Myanmar and the Mergui Archipelago: You Won't Know if You Don't Go

Speaking to Noonsite from his current destination in the Maldives, regular contributor James Ashwell noted the stark contrast between the crowded Langkawi-Phuket corridor and the pristine solitude of southern Myanmar. For James, the fact that so few venture into these waters isn’t just surprising, it’s a missed opportunity to see a true maritime wilderness, something he hopes to help change by sharing his experience in this report.

An Overnight Sail from Phuket

Almost all boats going around the world end up in Phuket at some time and there are hundreds of boats in Phuket. So it’s a bit crazy that very few people go north to Myanmar. I think it’s partly down to a misunderstanding as in reality, it’s not as difficult as people think.

At the moment, Myanmar regulations stipulate that you must have a government guide on board. That obviously impinges on your enjoyment of a place when you’ve got a stranger on board. However, we didn’t really mind because we had a group of friends on board and we all just got him busy. He volunteered to clean and look after the boat. It was like having another crew member on board for a couple of weeks, but that was really the only downside.

What was the clearance process like?

I would say that the check-in and check-out process was probably the smoothest and fastest of any place we’ve been to in the world. All officials came on board the boat within 15 to 20 minutes of us arriving. We had to sign a few documents and then they got off and it was all done within about 10 minutes. We also had to make a quick visit to immigration, which was 300 metres away, to have our passport stamped.

So from my experience I thought it was important to let other cruisers know that Myanmar is an amazing cruising destination.  It is not as hard as people think to visit and it isn’t as expensive as you might think either.  If you make the effort, I believe you will experience one of the most untouched and pristine sailing areas in South East Asia.

What time of the year did you visit?

The cruising there in December, January, February is exceptional with nice calm waters.  The breeze is typically present in the morning and dies down in the afternoon, giving excellent sailing conditions between destinations. We usually had a pleasant calm afternoon and quiet evening at anchor.

Interestingly, the winds are coming from the northeast and for some strange reason, they’re quite cold, which was a real surprise to us.  I think this was because the winds are coming down from the mountains of northern Laos and Myanmar. We were using duvets in the mornings, which was just amazing because a day sail down south in Phuket and you’re sweating in the heat 24 hours a day. It was really wonderful. I don’t think anyone mentioned that to me, so it was quite nice to be having lovely hot days and nice cool evenings.

What was the main attraction for you to go to Myanmar?

I guess the main attraction was the fact no one goes. We like going to remote places that are a bit off the beaten path. I checked on Noforeignland and no one had put any comments about Myanmar there. So I thought, well, I definitely need to go there. It was close to where we were cruising at the time, plus the islands of the Mergui Archipelago are world famous for providing some of the most beautiful sailing in the world. I wanted to check it out and see what it was like myself and we found stunning, remote, uninhabited islands.

What were the highlights?

Some of the most amazingly beautiful beaches, very very good anchorages, snorkelling and diving and not another boat in sight.

What about provisioning and fuel?

You do all of that in Phuket before you leave because Phuket’s got absolutely everything you need. And it’s only a day away, so it makes no sense to do anything in Myanmar when you can go to all the biggest supermarkets and refuel easily in Phuket.

How long were you in Myanmar for?

10 days.

Did you clear in and out at the same ports?

Yes, we cleared in and out from the same port, Kawthaung. It’s basically across the river from the Thai town of Ranong. The easiest thing for most people is to clear out of Thailand at Phuket, where the clear in and clear out process is so easy and so well documented, sail up to Kawthaung, clear in, have your time in Myanmar and sail back down to Phuket and clear back in again. That makes the whole process very smooth and very easy.

How did you get a cruising permit?

It’s all done by your agent. He works out your itinerary and where you’re going to go and does all your paperwork, all your formalities. So you don’t have to do anything. You pay his fees and he does everything for you. You don’t even touch the formalities and clearance paperwork

How did you get on to the agent?

A friend of mine that follows my journey knew that I was really keen to go Myanmar and he also wanted to go there but sold his boat. So to help me, he found an agent that spoke perfect English and who turned out to be very reliable. He gave us a really good quality of service because he was so keen to encourage more people to visit the area.  His name was Nai Nai from Burma Sailing.  He was very easy to communicate with via WhatsApp, which might be helpful for other cruisers planning their own trip.

At any time did feel unsafe or have any issues given the security situation in other parts of Myanmar?

No, absolutely not. You’re in these remote islands, 20 – 50 NM offshore and you have an (official) guide on board, so there was no feeling unsafe at anytime during our visit.

I think that’s the case if you’re going to northern Myanmar and you’re flying in and driving. But when you’re on an island in a remote area, just going around untouched beaches, it’s a very different experience.

Did you have interaction with any locals while you were sailing through the Archipelago?

There are some really beautiful villages where the Mokken or Sea Gypsies live. They used to be a sea-going tribe that lived from the coast of Myanmar all the way south down through all of the islands of Thailand and then down to the islands of Malaysia. Around 100 years ago, they were just moving up and down between all the islands. And then, countries developed with borders and these people still don’t have passports. They still live on these remote islands and there are a couple of places throughout the archipelago where you can stop off visit their villages.

What would your advice be to those in Phuket who want to get away from the usual cruising areas?

I would say definitely go north to Myanmar. I find it really crazy that it’s just an overnight sail from Phuket and people just don’t go there. You’ll find some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and not another boat for miles.

Are the locals in the area welcoming of visiting boats?

Yes, of course, They used to have more boats visiting before COVID and before things went south politically. So they are keen to have more tourism.

What would you say about your experience in Myanmar and the Mergui Archipelago?

It’s a great opportunity to get away from the crowds, to get away from the traditional Asian cruising grounds which are very well trodden and busy and to go somewhere completely fresh and new with cool breezes as well. I would really like to raise awareness of this area as a beautiful cruising ground as I honestly think people don’t know about it as a place to get away from the crowds. Hopefully people will see this and go “let’s go there!”

James Ashwell
SV Uhuru of London.

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About the Author

James Ashwell and his crew left London in 2017 on a “lazy circumnavigation” that he thought would take about 10 years.  Nine years into their journey, they have crossed the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, cruising some of the more “off the beaten path” locations.  Before heading across the Indian Ocean, they visited the Mergui Archipelago of southern Myanmar, one of the countries prominent on James’ bucket list.

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Other Noonsite reports from James Ashwell:

• Papua New Guinea:  Do your Homework for an Amazing Adventure
• Solomon Islands:  Be Prepared for Adventure
• Vanuatu:  A Cultural and Cruising Paradise

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.

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