Page 177 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

Myeik and around SoutheaStern MyanMar 175
TOURING THE MYEIK ARCHIPELAGO
DAY-TRIPS
Most people visit the islands on a day-trip out of Myeik. Permits are no longer required to do
this, and the trips are easy to organize – though they don’t run between around May to
September.
From Myeik, two standard trips ($80 per person) are offered, combining snorkelling, village
visits and a bit of beach time into one busy day. Tours are sold through most travel agencies
and hotels in Myeik, and everyone piles onto boats together. The big problem with these trips
is that you spend as much time on the boat as you do on the beach or in the water, and – as
you only have time to reach the islands closer to the mainland – the beaches are not the best.
at low tide, many of these beaches become very shallow and muddy, and the snorkelling
around them is mediocre with very low visibility and little coral. Treat these trips more as a fun
day out rather than a genuine chance to explore the islands. agents in Myeik also sell a
kayaking day-trip: you go by speedboat out to one of the islands, where you can paddle
around the mangroves ($60).
From Kawthaung, it used to be possible to do overnight camping trips on the beach 3
($170), but these were suspended at the time of research due to permission issues. it’s best to
check whether these have started up again, as they’re certainly worthwhile.
LIVE-ABOARD BOATS
The most rewarding way of experiencing the islands is on a live-aboard boat. These are
luxury motor yachts, so conditions are decidedly idyllic with comfortable bedrooms and great
food – the general idea is that you sit back and do nothing while sailing from one blissful
beach or colourful coral reef to another.
A One Diving T+66 (0)818 915510, Wa-one Wislandsafarimergui.com. With offices in Yangon
-diving.com. This is a Ranong-based operator offering and Kawthaung, Moby Dick specializes in “island
live-aboard dive tours. Trips to the archipelago start safaris” where the focus is on kayaking and snorkelling
from $850/person for a five-day tour, including all rather than diving. A five-day trip will set you back
expenses except park and visa fees. $1110/person.
Burma Boating T+66 (0)210 70445, Wburma The Smiling Seahorse T+66 (0)860 110614,
boating.com. Thailand-based operator offering Wthesmilingseahorse.com. Based in Thailand, the
luxurious live-aboard tours from $2600/person for French-run Smiling Seahorse sails to some of the
a six-day trip, including everything except park and remoter parts of the archipelago. Six-day, fifteen-dive
visa fees. trips around the archipelago start at $1050, not
Moby Dick Adventures T013 800382, including equipment rental or park and visa fees.

Eain Taw Phyu 42 Kan Phyar Rd T059 42055, White Pearl Guesthouse 97–98 Middle Strand Rd
Eeaintawphyu.hotel@gmail.com. This is the closest T092 5288 8812, Ewhitepearlmyeik@gmail.com. The
Myeik gets to a boutique hotel. The icy white rooms are go-to hotel of choice for all budget travellers passing
accented with rich, dark woods, and have been given a through Myeik, the White Pearl has two types of rooms.
splash of colour with fresh tropical orchids. The cheapest Economy rooms are cement-walled cells with shared
rooms get a lot of road noise, so opt for the slightly more bathrooms ($14), while the standard rooms are much
expensive ones that overlook the decent swimming pool, smarter and have attached bathrooms and partial
at the back of the palm-filled garden. $65 seaviews. $30
Grand Jade 28–30 Baho Rd T059 41906. You can
hardly miss this modern, nine-storey hotel right in the MYEIK ARCHIPELAGO
heart of town. The large rooms are impressively well Andaman Club Thahtay Kyun Island T01 377891,
equipped, but it’s the floor-to-ceiling windows with sea Wandamanclub.com. A 15min motorboat ride from
views that really steal the show. $60 Kawthaung, this private island resort has everything from
Kyal Pyan Hotel 58 C Rd T059 42135. A rather unpre- an 18-hole golf course to a casino. The staff are keen and
possessing exterior gives way to what are actually surprisingly the rooms are perfectly comfortable, with great views
pleasant, large and well-maintained rooms. The cheapest available from the seafront ones – although the hotel is
single rooms (K15,000) are pretty grubby, though. K35,000 frequently empty, and doesn’t quite realize its potential

138-177_Myanmar_B2_Ch3.indd 175 30/06/17 2:20 pm