With a coastline of more than 2,200 km, you would be at fault for not finding any beaches worthy of visit in Myanmar. Yet, if you were to name just one beach that consistently ranked among the world’s best, it is the Ngapali beach that stood tall among the crowd.
Chaung Thar may be too messy for international visitors,
Ngwe Saung a tad too commercial and the rest along the west coast are still in development stage. The southern seaboard also have a few, Set Sei, Maung Ma Gan, etc., yet they all suffered from the usual invasion of fire ants and unwelcome companies of stray dogs. How can you possibly enjoy strolling along the beach while your ‘doggiguards’ sniff you along the way while you focus your attention not on the vastness of the sea and the nature, but to avoid stepping on their excrements! After topping the ranking of world best beaches by tripadvisor.com reviewers in 2016, it has fallen from the top 10 position on most rankings, but still maintaining its status within the top 20-25 of the world best, albeit the current campaign of Avoid Myanmar 2021+ by the West and mainstream media mis-information.
Even with the current state of affairs, visitors and reviewers are still giving Ngapali raving reviews highlighting its rustic charm, quiet nature, spaciousness and being uncrowded. The sand is soft and smooth, the waters are crystal clear, the people (including the service personnel at the resorts) are super nice and best of all, the prices are extremely reasonable. Oh, have I mentioned about not being crowded too? In terms of having seclusion akin to being in a privately owned beach, you would be hard-pressed to find any shortcomings of Ngapali. Probably the most private among mainstream beaches in the world! To see the reality of the present circumstances and to find out the truth from the facts, MI dived into the sea in Ngapali during the X-mas holidays.
Getting there
The town of Thandwe (where Ngapali beach is) can be reached from Yangon either by car or by plane. Driving would take up at least half a day with short stop-offs, hence plane is normally recommended. The return flight costs around $240 for foreigners and $110 for locals, a mis-match we hope, would be addressed as Myanmar economy develops. Once you have landed at Thandwe (IATA code: SNW) and collected your luggages, there will be coaches waiting for you at the airport building exit.
We decided to stay at Aureum Palace Hotel and Resort Ngapali. The hotel did not disappoint. With very few visitors around even at this time of the year, we were treated like royalty. From the manager to the chef to the housekeeping, the staff did their work with all their hearts in it. We were provided a butler service too, probably unheard of in Myanmar.
The five days of X-Mas
We were there for four nights. It is unfortunate that due to recent attacks on the government forces by the insurgents and terrorists in border area, including the western front, the government imposed some restrictions on deep sea fishing and large movement of goods through land routes. As such, our favourite seafood choices of sea urchins and oysters were unavailable. Fret not, lobsters, clams, shell fishes, prawns and others are there to tempt you to put on more weight during your time off.
The set menu at the hotel are very delicious and reasonably priced that we ended up eating three consecutive dinners at the Aureum. Local food is a bit spicy but you can always opt out of that savoury option.
An early swim in the sea followed by another exercise in the hotel pool would set you up with sufficient alertness to enjoy the spoils of the beach. You can opt for bicycle rides (FOC), horse rides or boat rides. Boat rides to nearby islands that have even clearer waters and more fishes for snorkelling, cost around $20 for half day. There are local restaurants on these islands to serve you lunch after the activity. Horse riding costs around $3 for 15 minutes duration. A vacation to the beach would not be completed without relishing the delights of a fresh coconut juice. It only costs 60c per drupe.
Deep sea fishing and scuba diving are not available at present due to government restrictions on boats going far out into the sea.
Lunches are best settled in local restaurants outside of hotels. They are situated alongside the only main road running parallel to the Beach, just behind the hotels. The prices are around half of the prices in hotels. The dishes are excellent for those who are connoisseurs of spicy food. Even with restrictions on movement of goods along land routes, beer and alcohol options are extensive. One restaurant owner, Thiha, told us that the goods needed are being delivered via flight. The cost is slightly higher, nonetheless. Having chosen the right hotel and the room with a Seaview, we were treated like VVIPs every day. The feeling of waking up everyday to the view of the endless ocean and sleeping with the lullaby of sounds of the waves added the icings on the cake. The suite that we stayed in was meticulously set up, living room, bedroom, walking wardrobe, indoor and outdoor showers, beautifully appointed large mirrors, all with quality amenities in the right places.
All good things must come to an end
We are leaving Ngapali with many wonderful memories and with pride, having supported a local destination in need of visitors from afar. We do see a sizeable number of foreigners and their families at the airport, yet the numbers are a significant reduction compared to pre-covid figures. One foreign visitor did asked at the airport, ‘Is it safe here?’. We heard the law enforcement and immigration officer both replied. ‘Yes, very safe, we guarantee”. The welfare of the staff, the livelihood of the local population, the standing of Ngapali as a world renown beach resorts, all are at stake here. The betterment of the world is the responsibility of every individual, as they said. While the holiday season is still in full swing, we encourage you to play a part in this amelioration agenda by swinging by to the forgotten resort for a couple of days. You definitely will not regret the visit!
