Myeik Archipelago, Myanmar

Welcome to The Myeik Archipelago

The Myeik Archipelage, located in the Tanintharyi Division, the most southern division of Myanmar, comprises 800 islands distributed along 600 km of coastline in the Andaman Sea, The Archipelago forms a single large transboundary marine ecosystem, together with the other 40 neighbouring islands located in Thailand. The islands, made primarily of limestone and granite, were formed by a combination of tectonic movement and volcanic activity. Ranging in size from very small to hundred of square kilometres, they are covered mainly by tropical lowland wet everygreen forests with a high biodiversity and surrounded by an extensive coral reef system.

The Myeik Archipelago contains most of Myanmar's coral reef, along with some of the best preserved mangrove forest and seagrass meadows, making if of high grobal importance for marine and coastal conservation.

It includes important sites for wildlife, including breeding beaches for sea turtles, aggregation sites for marine life like mantarays at Black Rock, and group roosting sites, like the so called Plain-pouched Hornbill island.

The Myeik Archipelago includes one Marine National Park (Lampi), two shark reserves, three small crabs protected areas and two locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs).

Travel Tips

The Myeik Archipelago can be reached from either Myanmar or Thailand. From Myanmar, the quickest way to reach Kawthaung is by plan. A number of airlines offer domestic flights from Yangon, which can take 2 hours and 40 minutes (with stops in Dawei and Myeik). Improvements to the road between Yangon and Kawthaung have recently been made, but at the time of writing, there are no details of any regular transport services. The road journey from Yangon is long and involves 2-3 overnight stops.

From the Thailand side, Kawthaung is reached via Ranong, Thailand. The border crossing involves a longtail boat ride to Kawthaung that takes approximately 30 minutes.

Visa and Permits

To reach Mergui Archipelago, international visitors require special permits, which are arranged through licensed tour operators. For live aboard cruises, permits will be arranged as part of the service provided by your tour operator. Tours must be booked at least two weeks in advance of travel to obtain the travel permit in time for your trip.

Accommodation

At present, accommodation for international tourists is limited to live-aboard boats. Companies that provide live-aboard tours. 

Money Matters

Only Myanmar Kyat and Thai Baht are accepted in the Myeik Archipelago and Lampi Marine Nation Park.

When to visit

The best season to visit Mergui Archipelago id from October to May during the dry season. From December to March, it is high season, with pleasant northeast winds, hot and sunny weather during the day and cool temperatures overnight. This is a great time of year for sailing and fishing, Between April and May it is very hot, with little wind. There is great diving and migratory whales can also be seen during these months. From June to September the Park is effectively closed, with heavy rain, strong winds and rough seas. Occasional showers can still occur in October and November.