Hiking in Go Teik Viaduct, Nawngkio, Shan State, Burma

Photo Credit: Dominik M. Ramík

 "a monster of silver geometry in all the ragged rock and jungle, its presence was bizarre".- Paul Theroux, The Great Railway Bazaar 

Goteik Viaduct (or Gohteik/Gokteik/Go Teik ) is a part of the railway located in Nawngkio, which is a town located between Pyin U Lwin and Lashio. It is the highest bridge in Myanmar and during the period it was completed in 1900, it was considered as the largest railway trestle in the world. It is considered a masterpiece!

The Viaduct is 689 meters or 2,260 feet long. It has 15 towers which support 10 deck truss. The height of the bridge is 250 meters or 820 feet. It was constructed by the British but the train parts were from America. 

To reach Gokteik, you can take a train from Mandalay (definitely the long way) or Pyin U Lwin towards Nawnghkio(more practical). A round trip from Mandalay to the bridge will cost around 8USD for foreigners. Although it is cheap, the train ride can take 15 hours while if you take a shared taxi, it will just be 5 hours. You can check out more details on train rides in Myanmar here.

Check out some photos of the views at Go Teik Viaduct! I think hiking to this area is better than riding a train through it! Just follow the railway tracks and you won't get lost! The old tracks leading to this are no longer used. They have been overrun by nature.

The railroad towards the viaduct is flanked by houses. There are communities living here.

Photo Credit: Dominik M. Ramík

Carabaos are tied to the side of the railroad. Watch out for their humongous poo!

Photo Credit: Dominik M. Ramík

The tunnel is so dark! It would be nice if you have a headlamp with you so you won't trip and fall.

Photo Credit: Dominik M. Ramík

There's a Pagoda on the side. You can climb up and check it out.

From up here you can see the verdant forests of Myanmar and the river and craggy rocks below. You can also see missile holes on the railway floor.

Photo Credit: Dominik M. Ramík

You will also notice that Burmese soldiers are stationed just before the bridge. They keep a wary eye on everyone who visits. This is also a deterrent for potential attacks from insurgents nearby. In fact, you cannot walk across the bridge!