Brief Encounters | Why Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago is the ultimate long-weekend tropical island getaway
The lack of direct flights makes arriving in paradise that much more special, especially when it is as unspoilt as the Myeik Kyunzu, where the barter economy beats bills and barefoot luxury is exactly that
The life of Robinson Crusoe, or any other castaway for that matter, can’t have been exactly idyllic. The sands may have been golden, the waters azure, the island “delightfully unspoilt” – but what did he do come happy hour?
One or two resorts have opened up on the islands, balancing their eco credentials with assertions of luxury, and liveaboards still putter about, but otherwise Mergui is one of the few places in Asia that has not succumbed to the homogenisation engendered by mass tourism. The diving is unparalleled, and the sense of isolation untrammelled.
So – assuming this is not blindingly obvious – if there is any time to go, it would be sooner rather than later.
Apart from slurping up the peace, quiet and exclusivity, diving and snorkelling are the obvious recreations, while the Moken (sea gypsies) are tolerant of visitors. Forging a trail through some of the larger islands’ jungles has its Indiana Jones moments.
Where to sleep
