Have you ever dreamed of spending your holiday on a beautiful white sand beach with calm, crystal-clear warm water that allows you to explore the fantastic underwater world? The Mergui Archipelago is one of the best locations to fulfill this dream.
The Mergui Archipelago, located in southern Myanmar, comprises more than 800 islands within a 14,000 square-mile area. These beautiful rainforest-covered islands boast coral reefs and beautiful white-sand beaches. Foreign tourists were prohibited from visiting this region until 1997. Being isolated from the rest of the world for so long allowed this region to protect its abundant diversity of flora and fauna. Large animals such as the dugong, shark, langur, pangolin, and otter, and many beautiful birds such as the hornbill, kingfisher, eagle, and sunbird inhabit this region.
The human inhabitants of the Mergui region are the sea gypsies known as the “Moken” who live on traditional handmade wooden boats and earn their living by fishing. They are extraordinary divers who can remain underwater for long periods while fishing and searching for pearls using only the simplest equipment – or even no equipment at all. They relocate onto the land during the rainy season. Unfortunately, the Moken’s way of life is at risk of extinction.
Recently, more and more people are interested in exploring the untouched beauty of the Mergui Archipelago, and more luxury hotels are investing there. However, a visit to the Mergui islands remains one of the most expensive vacations in the world, due to the inaccessibility of the region. The best months to visit are from December to April. We hope that it will become more affordable as infrastructure in the region improves.