About 25 miles north of Myitkyina, Myit-Son marks the point where the Mayhka and Malikha rivers come together to form the Ayeyarwady. It’s considered a local ‘beauty spot’, although it's not the most picturesque location on the Ayeyarwady. Treat a trip here as an opportunity to see some of the remote countryside to the north of Myitkyina as much as for the meeting of the rivers.
The confluence is distantly overlooked by a series of rough snack places and teahouses, a big dumpling-shaped golden pagoda and a traditional Kachin longhouse rebuilt as a ‘cultural emblem’.
The road north of Myitkyina (bound eventually for Putao) has been partly rebuilt, but the last 7 miles to Myit-Son are horrendously bumpy. You’ll need a photocopy of your passport and visa to hand to a police checkpoint en route. A motorbike/taxi from Myitkyina costs around K50,000 to K60,000 return (1½ hours each way).
