Boat tours of Myeik islands attract tourists

MYEIK - The once-restricted islands in the southern Myeik Archipelago, in the Andaman Sea, offer picture-perfect white beaches and clear water. 

Since the easing of restrictions, more tourists are interested to visit the islands and tour companies are beginning to offer snorkelling trips as well as longer live-aboard tours. 

"Many visitors have been travelling to the southern area of the Elephant Island. Our company can operate during the peak season. We can't operate during the rainy season due to the weather conditions and fewer visitors. We now receive over 100 tourists a month. Most of them come from Kawthoung,” said Zaw Ko Win, managing director of Asia Whale Travels & Tours. 

The company offers four-night trips, most popular with Thais and Scandinavians. Tourists have to sleep on the boat as hotels have not been built on the islands yet.

There are four Kawthoung-based Myanmar companies and around 20 Thai companies working together with Myanmar tour companies that tour the islands.

Tourists mostly rent boats and there are usually between seven to thirty tourists on each boat. Each tourist is charged around US$ 800 to tour the Myeik Archipelago.

source: Eleven Myanmar

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