Oh! I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside....in Myanmar
‘I do like to be beside the seaside' is a song made popular during the last vestiges of the music hall era. Its catchy sentiment still rings true today although many of us now tend to look for our beach thrills overseas, rather than on the English sands of Blackpool or Clacton on Sea. With this in mind we would like to advocate the delights of a stay at Ngapali Beach, in Myanmar, which is one of the finest stretches of beach in the whole of Southeast Asia. At almost three miles long, and with a series of sweeping bays looking west to a gorgeous sunset each night, it is little wonder that this part of the Myanmar coastline is developing a first class reputation as a beach resort for the discerning traveller.
Since Myanmar opened its doors to visitors, Ngapali Beach has seen considerable development with the opening of a number of new hotels. However development is still relatively low key, certainly if you compare it to Thailand, and now is a great time to visit as the local infrastructure has improved but there are still no giant hotels, nightclubs or shopping malls. Hotels that offer a beach frontage have restricted their height so as to keep below palm tree level, meaning that the natural beauty of the beach has been preserved. Another plus is that there is now a smorgasbord of hotel options which range from wooden beachfront bungalows, sought after by nostalgic ‘flashpackers', to sophisticated retreats designed to cater for the urbane needs of the cognoscenti. There are also family friendly resorts, havens for honeymooners, and prices that will suit almost every budget.
One of the delights of being beside the seaside is the ability to dine out on an array of delicious seafood and at Ngapali that includes lobster, squid and red or white snapper. However seafood is not the only thing on the menu. This is Rakhine state, where they like fiery cuisine, and there are noodle and rice dishes aplenty, some of which might include the ubiquitous chilli! For beach combers there is plenty of rustic coastline to explore and a short bicycle ride south of the main beach area will bring you to a series of picturesque fishing villages where traditional life continues alongside the seasonal tourist arrivals which take place from late October to early May.
Our tailor-made service allows you to add beach time to any one of our tours but a good example of how the beach might be worked into your itinerary is our ‘Wonders of Myanmar' tour which is a 15 day classic taking in many of Myanmar's most famous sights before time to relax at Ngapali Beach.