The Mergui Archipelago is an unspoiled paradise; as a travel destination, this area was only opened to foreigners in the late early 2000, and it still abounds in undiscovered species and unmapped geographical features.
Accommodation-Wa Ale
“There are those who travel but never really arrive. Those who visit a place but never know the people. Travel is so much more when you get closer to life and how it is lived.” With Myanmar Shalom Travels you will be able to experience an authentic experience of Myanmar.
Before the only way to see the Mergui Archipelago in anything approaching luxury was on a liveaboard, but Wa Ale and Awei Pila have changed the game in the Mergui Archipelago.
These accommodations offer generous amenities and connectedness to the natural environment; they are also equipped for world-class meals and diving, the most popular activity in the Mergui Archipelago.
ABOVE: Wa-Ale
The extensive, untouched coral reefs of Mergui are a diver’s dream, one of the last frontiers left to divers in the Andaman Sea. On land, deer, monkeys, pangolin, and exotic birds – hornbills, white-bellied sea eagles, and more – make their homes in the rainforests and mangrove swamps on the archipelago’s 800 limestone and granite islands.
The new resorts at Wa Ale and Awei Pila provide a home base from which to explore the Mergui Archipelago or perhaps just a quick beach rest on a longer liveaboard adventure.
ABOVE: NOP-island
Much of the archipelago is uninhabited (by people, at least), so the best way to get around is by speedboat or yacht. Fly from Yangon to Kawthaung and take a speedboat from a jetty to Wa Ale Resort. This is the new face of Mergui holidays, combining the unknown with exclusive beach stays.
Today, if you want more than just a diving expedition, you can lounge in a luxury villa among the banyans, enjoy farm-to-table dining, indulge in a spa treatment, and dig your toes into some sand while a leatherback sea turtle makes its nest nearby. The private island resorts of Wa Ale and Awei Pila are everything you’ll want in a beach holiday.
ABOVE: Myeik-Wa-Ale
From the air most of Wa Ale Island Resort looks like a forest. That makes sense given that no trees were removed to make room for the resort, which has adopted a low-key, barefoot luxury style. Open-air tented villas and bohemian tree houses constructed from recycled Burmese lumber are anything but rustic and sit just footsteps away from white sand beaches and Lampi Marine National Park. Take advantage of Wa Ale’s unique kayaking and paddle-boarding activities, and then move on to Pila for another distinct island experience.
ABOVE: Awei-Pila.
Awei Pila highlights the novelty of Mergui while offering unique cultural indulgences and expertly guided on-land and diving tours. Chic accommodations in thatched-roof oceanfront terraces, world-class cuisine made from ingredients grown on Pila Island, and diving center initiate travelers into Mergui life in a way that was impossible only a few years ago.
Wa Ale: www.waaleresort.com
Awei Pila: www.memoriesgroup.com/hotel-myanmar/awei-pila-resort-mergui-archipelago
