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ShambhalaTravels & Tours |
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ShambhalaTravels & Tours |
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About us | Mergui
Archipelago | Trips | Maps
| How to get there? | Snorkeling
& Sea Kayaking Safari |
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It was BURMA, now is known as Myanmar. A fabulous and extraordinary country. Myanmar is a large country in southeast Asia, with a population of 55 million people. The country is considered as one of the safest country to travel in Southeast Asia. The presence of unimaginable wealth of natural resources is acknowledged throughout the world. The famous precious gems such as the Imperial Jade exists only in Myanmar and the world famous South Sea Pearls could only be found in the Mergui Archipelago. Snowy mountains are at the northernmost tip of Myanmar, where the Himalaya mountain range starts. Irrawaddy, one of the largest river in the world, flows through the center of Myanmar and this river is considered as one of the kindest river in the world. At the southernmost area of Myanmar is the Mergui Archipelago in the Andaman Sea. MERGUI ARCHIPELAGO
The Salone (The Sea Gypsy/Moken)
How to get there
We are the only authorized Myanmar tour operator that has the access to tour the islands of Mergui Archipelago. We offer a wide range of activities such as Snorkeling, Sea Kayaking Safaris, Sport Fishing Safaris, Scuba Diving Tours, Adventure Tours, Natural Dolphins Watching Tours at various choice of beaches, caves, lagoons, dive sites and many other locations in the Mergui Archipelago. We also organize trips for sight seeing Cycus Trees and Bird Nests Caves. Shambhala's wooden boats are also available for island hopping. Scuba diving trips with our premier live-a-board tours give the best opportunity to visit one of the last and most diverse, untouched diving frontiers in the world. Places to VisitThe followings are special sphere of our tours domain:
Kawthaung
The Salone Island (Sea Gypsy Is @ Pulau Besin)The Salone Island is 4 miles from Kawthaung, Myanmar and 6 miles from Ranong, Thailand. It has a pagoda on the hilltop and the best beach around Thai Myanmar Border. It is very close to many good sport fishing sites, sea kayaking sites and snorkeling sites.
Myauk Ni Island (Red Monkey Is @ North Phipps Is)Myauk Ni Island is known as Red Monkey Island and 20 miles northwest of Kawthaung. The white sand beaches, wild dolphins, corals, fishes, forests and birds around the Myauk Ni are also supreme. Salone (Sea Gypsy/ Moken) live on their boat to collect sea-shell, fish and various marine products around the Red Monkey Island. Myin Khwar Island (Horseshoe Island)Myin Khwar Island is also known as Horse Shoe Island is 22 miles South West of Kawthaung. It has protected beach for all seasons, with white sand, crystal clear water and visitors can arrange day trips. It is also very close to a lot of good sport fishing sites, sea kayaking and snorkeling sites. The visitors could enjoy climbing the lime stone rocks, going into bird's nests caves, lagoons, corals, Cycus trees, forests and birds around the Horse Shoe Island. The area is also ideal to explore by Sea Kayaking. Philar Island (Great Swintons Is)The Philar Island is known as the Great Swintons Island, situated 45 miles North West of Kawthaung. The beaches are with very white clean sands. It is very close to many of the famous scuba diving sites and snorkeling sites. The Philar Island has many birds, animals, fishes and marine mammals including monkeys, turtles, sharks and dolphins. Could visit the bird's nests islands and watch the locals collecting bird's nests. The Salone (Sea Gypsy/ Moken) usually travel near this island. Visitors would have a rare chance to see their boats and have good opportunity take photographs. Wa Ale IslandWa Ale Island is 65 miles North of Kawthaung. It is an annexure of the Lampi Island, which is one of the Myanmar's designated National Wild Life and Marine Park. It has various species of birds, animals, fishes and marine mammals, including wild elephants, monkeys, tigers, turtles and dolphins. The beaches on the Wa Ale Island are with very white clean sands. It is very close to many excellent sea kayaking and snorkeling sites. Under Water
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Archipelago | Trips | Maps
| How to get there? | Snorkeling
& Sea Kayaking Safari
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Recommended Myanmar web sites: others
Mergui Archipelago (or Myeik Archipelago as it is now known), is an enormous area, with more than 800 islands, covers approximately 36,000 sq km (14,000 sq miles). Two islands among them are larger than the country of Singapore. Much of the area remains unexplored and in near isolation. Incredible diversity of flora and fauna are swarming in the islands and the waters surrounding them. Some of the islands have magnificent white-sand beaches, unparallel to any of the world's most famous beaches. Among these islands are varieties of mangroves, forests, wild life, lagoons, caves, freshwater falls and rivers.
The area is perfectly safe for shelter even during the strongest of Monsoon season weather. There are many locations for Sea Kayaking and Sport Fishing that are also considered among the best in the world. Many magnificent and world famous dive sites, such as the Burma Banks, Roe Banks, Western Rocky, South Twins, North Twins, Shark's Caves, etc., have not been thoroughly explored. In the deeper waters of the offshore islands of the Mergui Archipelago, rock pinnacles covered with healthy corals, attract larger marine life such as dolphins, sharks and rays. Many species of fish not found in the Indian Ocean are present in the area. For more information, please visit
The only human inhabitants in the area are the sea gypsies, called Salones
(Sea Gypsy/Moken) by the Myanmars and Mokens by Thais and Malays. They live on boats during dry seasons and remain on the islands during rainy seasons. Several of the larger islands are home to small communities of Salones
(Sea Gypsy/Moken). They still practice the same fishing and boat building techniques used for generations. They are skillful in swimming and diving. For more information, please visit
There are regular 1 hour 15 minutes flights from Yangon (Rangoon) to Kawthaung (Victoria Point). Visitors from Thailand could take a 30 minutes boat trips from Ranong (Thai border town) to Kawthaung. There are daily domestic regular 1 hour 15 minutes flights from Bangkok to Ranong and daily 20 minutes domestic flights from Phuket to Ranong. It takes 4 hours by car from Phuket or Samui to Ranong. Entry visas, valid for 28 days, are issued at Kawthaung. We arrange entry Visa-on-Arrival at Kawthaung without extra charges. For more information, please contact:
Kawthaung, the southern most town in Myanmar (800 km from Yangon and 2,000 km from the country's most northern tip), formerly known as Victoria Point, is one of the entry ports into Myanmar and is only separated from Thailand by a broad estuary in the Pakchan River. Across the river is the border town of Ranong, Thailand. Ranong is 120 miles North of Phuket. Visitors from Ranong could take a 30 minutes boat trips to Kawthaung for sightseeing and shopping. There are regular flights from Yangon to Kawthaung. Entry visas, valid for 28 days, and Border Passes are issued at Kawthaung.
The main business of Kawthaung is trade with Thailand, fishing, rubber and cashew nuts. Most Kawthaung residents speak Burmese and Thai. Kawthaung's bustling waterfront is lined with teashops, stores and shops arranging boat charters to Thailand for visitors and traders. A SHAMBHALA Duty Free Shop and a few restaurants in the Burmese palace replica building is located in front of the Kawthaung harbor. A huge bronze statue of King Bayintnaung, one of the great Myanmar kings, out-fitted in full battle regalia with brandishing a sword stands at the crest of a hill on the cape. A spectacular sea and island view from a hilltop pagoda known as the Three Mile Pagoda is located in a fishing village five kilometers north of town.
