The Mergui Archipelago
An Untouched World - Part 2
Asian Geographic - Sept/Oct 2002

Truly one of the worlds last great, untouched and unexplored wildernesses, the Mergui Archipelago, made up of over 800 wooded, tropical islands covering about 26,000 square kilometres in the Andaman Sea, remained closed to all but the nomadic Moken ( Burmese sea gypsies ) for more than fifty years. As we traveled toward the waters of Mergui, the sky began to fill with a fusion of colors, streaks of pink, orange, red, and purple turned the sky into a spectrum of colours.

The ride on SEAL 1 was an experience itself. We were on board a rigid inflatable with high-powered twin 200 horsepower Yamaha outboards, formerly used by the British Special Forces and Royal Marines. The seas calmed down with the offshore wind and the boat skimmed across a lilac mirror of water. As we travelled toward the waters of Mergui, the sky began to fill with a fusion of colours. Streaks of pink, orange, red and purple adorned the sky. It seemed as if the world had attained perfection,. The sky, the air, the water and the earth were in accord. Time appeared to stand still, and for a split second I had a small revelation as to what eternity would be like.

Entering Mergui was amazing as I felt myself slip through a crack in time. Three hours late we arrived at Wa Ale Kyunn, a small island situated approximately 60 nautical miles from Kawthoung to the south and 100 nautical miles from Mergui to the north. We anchored in its tiny crescent-shaped bay from which we could see, off in the distance and silhouetted against the sky, a cluster of islands composed of curtains of lush, forested hills with jagged peaks. As I stood on the bow of the boat the view held my breath and I was awestruck. The wind was calm turquoise waters and the sea was soft as silk. We could not have asked for a more perfect night nothing moved. Uninhabited islands, white sandy beaches, calm turquoise waters and the enchanting jungle of the Mergui Archipelago were just waiting to be explored. The crew lowered the kayaks and positioned them parallel to the boat, making it easy to climb in without getting our feet wet. I glided effortlessly in my kayak over the still waters to the mile-long beach. We were welcomed with smiling faces while our bags were taken to our tents. The central facilities of the carefully selected campsite included a dining and lounge area ( incorporated under a central tent ), a kitchen area, spacious two-person sleeping tents, toilet and showers. Against a backdrop of shooting stars and lapping surf, we gathered around a crackling campfire to eat dinner, then stayed up late into the night to watch the stars while keeping warm by the glowing embers of fire.

In the morning we woke to the sun peeking over the hills that ringed the camp. The sea was already sparkling in silvered diamonds. After a hearty breakfast that included scrambled eggs and croissants, we loaded up our snorkeling gear and paddled along the island's edge. For the rest of the day we kayaked, snorkeled and swam along the south coast of Wa Ale Kyunn.

Below us in the clear water was an explosion of life. Green sea turtles and fish of every shape and colour swam among the coral-encrusted boulders. A school of Blue-ringed angelfish stood out starkly against the sand and rocks along the bottom. Along with the usual reef fish were interesting critters such as Clown and Painted frogfish, Ghost pipefish and others. It felt as though we were swimming in a huge aquarium as fish darted in and out of the crevices of the different shades of soft coral.

After a full day of snorkeling and serene paddling we made our way back to camp in time for a spectacular sunset. Recharged, revitalized and pleasantly relaxed, I joined the other lodgers for cocktails and snacks by the campfire followed by a sumptuous Thai dinner. In the deep blue indigo arena overhead, the stars began to twinkle. The hush, broken only by the lap of waves on the shore, lulled un into deep sleep.

There was not a cloud in the sky the next morning as we headed out on SEAL 1 to Mergui's only settlement on Pulau Nala, a village of about 400 sea gypsies and Burmese fishermen who live in houses, built on stilts, standing on the shore. As we pulled our kayaks up on the shore. As we pulled our kayaks up on the beach a small boy came running down towards us. He had a huge grin on his face and motioned to me - he was asking whether he could try my kayak. I laughed at his eagerness and gave him the paddle.

We walked through the settlement of these nomadic people who live mainly on boats: fishing and travelling from island to island. They make use of the forest: digging for yams and utilizing almost 150 plants for medicinal, cooking and building purposes. They are excellent divers and can retrieve sea slugs and shells from depths of up to 25 metres.

We made our way back to camp where we had dinner on the beach and stared out over the calm waters of the Andaman Sea. To the accompaniment of haunting flute music, the rim of the sun met the rim of the sea with a perfect infusion of orange into the upper reaches of crystal blue. I stayed awake listening to a cacophony of animal noises that created a jungle symphony seeming to emanate from every direction. Day changed swiftly to night, dense with stars, the soothing hush of surf and the nocturnal sights and sounds of this mystic jungle.