Mergui Archipelago from the sky

Myanmar has finally reopened to tourism, and we thought that was the perfect time to offer you a little scenic flight over some of our favorite islands of the Mergui Archipelago in Burma…

The Myanmar's borders have finally reopen!
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The Mergui archipelago, which has remained inaccessible for half a century before it was opened to boutique tourism from 1997 to 2019 and closed again with the international Covid crisis. Still quite undiscovered, it is the cradle of an extraordinary diversity of species of corals and marine creatures. 
 
​Over more than 400 kilometers from North to South, a set of primary forests bordered by coves of immaculate sand dotted with limestone or granite rocks sometimes held in precarious balance – results of landslides following distant geological phenomena – forms one of the last marine paradises throughout the Indian Ocean.
 
The local population is made up of the Moken, who are nicknamed “nomads of the sea” (an expression which designates various groups in South-East Asia …
 
Myanmar's Mergui Archipelago has more than 800 islands spread across 12,000 square kilometers of crystal-clear waters just waiting to be discovered. Since the Burmese seas were opened to tourism, only a few boats have started to appear there, but the islands remain almost entirely uninhabited except for a few the local moken villages…

Burmese sea gypsies, the Moken

Burmese sea gypsies boats

These "sea gypsies," display remarkable prowess in harpoon fishing and breath holding freediving, conscientiously harvesting from the sea only what is essential for sustenance and trade. Residing within the archipelago, a few thousand of these individuals—thought to have originated from southern China over 4000 years ago—have steadfastly preserved their distinct identity, resisting assimilation into the broader population. Traditionally dwelling on kabangs, their traditional boats crafted from large tree trunks, the Moken have evolved to include modest village settlements where they cultivate basic crops to supplement their fish-centric diet.

Scattered like pearls on a blue velvet bedsheet, Mergui archipelago is a tropical paradise stretching between Kawthoung in the South and Mergui in the North only accessible by boat from the Ranong/ Kawntaung southern Border. 
Myanmar's waters remained relatively unexplored but offer unique topography for experienced divers: with numerous caves, thousands of pinnacles covered in soft corals, incredibly rich Marine life and exclusive dive sites, this is diving like you've never experienced before!
Diving in Burma gives you the opportunity to meet giant Manta Rays, schools of Barracudas, weird Frogfish, crabs of all types (spider crabs, decorator crabs, sponge crabs ...), Seahorses and pipefish, and varied crustaceans including the "photographer- pleaser: the colourful Harlequin Shrimp.
Different types of sharks also inhabit the area and often swim alongside divers and you are sure to be wowed by the size of the coral bummies if you ever got to the Burma banks!

If you have a drone, Mergui is also a great archipelago to visit from above! We hope you like our aerial shots. 

Check here the best dive sites in Myanmar
 
Marine life in the Andaman Sea...
Ultimate Marine Life guide to Mergui Archipelago…
 
An Underwater photographer’s ultimate guide to the Mergui Archipelago...
Mergui Archipelago: Myanmar's diving destination…