- Where to go to sunbathe?
- Weather features of a beach holiday in Myanmar
- Journey to Silver Water
- Elephant camp
- Cruises and dives
Almost unknown to the domestic traveler, Myanmar is gaining momentum in tourism every year. People come here to see ancient pagodas and beautiful nature, taste local cuisine and buy precious stones. Recently, tourists have discovered for themselves a beach holiday in Myanmar, because its shores are washed by the Indian Ocean, no less beautiful than in neighboring Thailand or Cambodia.
Where to go to sunbathe?
Popular beach resorts in Myanmar are located in the northwest of the country:
- In Ngapali - the most famous and luxurious beaches of the former Burma. They stretch for three kilometers and are a strip of perfect white sand on which hotels, restaurants and even a golf course are built. Beach sports, snorkeling and diving are available.
- An even longer beach at the Ngwe Saung resort. Its infrastructure is inferior to the resort of Ngapali, but romantics and lovers of solitude feel great on a 15-kilometer strip of white sand.
You can also sunbathe on the shores of Inle Lake, but a visit to it is rather an immersion in the life of a Burmese village. Here you can buy authentic souvenirs, taste local cuisine, take part in the festival of lights and see trained cats in a Buddhist monastery.
Weather features of a beach holiday in Myanmar
The climate in the north of the country and in its extreme south is somewhat different. Myanmar's beach resorts are located in the subequatorial zone. Three main seasons determine the weather on the coast:
- The wet period lasts from late May to mid-autumn.
- In October, it gives way to a cool season that lasts until the end of winter. The air temperature at this time rarely exceeds + 27 ° С, and winds from the mainland often bring dust storms.
- In late February, the heat comes to the beaches of Myanmar. Thermometer columns reach + 32C.
The maximum amount of precipitation falls in July.
Journey to Silver Water
The main attraction of the Ngapali resort is the ocean water glowing at night. The glow is formed by a special kind of plankton that lives in the Bay of Bengal.
In general, the most comfortable beach holiday in Myanmar is possible in Ngapali. Dozens of hotels have been built here, the facades of which are decorated with a respectable number of stars, and there are restaurants serving local seafood on the menu. The prices for hotel rooms in the resort are not very humane, but you can afford a few days in a real paradise.
The ideal beach season in Myanmar starts in October, when the rainy season ends, and lasts until May. Later, the heat reaches its peak and it becomes problematic to sunbathe comfortably.
There are a lot of entertainments for tourists in the resort, but excursions to neighboring villages are considered the most popular. Guest reviews about the customs of local residents are the most positive. The Burmese are hospitable and very welcoming.
Among the architectural wonders is the Shiteton Temple. Built in the 16th century, it is famous for its many Buddha statues. Fans of national souvenirs will be pleased with a trip to the market in Taungu, where pearls and horsehair boxes are sold, and interesting photos can be taken in the fishing village of Lonta.
The road to Ngapali will not seem long if you choose the local aviation as a means of transportation. The flight from Yangon or Bagan will take just over half an hour. The bus will have to travel at least 14 hours, since on its way the road transport must overcome a high mountain pass.
Elephant camp
The long strip of beaches at the Ngwe Saung resort offers comfortable rest and relaxation on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. Hotel prices are much lower here, and most budget-conscious tourists, choosing where to sunbathe in Myanmar, book local hotels.
The infrastructure of the resort does not shine with modern diversity, but anyone can have a hearty lunch, rent a bicycle and take a fascinating excursion around the surroundings.
Excursions to the Elephant Camp are especially popular, where locals train elephants and teach them to help people in various household jobs. Tourists are also offered rides on good-natured giants in the tropical rainforest.
The bus from Yangon reaches the resort in six hours, and from Patain it takes only one and a half hours.
Cruises and dives
The city of Merguy on the coast of the Andaman Sea in the southern part of the country is the starting point for cruises in the archipelago of the same name. It consists of 800 small islands, each with secluded beaches and excellent diving conditions.
The Mengui Archipelago is surrounded by coral reefs that are home to tropical fish, stingrays and moray eels. On the Burma Bank diving site, there are underwater currents that allow the diver to drift, and underwater plateaus that abruptly drop off tens of meters down.
The famous Black Rock and Shark Cave diving sites are not places for the faint of heart. In addition to stingrays and red octopuses, gray reef sharks and whale sharks and mantas can be found in the area of these diving sites.
Lampi Island is home to a nature conservation area and a marine park where deer and tigers, elephants and monkeys live. Excursions to the reserve turn a beach holiday in Myanmar into an educational and exciting adventure.
