Myeik Archipelago

One of the most exotic island world in Asia is in the Andaman Sea.

That includes around 800 pleasant and enchanting islands in the Andaman Sea just off the city and all the way down to Kawthaung the southernmost tip of the country. 

Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon is the most famous in the country. Every day pilgrim come from everywhere in the country and other countries to pay respect  or are just curious what's up here and get a real surprise since this is huge, read more.

This is a island world hidden from most travelers, before the British conquered Burma only a few Chinese junk trade vessels came to barter pearl, amber, wood and other goods for earthenware and porcelain. Some European adventurer followed and reported in some travel diaries. There is still something left of the old days such as the last pearl divers in Asia.

The first was a Frenchman who published a travelogue in 1675. After came some Portuguese trader and pirates, after the Dutch tried some trading but there was still nothing really going on. This changed when the British colonialist took over Burma and started to explore the coast downwards from Yangon.

The islands.

are densely forested with jungle and white untouched beaches with some limestone rocks and granite boulder. One of the very few 'virgin' places in the world. In 1990 the Myanmar government changed the English names of the islands and towns to native names, more or less to the names they had before the British came. This way Mergui became Myeik, Victoria Point became Kawthaung, Tavoy became Dawai Rangoon became Yangon and so on.

There are not hotels or resorts if one wants to stay there the best is to ask for permission from the local Sea Gypsies or Salone, also called Moken in Thailand to stay in one of the beach huts, sounds romantic but isn't.

Only one island beach resort is operated by a Thai company opposite Kawthaung in close proximity to Ranong. Since the end of the 1990 some diving companies operating from Phuket, Thailand, got permission to explore the waters for liveaboard trips out of Phuket.

"Siamese White" by Maurice Collis.

This is the book with the best information about this land in the old days, it was published in 1936.
He wrote the very lively story of the area around during colonial times in relation with the British East India Company, the local people and the Thai Kingdom since at that time the place was Siam. The area was Thai territory until the 19. Century.

From the end of British colonial times until recent days foreigners were kept away from south Myanmar's Tanintharyi / Tennasserim province.

Maurice Collis presented a incredible insight' into the minds and actions of the earliest Europeans who have come to the east seeking to realize different goals, the idea was always trade and fortune.