Mergui Archipelago
| Description |
The Mergui Archipelago was strictly closed to all foreigners until in 1997. Since then we have built up a wealth of knowledge in the area that we enjoy sharing with our guests because of The Mergui Archipelago's isolation it is only superficially charted; the interior of many of the islands has never been surveyed at all. Wildlife is abundant, as is the vegetation on the rain forest clad islands. Beaches are clean and stretch for miles. Pure nature!
| When to Go |
| Routes |
Round
Trip of Southern Mergui – 7 Days
Day
1: Pickup from your hotel in Phuket
at 08:00am for transfer by air-conditioned minibus to Ranong on the Thai
Burmese border. Thai lunch enroute. Check out of Thailand and then transfer
by longtail boat to board Ilala at Kawthung in Burma. Following clearance
procedures depart for a 3 hour "sundowner" sail to Barwell island
for a peaceful overnight anchorage.
Day 2: After a morning swim, we set sail for the "Mid
Group". This group of about 30 islets has hundreds of tiny beaches
and great reefs for snorkelling. Great fishing enroute - fresh fish for
lunch perhaps...
Short late afternoon sail to
Pu Nala for a superb anchorage in the picturesque channel between Lampi
and Pu Nala. Ashore there is a village of the Moken Sea Gypsies to visit
with stunning views from the hilltop pagoda.
Day 3: We spend a relaxing day island
hopping, snorkelling, kayaking and exploring the western coast of Lampi
island, ending up overnight anchored in the beautiful "S" bend
channel of Salet Galet. This is a perfect spot for kayaking with a white
sand mangrove estuary to explore and loads of wildlife and birds. For
the more energetic the high western peak of Lampi island offers great
views and the chance for jungle trekking.
Day 4: Morning sail from Salet Galet
to Great Swinton island. Lots of opportunities enroute to stop-off at
islands to snorkel or scuba dive. Great Swinton has some of the best beaches in the Mergui
and loads of wildlife including wild boar, buffalo, civets, leopard, monkeys and gibbons. Birdlife includes asiatic
sea eagles, kingfishers, brahminy kites, horbills, reef egrets, Chinese
Pond Herons and giant fruit
bats. This is an ideal place for jungle walks - there is even a waterfall
and several rivers to explore.
Day 5: Today we sail from Great Swinton
due south to Macleod island. We pass hundreds of pristine islands en-route
which make ideal stop-offs for lunch, snorkelling and kayaking trips.
For those interested in Scuba diving, there are many excellent dive sites
in this area. You will wish you had a spare 6 months to explore them all.
Day 6: From Macleod island we head east
to the white sand lagoon at Horseshoe island. Yet another island with
white sand, crystal clear water and no other people! The many caves and
lagoons in this area make it an ideal area to explore by dingy. We depart
at sunset for the short sail to Pulau Besin off the entrance to Kawthung.
Day 7:
After a relaxing breakfast it is a short trip up the channel to the Kawthung
anchorage. You then have the chance to visit Kawthung town while we complete
check out procedures. You depart Kawthung at 11:00am for the longtail
trip to Ranong and the onward minibus transfer to your hotel in Phuket.
Arrival time in Phuket is about 17:30pm.
| Access |
· To reach the yacht, you must first travel to Ranong (Thailand 's most northerly port on the Andaman Sea).
· When making a yacht cruise you must enter this way, you should not fly to Burma.
· In Ranong, a member of the crew will meet you, take you through Thai immigration formalities and then across the river by ferry (20 mn) to Kawthung where your yacht will be waiting for you.
· Once in Kawthung, you will spend 1.5 hrs completing Immigration formalities and then you will set sail to the Mergui Archipelago.
Daily flights connect Ranong with Bangkok anf Phuket. Mini-bus from Phuket to Ranong can be arranged (6 hours of travel).