Myanmar is not only famous for pagodas and their valuable religious life, tourists coming to visit Myanmar will be very interested in exploring some captivating areas of islands and archipelagoes. Among them, the most well-known must be named as Myeik (or Mergui). This off-coast extraordinary archipelago is located in the Andaman Sea, southern Myanmar. This is very easy for any visitor to come to this tourist destination, as you can join a tour to experience the most exciting Myanmar tourist sites in an unexploited island with colorful and lively wildlife.
Mergui Archipelago consists of over 800 islands appearing in all shapes and sizes. The smallest is only enough for a few palm trees, while the largest is estimated to be about several hundred square kilometers. What is more to explore in this exceptional island in Myanmar, you can spend your days with Myanmar trip blog freely enjoying diving and watching the spectacular marine life with colorful coral reefs or witnessing sunset and sunrise sights in luxury yachts and cruise boats.
Besides, another point that makes the attractions of Mergui is the inhabitants living in here. They are called the Moken, also known as the Salone, one of the most distinct ethnic minorities in Myanmar. Their life is based on sea and marine world, as they are really skillful in diving, seeing under water and holding their breath for such a long time that no other people group can do. It is said that the Moken has lived their life in Mergui Archipelago for several hundred years, and that is the reason why when tourists coming to Mergui for a trip, they want no guides but these inhabitants to lead their trip and tell them about the most interesting features and daily life in this fascinating island. That maybe the most wanted Burma highlights for tourists coming to this place.
If you are worried that your trip would be boring as there is nothing to do except for going around and watching the seashore and marine life, you should read these lines. Indeed, tremendous exciting activities are waiting for you to explore. For tourists who have big love with hiking through beautiful Myanmar tourist sites, the tropical valleys are extremely suitable for you. There is nothing can be compared with walking through the endless green in there and watching the natural beauty around us. Furthermore, there is also kayak service for those who like to go up rivers and explore the sceneries there. It is also a good idea to wander along the long deserted white sand beaches.
Of course, among the most attractive features of Mergui archipelago, tourists always choose to spend most of their time on learning about the wildlife in here. There are some interesting species that you can hardly find anywhere else such as monitor lizards, pythons, civets, gibbons, chevrotains and crab-eating macaques. The wildlife world in the air is also diverse with big creatures like hornbills, white kites, kingfishers or emerald doves. Even with 3 weeks in Myanmar, it is still difficult to explore all the interesting sites in this archipelago.
As an archipelago, Mergui includes many captivating islands, the most outstanding ones can be named as Lampi Island, 115 Island, Nyaung Wee Island, Phi Lar Island, Myauk Ni Island. They are all very rich in biodiversity, coral reefs and mangroves. Tourists will feel free to explore all the beauty in these islands, from the flora to the fauna system. Some islands offer smooth white sand beaches and tropical fish darting so tourists can enjoy their trip in the sea shores. There are also various attractive services available such as kayaking, snorkeling, diving and jungle trekking. From many Myanmar travel review, visitors find it not a bad idea to wander around the peaceful fishing villages and learn about the interesting unique cultures of the islanders. They can be told tales, fishing skills and experience themselves with the daily life of the local people.
Within these islands, there are also tremendous captivating sites for tourists to visit and explore.
The very first site to mention is the Burma Banks, which is one of the most beautiful and well-known Myanmar tourist sites for diving in the Southeast Asia. It includes Rainbow, Silvertip, Coral, Roe and Heckford banks and all of them are located on the archipelago to the west. Many divers love to experience this site and challenge themselves with strange feelings. However, for normal tourists, you should also be careful as there are sharks in this areas and they did attack people.
The next beautiful landscape to watch is Black Rock, basically an islet which is included in this archipelago. Black Rock is 100 miles to the northwest of Kawthaung. The reason why divers are interested in exploring this site is due to its wild beauty, with dangerous steep cliffs in the middle of the sea, and they are home for a variety of marine-life creatures. There are many rare and precious animals in this sea area, namely Manta rays, Sting rays, Blacktip, Silvertip and Whitetip sharks.
Of course, mentioning sharks in Mergui, we should not skip Shark Cave, which is located 40 meters under the surface and rises above the waves. This is also the habitat of various colorful fish. If you dive at one time, you cannot feel all the beauty and attraction of these creatures as they are big and there are too many to discover.
And last but not least, Little Torres Island must be the choice for many people who want to explore the diversity of vegetation in here, from red whip, mosaic to table corals. With the breathtaking beauty in here, this is the perfect answer if someone ask you why visit Burma.
Mentioning Myanmar top attractions related to this place, unlike some other tourist destinations, Mergui archipelago allows tourists to catch fish and whatever they like in the sea and take them home to make their own dinner. It does not matter whether it is sailfish, marlin, snapper, tuna or mackerel, tourists can all feel free to catch themselves. Normally, many cruise boats buy cuttlefish and squids from local fishermen to make dinner for their tourists.
Despite the beauty and inescapable attraction of the natural sights in Mergui Archipelago, there are also some particular time that tourists are advised to go and visit this tourist destination with exceptional Myanmar tourist sites. According to the climate features in Myanmar, like other places in Myanmar, the time from November to April is when most tourists to come and enjoy their holidays in the archipelago. However, the most suitable time for a trip is from December to February as the nature during this time is very beautiful and comfortable. It is warm with sunshine, steady wind and calm seas. From March to April, many divers also like to visit this place due to the calmer sea, less wind and higher temperature, so they can find it easier to catch their own sea foods.
Not many people choose to visit Mergui from May to July because at this time the winds onshore is quite strong, it rains a lot while there also happens hurricanes which can be dangerous for the tourists. Even many cruise companies do not operate during this time. Then, is it safe to go to Burma? Do not worry if you have booked a cruise tour to Mergui at that time because there are numerous huge islands to protect anyone who copes with natural disasters.
In sum, there are indeed tremendous places to spend your holidays and enjoy that time with your family, friends or lover, but among them, if you like the wild nature of Myanmar tourist sites as well as some risky adventure under the water, Mergui Archipelago must be your dreamt heaven. With the increasing investment in tourism development, this place is expected to provide more interesting services to better meet the requirements of tourists about the quality of relaxation in the foreseeable future.