hsu Hlaing