Myanmar Cave Documentation Project

 

Caving areas and longest caves

 

Caving areas

The Shan Plateau in the east of Myanmar with an approximately size of 600 km x 400 km has the most extensive karst in the country. It consists of a complex series of mountain chains and plateaus with an altitude ranging from 900 to 1600 m. It is the major exploration area since the first expeditions in 1989. An other karst area is east of Yangon near Hpa-An in Kachin state. Caves are well described from colonial times and the reece in 2009 visited here with later expeditions from 2018 onwards. Most of the areas are restricted and only accesible with a permit

 

The main areas in the Shan plateau are:

  • Kalaw, an area west of Inle lake
  • Pinlaung, 40 km south of Kalaw in the same ridge
  • Nyaungshwe, east of the Inle lake
  • Hopon, 25 km east of Taunggyi
  • Ywangan, north of the famous Pindaya caves
  • Lashio towards the Chinese border in the northeast
  • Kayah state, on the southern edge

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    Longest caves of Myanmar

     
    No. Cave Location Length (m) Year of survey
    1 Som Hein Monghpyak 11,000* 2020
    2 Khauk Khaung (Stone Cave) Ywangan 4,790 2012-14
    3 Phruno River Cave Hpruso 4,600* 2016-17
    4 Red River Cave Bawlakhe 4,086 2015-16
    5 Namun Spring Cave Pinlaung 2,628 2013-14
    6 Kyet Cave Loikaw 2,194 2015
    7 Stone Spring Cave Ywangan 1,917 2014
    8 Ho Hwe Cave Hopon 1,875 2018-19
    9 Mondowa Gu Taunggyi 1,770 1998
    10 Hopon Spring Cave Hopon 1,655 2011
    11 Na Gar Gu (Dragon Cave) Ywangan 1,654 2014
    12 White water Buffalo and Tiger Cave Hopon 1,343 2010
    13 Ya Thay Pyan Hpa-An 1,252 2019
    13 Phoe Inn Cave Ywangan 1,210 2016
    14 Happy Monk Cave Hopon 975 2010

    * not final

    updated April 2020