Location – eleven degrees north of the equator

Kaw Thoung (Victoria Point)
This is Myanmar’s southern most township and trading port. Kawthoung is important in the respect that it is the gateway to the Mergui Archipelago. There is constant construction in this town as there is ever-increasing border trade between Myanmar and Thailand. The population of Kawthoung is estimated at 55,000. Very few of the present inhabitants were actually born there; most have ether drifted there in the hope of finding riches or a an opportunity to improve there life in this prosperous area. Only about ten percent originate from Kawthoung.

Palau Nala – to the south of Lampi Island
The main attraction of Palau Nala is the Moken (sea gypsy) village on the northern shore of the island. The Burmese name for the village is Marghon Galet. This being translated means a channel visited by a foreigner. The village has been there for seven years.

There are approximately three hundred and thirty Moken people living here, one hundred of which are children. Some of the families live on their boats, anchored just offshore, whilst others have made temporary residence under the coconut trees, beyond the beach. They have made wooden huts on stilts. Building materials are free and plentiful, courtesy off the surrounding forest. There is a very small monastery at the Moken village.

Kubo Island
Just west of the entrance to Adam River are five smallish islands the main one being Kubo Island. There is a very nice little anchorage here, protected on all sides with five very nice small beaches all within a stone’s throw of each other. Fresh Oysters can be found in abundance on the rocks at the low water line. The water is so free from pollution that once prized off the rocks they can be eaten straight away without fear of getting sick. All that is needed is a hammer and chisel to break them free, and some lime to squeeze on to the oyster before swallowing!

Salet Galet – to the east of Lampi Island
The channel of water separating the islands of Lampi island and Wa-Ale Kyun is about one hundred and fifty meters wide and about two miles long. Either side of the channel is banked with steep sloping rainforest and by fringing coral reef below. It’s a very protected piece of water and of truly outstanding beauty. Again this is a good place to spot monkeys, wild pigs, hornbills, sea eagles etc.

Clara Island
To the North west of Lampi, lies Clara Islet. The clarity of the water is generally good this far off shore. On the western side of the island there are two beaches of post-card quality. The anchorage here is good with a gently shelving sandy bottom. Looking west from this bay a small island can be seen about a mile or so northwest.

There is another nice small beach on the south east of the island. We’ve seen ashore here there were five baby black tip sharks here, all about half a meter long, cruising back and forth in the shallow water just in front of the beach. This was obviously a nursery for them until they grew big enough to swim over the reef in to the deeper water and become predators themselves. On this same beach we regularly see tracks of Turtles which have swum in to the beach on a high tide to lay their eggs.

"In through the Out-door"! Continue traveling south, stopping at Cavern, McCarthy and Stewart Islands

Wa Ale Kyunn
Situated approximately sixty nautical miles from Kawthoung to the south and one hundred nautical miles from Mergui to the north, this very beautiful island, densely covered in rain forest, lies to the west of Lampi Island, separated by a narrow channel called Salet Galet. It covers approximately five square miles, has many bays and beaches and rises to over three hundred metres above sea level. Our safari camp is situated on the south of the island.

Lampi Island
Lampi is the largest island in the archipelago. North to south the island is twenty nautical miles long and from east to west at its largest extremity is ten nautical miles wide. To put things into perspective, Lampi Island alone is roughly the same size as Singapore, which has a population of four million whereas Lampi is uninhabited. This is all the more incredible when you consider that Singapore is less than one thousand kilometres away.

Lampi is an island of outstanding natural beauty and has been made designated as a National Park by the government. There are endless white sandy beaches along its coast, some of which stretch for two kilometers or more.

On the south western side of the island there are three long beaches which are divided by a small fresh-water river. At the point where the river reaches the sea there has formed a huge sandy spit, which at low tide reaches out to a small island just off the shore. It is possible to walk out along the spit to an adjoining island: there is also an old fishing boat of about fifteen meters in length, left abandoned high and dry on the beach.

The island’s interior is a carpet of thick rainforest and to all intents and purposes is impenetrable. There are two tidal rivers on the west coast that are accessible by a small boat or sea canoe and can only be navigated at high tide. The southern of the two rivers is worth exploring as it has some of the oldest mangrove on the face of the planet. Some of the trees stand between twenty five to thirty meters tall. It’s possible to travel approximately two miles up-stream before the mangroves close in on either side, making further progress impossible.

The wildlife and fauna is plentiful here. Many kinds of bird can be seen including various types of Kingfisher, Hornbill, Pacific Reef Egret, White Breasted Sea Eagle and Heron. Wild Orchids and ferns can be seen in abundance growing on the mangrove trees. The river is quite clear and fish life is plentiful. On one visit here we spotted a small Crocodile. There are also a lot of Python and mangrove snake here.

The other river (Adam River) which is about ten miles further North is also rich in wildlife. Crab-eating Macaque are often spotted on the rocks at the waters edge. This river system is much longer than the previous mentioned. The first two miles or are tidal and then give way to fresh water. The source of the river is at least five miles in land and is the progressively fed by small tributary streams and water falls resulting from heavy rain run off. During the rainy season the river is a torrent, with a couple of areas having rapids. The Mergui Archipelago has an annual rainfall of seven hundred and fifty centimeters per year.

During the dry season the river subsides to a genteel meander. After about four miles navigation by small craft becomes impossible, due to rocks and shallow patches. To reach the source the rest of the journey must be done on foot. It’s possible to wade most of the way, but some sections must be swum. The water is clean and leach-free! Many river fish can be seen, even this far inland. Being this far into the heart of the island is truly awe-inspiring with deep rainforest canopies hanging over head. One can’t help wondering what forest beasts are watching.! Tigers are known to be on Lampi! Many different types of beautiful butterflies can be seen everywhere here in all colours of the spectrum. Traveling overland to reach the source would be impossible.

Cavern Island
Moving further west in to the archipelago the water not only gets deeper but also clearer. Cavern Island is aptly named as on the southern end of the Island there are indeed several large Caverns or caves on the water line, one of which is large enough to drive a small vessel in to. Moving slightly west from the caves is a nice little cove, which has a good anchorage. Going ashore here one will find a fresh water stream. This is used by the local fisherman and Moken to replenish their fresh water supplies. 

Stewart Island
North west of Cavern Island is Stewart Island. The island is very good for Scuba diving. Especially the small island on the Southern end. Which above water has a large hole in it, making it quite spectacular to look at. Diving here is exciting, as there are several good size swim throughs, which are packed with schooling fish, especially red and White Snapper. Black tip and white tip Sharks can be found pretroling the sandy bottom at a depth of around 20m. Good size lobsters are common at this dive site.