Away to the Bay of Bengal

       Many Western travelers are pouring into Myanmar (some still prefer to call it Burma) these days since the welcome mat has been put out by its government, and Hillary Clinton visited to make it all official. The temples of Bagan and the incredible Schwedagon Pagoda in Yangon are exquisite, but know that the tourist infrastructure is still in its infancy (for better or worse).  And there is every reason to be concerned long term about the preservation of the wonderful architecture and colonial buildings; I hope that organizations such as Yangon Heritage Trust will prevail.

       Last month I saw an article in Conde Nast Traveler about Ngapali Beach, a spectacular swath of fine sand beach way down in the South of Burma, in the Bay of Bengal. The article  said the area "calls to mind the Thailand of decades ago." Cheryl and I stayed at the Amazing Ngapali Resort (95-1-434-2011) so I wanted to put my two cents in.

       First of all, the beach is fantastic ---- large, uninhabited, great for swimming, clean, and it is directly adjacent to the resort:

Ngapali Beach, taken from the Ngapali Amazing Resort

Besides swimming, you can arrange snorkeling (not great because no reefs), boat rides and fishing. The boats can take you to a spit of an island where excellent fresh fish and booze are available from a simple shack. Well worth doing.

       The accommodations at ANR are very comfortable, clean and large enough. Most, if not all, have a small balcony/lanai with a view to the ocean. The food is very good, but stick with the fresh sea food, as one of the guests had a burger she regretted for a few days :(. The vibe is friendly and low key. 

     I have read lots of the reviews on Trip Advisor, and I was not quite as impressed as many of the reviewers. At least in 2012, the staff was still learning service, did not explain procedures and activities well, did not speak English well. The natural warmth and hospitality you find in, say, Thailand, was not evident.  But perhaps this is an unfair comparison, and I'm sure management has been working on service.

     Would I go back? Yes, for sure. We enjoyed ourselves, relaxed, ate and drank well, and the cost was only about $200. per night. That's a bargain. And, of course, the sun setting into the Bay of Bengal is lovely:

sunset from our balcony