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Myeik Archipelago: A Paradise of Islands

TINY as dots at first, the islands soon took form in a variety of shapes, some curved like sickle moons, others as round as saucepans and still others long and narrow. From my seat on the airplane I could see hundreds of them stretching all the way to the horizon, a magnificent view after an hour of seeing nothing but a featureless plain of seawater during the majority of the flight from Yangon.

The appearance of the islands signalled our approach to Kawthaung, Myanmar’s southernmost town. Five minutes later the view became even more exciting as details of the islands emerged: forest-green bodies bounded by white-sand beaches emerging from the
water, whose colour changed from the light crystal blue of the shallows to the darker hues of deeper areas, the sunlight playing off the mysterious depths with the radiance of a peacock feather.

I had arrived in the territory of an island empire – Myeik Archipelago, home to more than 800 islands. Opened to tourists only 10 years ago, the 36,000-square-kilometre area is still a virgin beauty with ample aquamarine resources. Moreover, it provides a rare opportunity to explore the traditions of the sea gypsies (Salone), who live on the sea and are well-known for being among the world’s best divers. Myeik has also gained popularity in recent years as a destination for scuba diving and the chance to see big sea creatures like sharks and rays. For me, the trip was a chance to enjoy the great beauty of a rarely visited area.

On the morning after my arrival I walked to Kawthaung Jetty where the boat I would be taking out onto the water was docked. From the shore I could see Thahtay Kyun Island, the location of the fivestar Myanmar Andaman Club hotel and resort, a five-minute speedboat ride away.

As our boat set sail towards the blue horizon, I anchored myself on the sundeck to get 360-degree view over the water. As I was enjoying the scenery, the sudden movement of big sea creatures ahead of the boat grabbed the attention of everyone onboard. They were dolphins, playing near the surface of the water, their fins and grey skin glistening in the sun. As our boat approached they dropped beneath the surface and disappeared from view.

We made our first stop early in the evening at a small island, which although mediocre by local standards, immediately struck me as perhaps the best sand beach I had ever visited. Being an addict of sand and surf, I have visited every famous beach in Myanmar. But this island was unlike any of those – its pure white sand felt so gentle and soft on my feet that it was like walking on milk powder. And it was exactly the same on all the other islands I visited in Myeik Archipelago.

As I strolled on the beach I searched the sand for seashells. They were so numerous and of such great variety that they all looked beautiful to my eyes, and they all seemed to be there just for me. I thought of all the times I had walked on famous beaches looking for the perfect shell but was unable to find any, as if the best ones had already been taken by other visitors. Here, on my own little island, I felt like there was no one except me to enjoy the bounty.

After my walk I paddled around the island in a kayak. The water was so clear that I could see everything on the seabed beneath me, giving me a shiver because I had a good view of the black sea urchins and their poisonous spikes. As I bobbed up and down on the waves near the end of my 30-minute kayak excursion, I was treated to the sight of a white-bellied eagle swooping out of the sky to catch its dinner. Its prey was a snake that curled and writhed maddeningly in the firm talons, no doubt trying to escape from its fate as the eagle’s next meal.

From there we sailed to our stop for the night – 115 Island, which is popular for its corals. On the way, I enjoyed the last moments of daylight by watching the fiery sun gradually sink into the water beyond the islands that we occasionally passed. It was already dark when we dropped anchor but the night was kept lively by the shouts of monkeys in the jungle of the nearby island.

When the water is dark and calm, it is a good time for those who love fishing to get busy. Large schools of fish drew close to our boat,
attracted by its lights. Then I saw three rocketshaped creatures in the water, swooping in and out of the groups of fish like cars driving
forwards and backwards. At first I could not figure out what they were but then I realised they were squids feeding themselves on the ample stock of fish that were mesmerised by the lights of our boat. As I watched, one of the squids was eaten by a bigger fish, which in turn fell prey to one of the crewmembers on our boat, who pulled it out of the water with fishing line to serve as our lunch the following day. It was all very exciting to watch, and my only wish was that the sky was a little less cloudy so I could have seen more stars.

As soon as I opened my eyes the next morning I jumped out of bed and rushed onto the sundeck to catch my first island sunrise. I saw that our boat had anchored halfway between two small landmasses (115 Island is actually a collection of three closely spaced islands). The sunrise was radiant with yellow and red colours bathing the sky over the Salone fishing boats that sailed by. The beautiful scene made me forget to blink.

The first part of the day was spent trekking on the island, which we reached by riding a smaller boat to the shore. A jungle trail led
across the island, providing amazing beach and mountain forest views. Back in the boat, it was time to give snorkelling a try. I put
The water was so clear that on fins, goggles and a snorkel and slid into the water. Being a first-timer, I felt like I was on pins and needles as I watched the coral and fish through the clear water below. But I learned quickly and after a few minutes I found myself floating above a huge reef of coral surrounded by many vari- eties of colourful fish.

As I explored further I saw corals of all descriptions covering the seabed, some shaped like mushrooms, and some taking the form of huge lumps of green, pink and yellow like giant flowerbeds, and there were fish everywhere. I felt like I was swimming along with them and I was even tempted to remove my life jacket so I could swim down and join them. But sadly I had to call it a day and return to the boat for lunch, which seemed like the best meal I had ever eaten, so famished was I from a morning of trekking and snorkelling.

That evening our voyage resumed with a trip to Nyaung Wee Island to visit the Salone people. (See Salone sidebar for details.) The next day we visited a pearl production farm on another island. It was definitely a worthwhile tour as our guide explained the four-year process that oysters go through to produce their precious pearls. After that our voyage came to an end with a visit to the golden hilltop pagoda on Salone Island, which despite its name was not home to any sea gypsies. From the top of the hill I could see where Myanmar came to an end at Kawthaung and where Thailand started on the other side of a broad stretch of water.

Even though my three-day visit was full of activity, I felt like I had only touched the tip of the iceberg in my exploration of the untrammelled beauty of Myeik Archipelago. Other famous sites include Lampi Island – Myanmar’s only designated marine park – famous for its trekking, mangrove forests, land animals and wide variety of aquatic flora and fauna. For snorkellers there is Kyunn Philar Island, where abundant corals are visible through clear water to a depth of 15 metres. Black Rock and Shark Cave islands are also getting international attention from scuba divers.

Although I would have liked to have visited all of these places, I felt satisfied with my trip and the astonishing beauty I had seen, which will be forever etched into my memory. I feel certain that every visitor will feel the same as I do. Even so, I recommend that anyone planning a trip to Myeik Archipelago should set aside enough time to see as much as much of it as they can during their stay.

Author by Khin Hninn Phyu (SweSone Yangon Inflight Magazine)

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