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Home , Kawthaung, Mergui Archipelago, Moken

MERGUIMystery in ’s Mergui is just north of Phuket but a world apart, offering a serene journey through a world of untouched , clear waters and gypsies.

By Linda Cartlidge Photos APS Myanmar and Myanmar Tourism

158 -Pacific Boating March/April 2018 Asia-Pacific Boating March/April 2018 159 The features over 800 islands and is located north of Phuket.

ONLY A FEW PLACES ON EARTH can match the untamed wilderness Formerly Burma, Myanmar offers beautiful scenery with an and primal seclusion of Myanmar’s incredible Myeik (Mergui) enormous variety of stunning landscapes and vistas, while traditional Archipelago, usually accessed by yachts from Phuket in neighbouring ways live on in many parts of this culturally rich country. . The Mergui archipelago itself has a rich history of maritime trade Many superyachts use Phuket, with its excellent marinas and and mysticism but was closed to foreign visitors for about 50 years, vibrant life, as a base for the yachting season from November to until 1996. Its virtual isolation provided protection from modern April. This is also the high season for sailing the Mergui Archipelago, developments, leaving the archipelago pristine and largely untouched. situated further north along the beautiful coastline linking Thailand and With an amazing diversity of marine life, wildlife and plant life, Myanmar. island after island just waits to be explored, with countless white In Myanmar, December to February offers the most beautiful and under green hills of dense , their canopies alive with birds and comfortable conditions – warm, sunny weather, steady winds and calm butterflies. . There’s less wind, higher and clearer waters in March and April, making this the best period for diving and snorkelling among Sail back in time the hundreds of uninhabited islands. These vast, beautiful and isolated cruising grounds are often deserted bar the diversity of flora and fauna that calls the region home. Gordon Fernandes, General Manager of Asia Pacific Superyachts Phuket and Myanmar, says a comment from the Captain of S/Y Tiara, P Pellat-Finet, captures the experience of travelling through the Mergui. “An amazing trip in the middle of beautiful deserted islands,” Pellat- Finet wrote. “Impossible to count all the pristine yellow-sand beaches. A breathtaking experience where nature prevails. We will go again.” Yachts departing Phuket must gain a permit before they can enter Myanmar, as Fernandes explains. “A visa-on-arrival will be issued for all crew and passengers and this is valid for cruising the islands in the Mergui Archipelago. And keep in mind visits to the mainland are prohibited with this visa.” Sailing north from Phuket, yachts head to Myanmar’s southernmost border town of , the gateway to the Mergui Archipelago. Formerly known as Victoria Point during British rule from 1824- 1948, Kawthaung is separated from Thailand by the broad estuary of the Pakchan River. It retains the charming character of a prosperous fishing village and is surrounded by the Mergui National Reserve.

160 Asia-Pacific Boating March/April 2018 Asia-Pacific Boating March/April 2018 161 Longer itineraries can include visits further north and inland to iconic sites such as the Koethaung Pagoda in Mrauk U, on Myanmar’s northwest coast, the ancient town of Bagan and Inle Lake.

The key to enjoying Kawthaung is to escape 100m back from the The clear waters mean you can enjoy catching your own dinner, coast where the town’s charming streets offer sanctuary from the hustle whether it’s barracuda, Spanish mackerel, tuna, snapper or even marlin and bustle of the harbour. Nearby is Andaman Club resort on Thahtay and sailfish. Kyun Island, about 10 minutes from Kawthaung. On land, the islands are home to a hugely diverse range of wildlife Great Swinton or Kyun Pila is a favourite island within the including monitor lizards, pythons, civets, chevrotains, gibbons and archipelago. The long white beaches stretch for kilometres without a crab-eating macaques. footprint in the sand and you can see monkeys sitting on the Up in the air, the colourful diversity is perhaps even greater. You can leisurely snacking on crabs. see hornbills, white-bellied sea eagles, while kites, kingfishers, eastern Cruising further into Myanmar is like entering an ancient world and herons and emerald doves to name but a few of the species that yachts are still slowly discovering the vast waterways of an archipelago circle the islands. that includes more than 800 islands, mostly uninhabited and some with Largely untouched by the outside world, the Mergui Archipelago sea gypsy communities living off the seas like their forefathers did. remains a special cruising destination that offers a nearby opportunity The islands vary in size from smaller ones with just a few palm trees to discover unexplored waters and uninhabited islands close to to larger islands of several hundred square kilometres, and offer great ’s yachting hub. opportunities for exploration and diving among spectacular marine life www.asia-pacific-superyachts.com and untouched coral reefs. [email protected]

160 Asia-Pacific Boating March/April 2018 Asia-Pacific Boating March/April 2018 161 Top: sea gypsies preserve a traditional way of life.

IMPORTANT POINTS FOR YACHTS VISITING MYANMAR:

• All yachts must have a permit organised before they arrive in Myanmar. A local guide must be taken on board and he will have the paperwork which proves to the Navy the yacht is allowed to cruise in the Mergui Archipelago.

• All yachts need to take a guide with them; this is compulsory. The guide will also know where great cruising can be found and is important to have in communicating with island natives and any officials. Asia Pacific Superyachts takes 10-15 superyachts into the Mergui Archipelago annually and has access to the best guides.

• There are no marinas in the Mergui Archipelago. However, the onboard guide will know and share the best anchorages with the Captain.

• Some islands are off limits to cruising yachts and the onboard guide will alert the Captain of the latest information. As there are over 800 islands in the Mergui Archipelago, this is not a problem and the Captain will have an abundance of islands to select from. The agent will advise the Captain of the statistics of the area to be visited and will provide information needed for the journey.

162 Asia-Pacific Boating March/April 2018 Asia-Pacific Boating March/April 2018 163 MERGUI ARCHIPELAGO: SEVEN-DAY ITINERARY

The APS Myanmar team can custom design itineraries for touring Day 5: Lampi Island to Salet Galet the Mergui Archipelago for all superyacht visitors. Longer itineraries, The channel of water separating the islands of Lampi and Wa Ale to including inland cultural and adventure visits, are available upon the west is about 150m wide and about two miles long. Either side of request. The following is an example of a brief but rewarding itinerary the channel is banked with steep sloping rainforest and by fringing starting from Phuket, Thailand. below. It is a much-protected piece of water and an area of outstanding beauty. This is a good place to spot monkeys, wild pigs, Day 1: Overnight from Phuket (Thailand) to Kawthaung (Myanmar) hornbills, sea eagles and more. Here you might spot the lesser mousedeer, the only mammal Day 2: Immigration and Island 115 endemic to the Mergui Archipelago. Tragulus kanchil lampensis (named Check into Myanmar in the morning. This is handled by your after Lampi Island) is the world’s smallest hoofed animal, measuring agent working with officials to complete immigration, customs and 45cm and weighing just 2kg. Mousedeer lack horns but have elongated harbour formalities. After formalities, a visit to Island 115 is a nice canine teeth that project out on either side of the lower jaw of males and introduction. Also known as Frost Island, Island 115 has a white sandy are used in fights. Fortunately, the lesser mousedeer is still abundant on beach with clear waters that are rich in hard coral with thousands of Lampi Island but together with wild boar, civet cats and large lizards, is sea urchins and small colourful tropical fish darting around. There among the most-hunted animals in the archipelago. are also opportunities for snorkelling and kayaking, as well as jungle Some scientists even believe that mousedeer were the ancestors of trekking on the island itself. whales and . The reason is that mousedeer have been around since the Oligocene 34 million years ago (and haven’t evolved much Day 3: Island 115 to Great Swinton Island since) and some mousedeer species dive into the water when threatened, Explore the fabulous Great Swinton Island, about 50nm from where they stay under the surface for up to four minutes. Kawthaung. Beaches are empty, sand is golden and water is clear. There are numerous beautiful beaches along the shores of Great Swinton, Day 6: Lampi Island to Pu Nala Island known locally as Kyun Pila. One that stands Visit the Moken sea gypsy village on the out is on the south side on the very western tip northern end of Pu Nala Island, just south of of the island. Lampi. The Moken are traditionally a nomadic seafaring race that does not belong to any Day 4: Great Swinton Island to Lampi Island country, crossing international boundaries Explore and enjoy the rivers, without passports. Whole families live as a unit beaches and swimming, and visit the sea on a single boat. gypsy village at the southern end of Lampi, The wooden Moken boats are passed on the largest island in the Mergui Archipelago. from generation to generation. A wooden The island stretches 20nm north to south cabin starts just forward of amidships, running and 10nm from east to west. To put things aft to the stern and has a roof of thatched palm into perspective, Lampi is uninhabited and leafs or bamboo slats. Some ‘longtail’ boats roughly the same size as Singapore, which have a Yanmar single cylinder diesel outboard has a population of 4 million and is less than engine, with a propeller shaft exceeding 3m. 1,000km away. The Moken people are one of the most Established in 1995 as Myanmar’s first distinct of Myanmar’s many ethnic groups, marine national park, Lampi is rich in living a nomadic, sea-based life. Having adapted biodiversity, and coral reefs. The themselves to the water over many hundreds of Lampi River offers great kayaking and has years, they are the masters of free diving, being some of the area’s most exotic flora and fauna. able to focus their vision under water and hold The island is famed for its many wild animals, their breath far longer than most humans. birds, mangrove rivers, clean water, coral reefs and virgin forest as well as the National Marine Day 7: Back to Kawthaung for check out of Botanical Garden. The tiny mousedeer is native to the Mergui. Myanmar

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