The Mergui (or Myeik) archipelago is an area of 14,000 sq miles that includes over 800 islands. Much of the area is still unesplored or off limits to tourists. It is a largely untouched piece of paradise ideal for sailing, kayaking and diving.

In 1997 the Myanmar military government opened certain areas to Thailand liveaboard dive boats who started exploring the islands. They found some of the best diving in Asia including some high adrenaline shark dives. Although sharks aren’t as prevalent these days as they were, Burma diving is still superb and there are many more sites still to be discovered.

One of the best things about taking a liveaboard cruise in Burma’s Mergui archipelago is that you will hardly encounter another boat but will instead have dive sites to yourself. This makes a pleasant change to divers used to the busier reefs in neighboring Thailand. Most islands are uninhabited save for some communities of Moken (sea gypsies). If the authorities can keep fishing trawlers and dynamite fishermen in check the Mergui archipelago will remain a divers wonderland but this is a big area to police affectively and divers will often encounter signs of destructive fishing on Burma reefs. Some fish and coral species can survive better than others but there is no doubt that the reefs would be better off without these practices.

Mergui archipelago islands are a mixture of granite boulder islands and limestone islands. Many have dense jungle vegetation and miles of white sand beaches.

Due to the large area and the distance between dive sites, (many of the best sites are in open ocean, miles from other land masses) virtually all Burma diving is done from liveaboard safari boat. These liveaboard trips all depart from Thailand and are run by Thai registered companies. The closest departure point is Ranong which is a five hour drive from Phuket Island or a short Bangkok Air flight from Bangkok. From Ranong the boat passes over the estuary to the Myanmar town of Kawthaung (previously called Victoria Point) where immigration formalities are handled before heading north west into the Mergui archipelago. Many dive liveaboards combine Burma diving with dives in Thailand at Similan Islands, Surin Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai and Richelieu Rock. These boats depart from Phuket or Khao Lak. Frustratingly although Burmese waters are just a few miles north of Surin islands, it is necessary for the liveaboard boats to sail around 540 nautical miles to Ranong/Kawthaung to get passports stamped and then sail another 50 or so miles to the nearest dive site. This wastes about one day of diving and the extra miles add to the cost of the cruise. These formalities are fairly straight forward, your tour leader and boat captain will take care of it for you, but they are pricey. The entry fee varies depending on where you dive and for how long but is in the US$200 price range.

Burma Dive sites continued>>

Burma Tourist Information