Myanmar isn’t all just (amazing) temples, there is also some fantastic natural scenery. We wanted to get a well-rounded experience of the region we focused on and felt Dee Doke would be a great option for getting a hike and some nature in. After a week in Myanmar’s rather hectic cities, we ventured out to Dee Doke waterfall to relax in the jungle for a few hours.

A Day at Dee Doke Waterfall

We discovered the existence of Dee Doke waterfall – or rather Briana discovered it – via Pinterest. Upon first glance, she knew that we had to visit those turquoise blue waters.

We just needed to decide how to get to Dee Doke waterfall. With a little experience under our belt already in Myanmar and plenty throughout southeast Asia in general, we decided we were going to take the safest and easiest way. We have a tendency to get lost and it has occasionally meant we don’t make it to our intended destination so we opted not to take the risk this time, especially since we didn’t have phone data in the country. We also had seen some of the “hospitals” in the country and thought we should do our best to avoid any injuries. Anyway, there are two primary ways to get there: by motorbike; and by taxi. There is no regular form of public transportation to get you there.

Motorbike – the more adventurous method, but also more difficult. We wouldn’t recommend this route unless you’re very familiar with riding motorbikes and navigating the roadways around Myanmar. Whether coming from Mandalay or Pyin Oo Lwin, you are probably going to need a GPS or be able to read Burmese script to find your way. If you really want a decent guide for a ride from Pyin Oo Lwin, check out this awesome walkthrough by Globemad.
Private Car/Taxi – the way we opted to go. A car would be comfortable and get us exactly where we wanted to go quickly.

Getting to Dee Doke Waterfall

Briana found a driver recommended by a few other travel bloggers named Fatty Ko and he responded very quickly to a Facebook message so we decided to go with him – actually, it was his brother since Fatty said he would be unavailable at that time. Briana made arrangements for us to be picked up at our hotel and be driven to the falls and back. When it was time for us to leave for the falls, Fatty’s brother was already waiting for us when we made our way outside (a little early).

The ride was pretty smooth and thankfully pretty stress-free. Driving through the streets of Mandalay is typically not a relaxing activity, but it isn’t too bad from the back seat. However, the number of twists and turns that we made left us feeling confident we made the right choice to hire a driver – otherwise, knowing us, we would have been lost. After about twenty minutes, we had made our way out of the city and were making our way along roads through the jungle. The views were pretty spectacular.

One thing we weren’t expecting to see was the massive mining operations. While we’ve seen strip mines in the US, the extent to which we saw outside of Myanmar was pretty astounding. Entire mountains had been removed in search of gold and rubies. We drove progressively further out into the country. Roads narrowed and at times livestock even made their way onto the road. I did find the existence of a prominent waterpark quite interesting, as it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere.

A Quick Hike through the Jungle to Dee Doke Waterfall

We drove up through unpaved roads where the canopy of trees began to block out the sky. Our driver parked at the base of the climb where no vehicle could go any further and told us he would wait there for our return.

We were a little confused at first about where to go, but he pointed us in the general direction and another local vendor helped as well. A small wooden sign marked the beginning of the trail. From there, the trail quickly rose up and disappeared into the canopy of palms and vines.

We made sure to protect ourselves against mosquitos early that morning – the jungle was pretty dense and the bugs were certainly out. Stories of what the little creatures could do made us pretty cautious the entire time that we were in the country.

As we made our way along the path we passed by numerous abandoned shacks. We weren’t sure if they were usually filled with vendors during the busy season or if they were always abandoned. They were pretty simple bamboo structures, but it helped us feel like we were on our way to discovering a hidden treasure.

At some points, a turn or rise in the trail would reveal spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and cliffs. We would take a break here and there to just take in the views and inhale the fresh jungle air.

And of course, looking back towards the river we were able to spot a small gold stupa rising from the jungle. No matter where you are in Myanmar, it seems there is always a Buddhist temple in sight.

The excitement and anticipation of the falls kept us going at a good pace. Hidden from view, we could hear the gurgle and rushing of water to our left. Slowly the sound would become more distinct, and the valley appeared to be coming to a head.

The valley walls seemed to close in and then came a point where the trail split and plunged down a steep stair. It appeared that we definitely on the right track.

The sight was inspiring, but we decided to press a little further to get to our destination and perhaps explore it on our way back. Dee Doke consists of multiple tiers of pools and waterfalls – and during the peak season, you might need to head down to one of the lower pools to get a good place to relax, but we wanted to go straight to the source.

Descending to the Blue Pools

Another five minutes or so walking the jungle trail and we finally found ourselves at the falls. All in all the hike wasn’t that long. The path began to descend and the trees and brush thinned to reveal brilliant turquoise water below. Here, a series of stairs cut into the rock and bamboo ladders brought us to the uppermost pool of Dee Doke waterfall.

The area around Dee Doke has been lightly developed by local Myanmar. Multiple bamboo structures stretch over the water, providing ample room to lounge in the shade, relax, and take in the natural beauty of the place. A local woman also ran a small shop there selling various drinks and food and rented innertubes to swimmers.

Enjoying the Falls

Once we had ourselves settled in, we got a refreshing lychee drink and rented an innertube. Later I would get a pretty good Myanmar beer. The bamboo cabana was plenty comfortable but we were here for the falls and a good swim.

Despite having left pretty early that morning, there were a few others who beat us there. A group of guys – who may have been German? – were already enjoying themselves in the water. They had found the safe spots to jump in and were certainly having fun. Another couple of guys were also there, but they mostly kept to themselves in the cabana. For the most part, in the beginning, it felt like we had the place to ourselves and the peacefulness of the falls prevailed.

Getting into the water was heavenly. Despite the somewhat oppressive heat, the water was cool. The milky blue waters, made so by dissolved limestone, were refreshing. It wasn’t too cold though, it only took a minute or two to adjust fully and was a perfect compliment to the heat of the day. Oddly, the waterfall itself was rather warm.

Everything about the falls was just so relaxing. In contrast to the noise, chaos, and grit of Mandalay, Dee Doke was an absolute respite from it all. As the clouds passed overhead, time seemed to just melt away in the tropical sun. There were even butterflies flying around near the water.

The only real indication of time progressing, was the arrival of more swimmers. Over time, a few more couples would arrive. But it didn’t bother us, and it still wasn’t crowded at all. We just kept swimming in the water and exploring the little caves and grottos around the perimeter of the pool.

One couple decided to leave the upper pool and go exploring the lower pools. If you are comfortable leaving your stuff at the cabanas, you could easily spend a couple hours exploring the pools. Briana did venture down to the next pool for a little bit. But mostly, we just kept to the upper pool.

After a while, we begrudgingly decided it was time for us to return. If we could have, we would have opted to spend literally the whole day there, and you easily can if you want. But we had our driver waiting, and we hadn’t specified how long we would be. Several hours had already passed, so we packed up and headed back into the jungle.

The way back was just as beautiful as the way there, but this time, the view remained steadily on the mountain valley and river in the distance. Now fully relaxed from the water, we were ready to return to the craziness of the city.

Enjoy Your Day at Dee Doke Waterfall

Dee Doke is nestled pretty far back in the jungles outside of Mandalay – or Pyin Oo Lwin depending on where you’re coming from. If you hire a driver to get you there, your day will go pretty smooth and once there, you shouldn’t find it difficult to enjoy yourself. Regardless, you can always make sure your time is a little bit better by preparing.

Water Bottles – Collapsible Water Bottles – These are some of our favorite items to bring with us. They’re really light-weight and you can also roll them up so you can store them away easily. If there is one item that is most important to bring with you, it is water.
Sun Screen – If you don’t cover up with clothes, then you should wear sunscreen, especially in the tropics. Plus these are allowed in carry-on luggage. TSA Approved Sunscreen
Bug Repellant – The jungles of tropical Myanmar are full of mosquitos and other nasties that bite. No one wants to come down with malaria, dengue, or any of the other awful diseases these bugs bring. Unfortunately, there is no way to deal with these really other than to be proactive. We like to use wipes so that we can effectively get any exposed spots without having to spray noxious gases everywhere. Off! Deep Woods Towelettes
First-aid Kit – You really need to be prepared for anything when hiking, which means you need to be prepared for injury. We don’t often get hurt but it’s good to be prepared. First-Aid Kit