Dee Doke Waterfall Mandalay – ULTIMATE GUIDE

Dee Doke Waterfall Mandalay – ULTIMATE GUIDE

When it comes to waterfalls in Myanmar, Dee Doke Waterfall Mandalay (also known as Dee Dote) has to take the cake for the most surreal waterfalls and most epic blue lagoon pools in the country. It's a little tiring to get here, but if you're up for the drive, you'll be rewarded with one of the best swimming spots possibly in all of Myanmar!

It is possible to visit Dee Doke Waterfalls from both Mandalay and Pyin Oo Lwin. Since I also wanted to visit the nearby Dat Taw Gyaint waterfall, I decided to stay in Pyin Oo Lwin for a few days.

Book your trip to Mandalay

Book cheap flightsAre you still in the planning phase of your trip? Currently, the best and easiest way to find cheap flights is to use a flight price search engine like Momondo and Skyscanner. You are guaranteed to always find the cheapest flight between the two, anywhere in the world.

TIP:If you're flexible with your time, search for "Full Month" to see a calendar result with the cheapest days to fly. Book your accommodationWhether you're looking for hostels, hotels, guesthouses or resorts between Booking.com and Agoda, you'll always get the best deals. I always search using the map feature to find accommodation in the best places. Sometimes when I want to stay in one place for a little longer, I use Airbnb.

TIP: For the best hostels, I usually compare reviews on Hostelworld and then check other booking sites to compare prices and deals. Book Tours and TransportationYou already know that I prefer independent travel. Sometimes the best and cheapest way to get things done is to simply book a tour or package. For Myanmar I always use Klook and Viator. By far the cheapest way to get from place to place in Myanmar is long-distance buses. For the latest prices and routes, visit 12GoAsia. Don't forget adventure travel insurance If you're reading this blog, you're probably looking for adventure while sipping poolside. After my entire bag was stolen in Barcelona, ​​I vowed to always take out travel insurance. My two favorite options for adventure travelers are SafetyWing and World Nomads. Click here to read the comparison between the two.

Location of Dee Doke Waterfall

Dee Doke Waterfall is located southeast of the city of Mandalay near a mountainous section of the Mytinge River. The drive takes over an hour from both Mandalay and Pyin Oo Lwin, with highway stretches and riverside gravel sections.

I have pinned the exact location of Dee Doke Waterfall below to help you find it. The Google Maps pin is called: Deedote Blue Lagoon. This different spelling when translating names into English is common in Myanmar, making it difficult to conduct independent research.

Don’t make the mistake of pointing your Google Maps at “Dee Doke Waterfall Elephant Camp.” This is located 10-15 minutes before the actual waterfall parking lot.

How to get to Dee Doke Waterfall?

There are a few options for those who want to get to Dee Doke Waterfall from Mandalay and from Pyin Oo Lwin. I've outlined the best ones below.

Tip: Compare the best accommodation options in Mandalay and Pyin Oo Lwin by clicking on the links.

Rent a motorbike

For independent travelers looking for the full experience, I would recommend renting a motorbike and driving here yourself.

From Mandalay:

Mandalay isn’t a huge tourist hotspot – yet. Therefore, finding a motorcycle to rent is not as easy as in other parts of Southeast Asia. However, if you ask your hotel or hostel they should be able to direct you to one.

Once you have your two wheels, plug in the GPS pin at the top and head south toward Highway 3 or Mandalay Lashio Rd. When you arrive at an intersection with several gas stations, turn right and drive 23 km down the less maintained but scenic road along the Mytinge River.

Here are the GPS coordinates for the turnoff in case you get lost: 21°51’14.0″N 96°15’26.3″E

From Pyin Oo Lwin:

Finding a motorbike to rent in Pyin Oo Lwin was a little more difficult than in Mandalay. However, I was able to get a good deal on my accommodation: Tha Ha Zar Ta Hotel, which also had the best bed and breakfast rates in the city.

When you leave Pyin Oo Lwin you have to take the same Highway 3; Mandalay Lashio Rd, this time towards Mandalay. Continue driving until you reach the same intersection with the GPS coordinates above. From here follow the same road for 23m until you reach Dee Doke waterfall.

Tip: Don't pay more than 10,000 Kyat per day for motorcycle rental in Myanmar.

Take a taxi

Probably the easiest and fastest way to get anywhere in Myanmar is to use Grab Taxi. If you are looking for a Dee Doke Waterfall taxi, you can simply download the Grab app on your phone and enter the location above.

Note that this will likely be the most expensive option and it may be difficult to get a Grab back to Mandalay.

Dee Doke waterfall tour

If you want to skip the highway drive and prefer a guided tour, you can book a Dee Doke Waterfall tour from Mandalay.

This tour is the only one I could find online and also includes sightseeing of Mandalay City. Note that you can also get discounts per person if you have a larger group.

Book the Dee Doke Waterfall Tour online in advance to secure the trip.
alt=“DEE DOKE WATERFALL BLUE LAGOON “>Blue Lagoon swimming pool

Dee Doke Waterfall parking lot and entrance

There are no signs for this waterfall, so it's best to program the directions into your phone before you go.

After following the instructions above, look for a small turnoff right at the Google Maps pin above. You will soon reach an unpaved parking lot with a small restaurant. You can park your bike and start the short hike to Dee Doke Waterfall.

Entrance fee?

There is no entrance fee to visit this waterfall. However, some people were asked to pay 300 kyat to park their motorcycle at the gravel parking lot and waterfall entrance.

I visited this epic waterfall and floating lagoon in the dry season, as a result I was told that I was the only foreigner who had been here for months. Nobody asked me to pay money to park my bike or visit the waterfall.

Hike down to Dee Doke Waterfall

Once you finally reach the Dee Doke Waterfall parking lot, you'll have a short 20 minute hike before you actually reach the falls and blue lagoon pools.

The hike is easy, passing bamboo huts and smiling faces. Along the way you will eventually come to an intersection. From here, take the right path up the hill towards the Blue Lagoon swimming area or turn left down the hill to reach the main waterfall and swimming area at Dee Doke.
alt=“DEE DOKE WATERFALL-MANDALAY”>

Dee Doke Waterfall – What to Expect

I highly recommend you visit both the lower main waterfall and the upper Blue Pool Lagoon. Both spots are an absolute oasis, especially in the extreme heat of the Burmese dry season.

Honestly, the falls themselves aren't overwhelming in terms of size or power. The main drops are quite small, but it's the incredible milky blue waters of the swimming holes and lagoons that make this place a must-see!
alt=“DEE DOKE WATERFALL MANDALAY, BLUE LAGOON SWIMMING POOL MYANMAR”>
On the lower level of the main waterfall you will find a large swimming hole, gently bubbling waterfalls and a makeshift bamboo deck area. There are interesting rock paintings on the limestone walls and surrounding rocks. During my visit, I only met a handful of residents who wanted to escape the 45 degree (C) melting sun!
alt=“DEE DOKE WATERFALL AND SWIMMING POOL”>
You can also go further down from this beach resort where you will find some shallower pools for swimming and exploring.

RELATED: Exploring Bagan's Best Temples and Pagodas

Blue Lagoon swimming area

Honestly, when I first arrived at Dee Doke Waterfall Mandalay, I didn't even know anything about the Upper Blue Lagoons. It wasn't until I sent the drone up and got an aerial view of this oasis that I saw what a true gem it is.

As mentioned above, turning right up the hill at the trail junction leads to an epic blue lagoon. This place also has more small waterfalls.

This place seemed to attract a few more locals. These visitors swam and enjoyed the peaceful and refreshing neon mountain water.
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Visit Dee Doke Waterfall in the dry season

The hot and dry season in Myanmar lasts from October to May. Since I didn't know if the waterfall and pools would dry out, I still decided to take a risk by visiting the falls in April.

To my surprise, even though the surrounding landscapes were desert-like, the waterfall and swimming hole were still filled and flowing. So if you are looking for a place to escape the heat, this is definitely the place.
alt=“DEE DOKE WATERFALL-MANDALAY”>

MY CAMERA AND PHOTO EQUIPMENT

• Spiegellose Kamera: Canon R5
• Drohne: DJI Mavic Pro 2
• 360-Grad-Action-Kamera: Insta360 One X2
• Landschaftsobjektiv: Canon RF 15-35 mm f/2.8L
• Allround-Objektiv: Canon RF 24–105 mm f/4L
• Teleobjektiv: Canon RF 100–500 mm f/f/4,5–7,1 L
• Lange Aktionsstange: Insta360 Invisible Pole (BulletTime)
• Landschaftslinsenfilter: Hoya Circular Polarizer
• Kamerarucksack: F-Stop Tilopa
• Lieblingsfotozubehör: Peak Design Capture Clip

For a list of my recommended photography gear (including what I use and why), check out my Travel Camera Gear Guide.

If you would like to use any of the photos on this website, please visit my licensing page to find out how. I also sell professional art prints, visit my Print Store or contact me directly for customs deductions of images on We Seek Travel.

Enjoy this travel guide to Dee Doke Waterfall Mandalay and looking for more Myanmar travel inspiration? Why not check out the other guides listed below?

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