beach of
myanmar
Ngapali Beach
The
beaches of Myanmar are where few tourists
tread. It's a blessing. A blessing because
the beaches remain remarkably pristine…there
are no loud beachside bars, no rows of
suntan-oiled bodies basking in the sun and
no vendors pressing you to buy souvenirs.
You will find the three natural ingredients
of a perfect seaside holiday–the sea, the
sand and the sun. Myanmar has two coasts–the
western Rakhine coast facing the Bay of
Bengal and the Indian Ocean, and the
southern Tanintharyi coast along the
emerald-green Andaman Sea. The western
seaboard is open to visitors for eight
months of the year, from October to May. At
other times, strong winds and heavy rains
batter the coast. The premier beach resort
on Rakhine Coast is, without a doubt, Ngapali Beach, so named, as the story goes,
by a homesick Italian after his native
Naples (Napoli in Italian). It's easy to fly
there from Yangon, the capital. An hour's
domestic flight is all it takes. Ngapali
Beach is a three-kilometre ribbon of white,
soft-as-talc sand beach that stretches from
the village of Ngapali
to Gyeik Taw. And the
sea… Cobalt blue, clean and clear, set
against an equally stunning blue sky. Its
gentle waves
ripple ashore on to shimmering sands fringed
by coconut palms, an idyllic scene, pure and
simple. There are no windsuffers skimming
over the waves and, certainly, no noisy
powerboats to shatter the calm. What one
does see riding the waves through – at the
break of dawn – are a scattering of fishing
vessels and canoes manned by sinewy
fishermen in conical bags. The boats come
ashore as soon as it gets too hot or when
they have harvested enough fish for the day,
bringing their catch home. You can walk
along the beach, or cycle on the only
existing road, to these villages. They are
huddles of thatched-roof huts on stilts
bustling with fishing-related activity.
There are nets to repair and clean, boats
and sails to maintain, shrimps to dry in the
sun and to sort out after they have dried.
The nearest village is Myabyin. In the
afternoon, you can join the locals from the
villages nearby as they go beach combing
looking for clams or shell. The fiery
sunset, for which the Bay of Bengal is
noted, can be watched. But for a more
picturesque composition, it's best viewed
from the villages, for you are likely to
catch the silhouette of a fishing canoe
against the shimmering sea and brilliantly
coloured skies before a red ball of the sun.
Although it's possible to find rooms in
guesthouses in some villages near Ngapali,
the best stretch of beach is claimed by the
Ngapali Beach Hotel, which boasts of being
the oldest seaside resort in Myanmar. A new
wing called the New Ngapali Beach Hotel,
built around 1980, is a more modern
three-storey affair. Another new hotel on
the beach is the Silver Beach Hotel. The
plane takes about thirty minutes from Yangon
to Thandwe, Rakhine State. And the Beach
lies about four miles away from Thandwe.
^^
Top
Chaung Tha Beach
Chaung
Tha Beach
Chaung Tha, a village in Pathein, Ayeyarwady Division, lies on the
beautiful unspoiled beach, just 40 km to the west of Pathein. It can be
reached by road from Yangon through Pathein in a little over five
hours. Chaung Tha Beach is an idyllic spot and is famous for its
pleasant scenery and picturesque landscape. Chaung Tha Beach Resort is
named after Chaung Tha Creek that flows into the sea. The beach curves
inwards in the shape of a crescent stretching for nearly a mile. It
reaches Pokalar Island shadowed by groves of coconut palms. There lays
an islet called they one mile diagonally across Pokalar Island. Looking
sideways from the beach, the islet appears white. Though they literally
mean ‘white sand’, it is not formed with white sand. The islet is
formed by oysters and shells carried and piled up by tidal waves.
Besides savoring scenic beauty, visitors may go sightseeing in the
neighboring villages and study fishing industry, the liveliho od of the
local people. A stroll in the village enables you to see their ways of
life closely. And what is more, not only can you enjoy delicacies and
seafood prepared by local people, but purchase artifacts and crafts
also as souvenirs to take home. You can also have a pleasure ride on
hired speedboats or go biking on the beach. There are also souvenir
shops selling bric-a-brac made of oysters and shells. Chaung Tha Beach,
with its sandy shore free of mud and clay, its transparent and clean
seawater, its pretty islands nearby and rows of palm trees, is really
an irresistible attraction for tourists and visitors.
Ngwe Saung Beach
Ngwe
Saung, Myanmar's latest beach resort has the longest shore 9 miles. It
is also located just 29 miles from Pathein in the Ayeyawaddy Division.
This unspoils beach stretches 15 km of white sand and blue sea. There
are newly constructed bungalows with local flavors but equipped with
modern facilities. Fringed with palm trees, all hotels face the beach.
Set se Beach
It lies 24 km south of Kyaikkami and 16 km south-west of
Thanbyuzayut, Mon State. It is a very wide, brown-sand beach that tends
toward tidal flats when the shallow surf-line recedes at low tide. The
beach is lined by waving casuarinas trees. Vendors sell fresh young
coconuts full of juice, and restaurants serve seafood. It is one of the
noted beaches in Myanmar.
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