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URL: https://burmadolphins.com/

⇱ Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project – Discover Burma's Irrawaddy Dolphins

Introduction 1-Day

Take a 1-day boat excursion to see Irrawaddy dolphins and cooperative fishing, with lunch in a fishing community.

Experience 2-Day

Experience dolphins & life on Ayeyawaddy, overnighting in tents at a fishing community & learning how to fish with dolphins.

Explorer 3-Day

For best chances of seeing dolphins and a rich cultural experience, explore the Ayeyawaddy Dolphin Protected Area on a 3-day journey.

WHY OUR TOURS

  • We are a social business. All tours include local guides, local food, local crafts & activities with local people. All tours include a dolphin conservation fee. All tours are carbon neutral.
  • Itineraries are designed for best chances of seeing Irrawaddy dolphins & cooperative fishing.
  • Only glamping experience on the Ayeyawaddy.

WELCOME TO THE LIVING IRRAWADDY DOLPHIN PROJECT!

The Irrawaddy River is home to the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin, found just north of Mandalay. What’s unique about Burma’s (Myanmar) Irrawaddy dolphins is their relationship with local fishermen. Dolphins and fishermen communicate and fish together, a practice called “cooperative fishing”–a unique phenomenon found in only two other places in the world! Your visit helps raise awareness for dolphin protection and generates income for local fishermen to continue their practice of cooperative fishing with dolphins. The Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project is an initiative of Living Irrawaddy Travel and works with 6 communities to help them develop  and market community-based ecotourism.

Cooperative Fishing with Irrawaddy Dolphins - An Experience Found Only Here!

We are a proud Travelife Partner (click to see our certificate)! The Travelife Partner award is a recognition of our commitment towards social and environmental sustainability. We are complying to more than 100 criteria related to sustainability management, office operations, working with suppliers and customer communication. We are working towards further improvements aiming to eventually reach the Travelife Certified stage.

The Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project was the winner of the 2020 Experience Mekong Showcase for its significant social impact to its community, having an innovative concept and sustainable business model, and providing an authentically local experience positioning the GMS as a responsible, inclusive, and experiential tourism destination.

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          I just came back home and I can definitely say that my 2-day experience with the Dolphin Project was a highlight of my travel in Myanmar. This lets you see a totally different aspect of the country that you would not even think of. Getting...More

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     kry_jvt
    January 22, 2019

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          Our day began with a short ride to the boat dock where we took a boat crewed by a local family and our guide Chit along the Irrawaddy river past the towns of Mingun and Sinjun. We then transferred to a small boat and followed the local fishermen as they communicated with the dolphins. The dolphins work with the fishermen and being the fish to them so that they can cast their nets for their catch. It is amazing to see the dolphins surfacing briefly and then circling the boat. We had about 90 minutes to watch this and learned that although still very much endangered, the number of dolphins is increasing slowly through the Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project. We had lunch back on the larger boat which was provided by a local village. We then spent some time in Sinjun where we had refreshing snacks and drinks and learned how to tie a longhi in many different ways and got to see how the local women make the conical bamboo hats. We received 2 of those hats as gifts. We then sailed over to Mingun and visited Hsinbyume Pagoda which was delightful. We sailed back to Mandalay as the sun was setting after a most wonderful day. …

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    Julie D
    March 1, 2020

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          Many thanks to the project team for making this 3 day trip such an amazing experience. Nothing was too much trouble and the result was a rich, authentic, challenging and rewarding exploration of the cultural and environmental factors which affect dolphin conservation in the Irrawaddy....More

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     eddecross
    November 12, 2018

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          Who knew there were dolphins in the Irrawaddy. This was a fascinating trip and truly off the beaten track. We were fortunate to see a pod of eight dolphins. We've been in Myanmar over five years and thought we had seen everything. This was special...More

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    Robert K
    June 10, 2019

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          Spending 2 days 1 night on the river with Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project was the best decision we made in Mandalay. The most amazing thing about this trip was not only seeing dolphins, but also learning about the unique relationship between local fishermen and dolphins....More

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     Reveusehn
    June 11, 2018

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          Excellent way to see how rural communities live on the banks of the river and of course the river dolphins! Chit is a great guide, full of knowledge and always up for a joke. We were very impressed with the way that the project is...More

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     JeremyK1838
    January 27, 2019

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          My husband and I booked the 1 day dolphin tour. We were picked up on time by our Guide Chid and taken to the jetty where we boarded a slow boat owned by a Myanmar family. We were the only ones on todays tour and...More

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     novakarla
    March 5, 2019

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          We joined the day tour on the Irrawaddy in the hope to see the Dolphins. Unfortunately it was not at the right time. However.. We had a beautiful day on the Irrawaddy! Chit, the guide did an amazing job in looking after us and answering all our questions.

    We enjoyed a good lunch and the peaceful green surroundings. In short, a beautiful day well spent.

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    ninafram
    July 10, 2019

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          We had such a fun trip with Chit and his team floating up the Irrawaddy earlier this month. It was incredible getting to see the dolphins up close and we saw a number over the course of the 2 day trip - whilst this isn't guaranteed - the team make every effort to work together with the local communities and fishermen to share sightings. It's a good mix of being able to experience a little flavour of village life, boating time and fishing with the expert fishermen who have been honing their craft for decades, their commitment and skill is amazing. Camping on the sandy island was one of our highlights and it was so comfortable to be in the tents as other reviewers have said, definitely more comfortable than our night in Mandalay, everything was set up for us already when we arrived at the island and we could relax, have a beer and watch the sunset. Absolute bliss! Thank you to them all for their kindness. 2 things to keep in mind: - If you don't do a private tour, you spend 24/7 pretty much with your fellow tour-mates, so get ready to make friends! If this does not appeal, consider the private tour option. Our friends opted for the private tour and also highly recommended, that gives a little bit more flexibility around how long you spend in each location also. - Check the itinerary closely, the dolphin tour includes a visit to Mingun, if you're travelling in Mandalay beforehand, it may be worth saving that trip so you don't end up visiting twice and use the time to see other fun things in Mandalay instead. …

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    Flyingrachel
    March 1, 2020
  • Luxury bell tent with double or twin bed and shared bath
  • Included for all 2-day and 3-day tours (no additional cost)
  • Realx and enjoy the view of the Irrawaddy at sunset and sunrise
  • Feel good that your stay generates greater income to the community (the community earns more revenue for setting up and managing the tents)

Our Activities

Engage with communities and learn about local livelihoods, such as throwing a cast net, making a bamboo hat and fishing with dolphins.

Our Boat

Travel on the Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Boat and take in the scenes of the Ayeyawaddy Dolphin Protected Area.

Our Food

Get to know local culture through local food. Enjoy authentic dishes prepared and hosted by communities.

Compare Our Programs

Introduction 1-Day
$125
Per Adult (discount for groups 5-10 / extra fee for small groups 1-2)
Accommodation: n/a
Activities: Cooperative fishing demonstration & dolphin viewing on fishing boat
1-2 cooperative fishing communities visited benefit
Lunch prepared by the community.
$5 Contribution to dolphin conservation
Handicraft gift
Complimentary fruit, tea, coffee & water on the Living Irrawaddy Boat
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Experience 2-Day
$185
Per Adult (discount for groups 5-10 / extra fee for small groups 1-2)
Accommodation: 1 night - Deluxe Tent
Activities: Cooperative fishing demonstration & dolphin viewing on fishing boat, Learn how to throw a cast net, Visit the Sacred Forest with a local guide
3-4 cooperative fishing communities visited & benefit
4 meals prepared by the communities
$10 Contribution to dolphin conservation
Handicraft gift
Complimentary fruit, tea, coffee & water on the Living Irrawaddy Boat
Book Now
Explorer 3-Day
$265
Per Adult (discount for groups 5-10 / extra fee for small groups 1-2)
Accommodation: 2 nights - Deluxe Tent
Activities: Demonstration of cooperative fishing & dolphin viewing from fishing boat, Learn how to throw a cast net, Learn how to communicate with dolphins, Participate in a local livelihood activity, Visit the Sacred Forest with a local guide
5-6 cooperative fishing communities visited & benefit
7 meals prepared by the communities
$15 Contribution to dolphin conservation
Handicraft gift
Complimentary fruit, tea, coffee & water on the Living Irrawaddy Boat
Book Now

OUR PROJECT - Why it's important & What we do

Why protect Irrawaddy dolphins & cooperative fishing?

Irrawaddy dolphins are an endangered species found in only three rivers in the world, including the Irrawaddy River in Burma (Myanmar)--the only place where cooperative fishing with Irrawaddy dolphins exists.

What is our project?

The Living Irrawaddy Dolphin Project is a social business working to protect Irrawaddy dolphins and the tradition of cooperative fishing through community-based ecotourism.

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