Burma beach holidays – discovering Ngapali Beach
Mention the Indian Ocean and your thoughts inevitably turn to little tropical islands – the Maldives, the Seychelles, perhaps their larger neighbours Mauritius and Madagascar. What doesn’t instantly jump to mind is Burma beach holidays.
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But the country’s west coast lies alongside the Bay of Bengal, the north-eastern section of the Indian Ocean. And if you’re many nautical miles from the traditional idyllic beach destinations, you’re not short of powdery white fine sand, turquoise seas and places to lounge and relax – plus far fewer people to share them with.
And this being Burma*, a rather different experience to a coral atoll.
I’d debated adding a few days at Ngapali Beach to our itinerary. It was going to be hot again after Pyin Oo Lwin and we’d need to take another couple of flights.
But I knew Minnie would love a bit of beach time to relax at the end of our trip, and I didn’t fancy going all the way to Burma and missing this side of the country. What we found was a tale of two beaches…
Stepping out of our taxi to Gyeik Taw village at the south end of the beach, the first thing which hit us was the smell. Fish. Overwhelmingly fish. Minnie had to be persuaded not to jump straight back in.
Because at this fishing village, they dry their catch on mats and tarpaulins across the beach, hundreds upon hundreds of tiny gleaming silver bodies lined up in the sun.
Out in the water, boats floated on the clear waves, the occasional fisherman waist deep as they finished various tasks. By 10am, it was already hot enough for most people to be taking a break in the shade, watching with slightly amused interest as we wandered down onto the sand.
This is certainly no perfect manicured stretch of beach. Piles of rubbish are strewn around near the village, from the organic – fish heads, unsurprisingly, and piles of chillis in one place – to the manmade, with plastic bags and bottles choking the sand.
It’s a reminder of the gulf between the sleek beach resorts along this coast and the wooden homes here, where life is still far more basic.
A few minutes further north and the setting is transformed – it would be tempting to stay in the luxurious bubble but a visit to the village is one of the things to do in Ngapali that you shouldn’t miss.
A world away (if only a short drive), hotels and loungers line the seafront, soft sand stretching down to the sea, while low-key seafood restaurants cluster along the street.
Ngapali Beach may be the country’s top beach destination, but a Burma beach holiday is still far more peaceful and unspoiled than elsewhere in South East Asia.
By now, the sun was strong enough that the sand was almost too hot to walk on. A few intepid sunseekers had headed into the sea, but as blissful as it looked, Minnie and I headed for the shelter of a beach umbrella.
Each of the hotels seems to have their own stretch of beach and loungers but I worked on the basis that (a) there was hardly anyone else there and (b) I’d happily buy a drink or rent one if asked. Unsurprisingly, no-one even queried us snaffling a parasol.
It’s not the sort of place for souvenir shops either, and without a bucket and spade, Minnie had to improvise with a stick and a piece of tile which she’d unearthed from the sand.
I also found a plastic teacup from the bottom of my bag, courtesy of one of the magazines we’d bought at the airport. As she happily played, I lay back and relaxed.
With hindsight, I should perhaps have booked into a hotel here for our Burma beach holiday: Sandoway (where we appropriated a lounger) and Bayview are two of the best if you want to be right on the sand.
But the new Hilton Ngapali Beach resort and its turquoise infinity pool had called to me, especially when I found an unexpected sale for our dates.
Not far from the airport at Thandwe, the Hilton is about 10 minutes outside Ngapali Beach itself (apparently named after a homesick Italian compared it to ‘Napoli’, and the Bay of Naples – so the story goes).
With big villa-style rooms, rather cleverly designed so you hardly realised there were several in each building, our verandah overlooked fountains in a small lake.
And that pool not only merged seamlesly into the horizon but also had a shallow section which was perfect for kids plus a few pool toys to borrow. Beyond that, a small stretch of beach if you didn’t fancy a taxi to the main bay.
While it all felt rather glossily stylish, it was incredibly welcoming to kids as everywhere seems to be in Burma. Minnie swiftly discovered she could order off menu at the restaurant from the friendly (if slightly slow) staff.
As I wasn’t feeling too well (an ill-advised coffee at Mandalay airport, I think), it was a small relief to have a more Western menu at times too. Especially after foolishly choosing the squid salad which came crusted in chilli seeds…
Between swimming, siestas and sand, we whiled away our final days with a bit of R&R. And too soon, it was time to board the plane back to Yangon and home. Our Burmese adventure (our first one not our last, I hope) was over.
PIN FOR LATER: BURMA BEACH HOLIDAY
Images copyright MummyTravels
*My sister-in-law, who is from the country, calls it Burma so for simplicity, so do I.
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I loved reading about your Burma trip! It sounds like a hidden gem x
Thanks – it was such an amazing trip.
Burma is still a relatively new destination for tourists I think. Certainly there aren’t a whole lot of articles about where to go aside from the usual cruise destinations along the Irawaddy River. How did you come to find this beach?
Absolutely, I think it’s only really been open to tourists for a couple of years and organised tours/cruises are probably the most popular way to get around. I’m honestly not quite sure how I first came across the beach – I had my trusty Lonely Planet guide, my sister-in-law is from the country so I picked her brains (although she more often goes to Ngwe saung which wasn’t as practical for me this time) and I’d come across the new Hilton opening in travel news I think. There’s definitely a lot to discover here.
Your Burma trip leaves me with awe. It’s a wonderful feeling to wander along the white coast especially when you’re with the family.
Thanks! And yes, she loves a beach anywhere but this was beautiful.
OMG this looks like a little slice of heaven! I’m loving all the cute little umbrellas and the swimming pool with palm trees built into the pool! That’s definitely unique and I’ve never seen that before! #MondayEscapes
The pool was phenomenal, just blissful looking out to the sea – and the beach was pretty amazing as well.
beautiful beach! #monday escapes
It was! 🙂
I certainly had never heard of these beaches before, but they look incredible! I would love to visit someday.
They are beautiful, and so lovely to not have to share
The shot of the Hilton’s palm trees at dusk is dreamy! It looks as though you had such an incredible trip.
Thanks! It was amazing sitting watching the sun go down across the pool – we did have the most amazing time.
The pools look so lovely, Cathy. Thanks for the Myanmar beach destination tip.
They were just beautiful.
I remember going to beaches in Africa and noticing the difference between parts of beaches; split very much between ‘working’ beaches and hotel beaches. Burma does look amazing and I’ve really enjoyed reading your posts about it. #Mondayescapes
Yes, I think it’s very much the same – two very different experiences on the same stretch of beach (albeit slightly separated). Burma really was an incredible place. And thank you!
You’re absolutely right on your first sentence, how come Burma’s not on my radar as well when Indian Ocean is mentioned? I’m a travel agent for crying out loud!!! Lol.
I don’t think I realised until I was planning my visit – keeps us ahead of the crowd! 😉
I’m not long back from the Algarve and here you have me pining for a beach again already 🙂
Pining for a beach is my default state of being 🙂 Hope the Algarve was lovely?
I’m always sad to hear about holidays coming to an end but it sounds like you chose a beautiful place to spend you final few days in Burma…fishy smells aside 🙂 #MondayEscapes
It was a wonderful way to end, just lounging by that beautiful ocean – and the fishy part was definitely authentic 😉
How fantastic that you visited Burma! I’m sure we’re like many people when we say it’s someplace we’d like to visit, but not a place we’ve planned to visit. Which is too bad – the hotel and (clean section of) beach look so welcoming. Loved the post overall, but especially because Burma isn’t someplace we’ve considered.
I think that is exactly like a lot of people, that everyone is quite fascinated now the country has opened up but not that many have actually been able to visit and experience it. It is an amazing place, the beach really was the icing on the cake.
Oh my, this is paradise! I had no idea how beautiful the beaches in Burma are!!
Look at that water, wow!!
Thank you for the travel inspiration and for joining #MondayEscapes 😀
The most amazing turquoise blue – it’s a stunning setting.
Wow – sooo beautiful and thank you for giving me a sense of connection to other popular places – i love the sleepier side of the Indian ocean – so gorgeous. Thanks for linking up with #FarawayFiles
Thank you! It is so stunning – and a very different experience
I’d never thought of Burma in this way before. It looks stunning. #farawayfiles
Most people – understandably – think of the temples, but there’s so much variety. And the beaches are stunning!
You are so right Cathy. I didn’t really think of Burma as a beach destination but I am happy to stand corrected. Beautiful pristine sands and the bluest of seas. And it doesn’t seem at all crowded… sounds like beach nirvana to me. Thanks for joining us on #FarawayFiles
There’s so much to discover now it’s opening up, and so much is still developing – worth heading to the coast though, and so few people even considering it wasn’t high season. And thanks for hosting the linky!
This does look like the perfect beach, Cathy. I really enjoy seeing the local life on a beach so it would have been a real treat to see the fish and fishermen. The hotel looks stunning too. Thanks so much for joining up with #FarawayFiles
It was so interesting to see the ‘real’ beach next to the village, and everyday life – even if it’s sad to see the rubbish that results. Glad I experienced both though.
Fascinating to learn about a country I know very little about. The beaches look beautiful and your girl was very inventive with her stick and tile!
#farawayfiles
She really can entertain herself for a surprising amount of time with a stick! Was a lovely end to our trip, and still so much I’d love to see in Burma.
That pool is amazing! I would have never expected such beautiful beaches in Myanmar. #farawayfiles
It was incredible – I do love infinity pools. And such an unspoiled beach, really beautiful.
I had no idea Burma had such beautiful beaches! I’ve always wanted to pay a visit but I had more of a temple-type trip in mind. Now I know I can combine temples with a beach trip, suddenly Burma is very top of my list 🙂 going to see if you’ve got any more Burma posts I can lust over now!
Lots more posts – Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake and Pyin Oo Lwin, plus our itinerary and planning tips! Hope you enjoy reading. And absolutely, you shouldn’t miss the temples but there’s so much to discover and the beaches are pretty blissful.
My brother went to Burma for his honeymoon and ever since I’ve been intrigued. I have to say your hotel looks amazing and I’d really like to be there right now! There’s really nothing better than an exotic beach vacation with great views. #farawayfiles
It’s a fascinating place and the hotel was gorgeous – quite new too. What a fantastic destination for a honeymoon.
Some of my family comes from Burma and we have a lot of Burmese inspired khawsey which I can never get enough of. I never thought to take a tropical beach holiday there but would love to go!
Mmmm I loved the food too – food and beach (and history/culture) is a great holiday mix
Thanks so much for your post! I love the beaches in Burma: pristine and less touristic than others in SEA and your girl looks so cute. Travellers usually don’t know the long coast in Myanmar and just visit some familiar destinations such as Bagan, Inle Lake or Mandalay.
Thanks – yes definitely fewer people on the coast than at the temples and Inle, but it was great to see that side of the country