Ngapali beach

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Ngapali Beach on the Bay of Bengal is south west of Bagan, but for some reason our plane journey first takes us north east, back to Heho, before heading south to the coast.  A misty start to the New Year in the Shan Hills means our flight is delayed for a couple of hours, leaving us thankful for our hotel breakfast box as there is no food or drink available in the departure lounge.

Eventually we are on our way with Air Mandalay.  Neither leg of the journey is very long 45 minutes and 1 hour, but there is plenty of time to read the glossy airline brochure and discover they increased their fleet by 50% last year and now have 3 planes! I’m impressed by their marketing – the only internal flight with a glossy brochure – and by their in-flight snack a Danish pastry presented in beautiful eau-de-nil box from the Acacia Tea Salon.  They get my vote.

We may have been in the country for 12 days but at Thandwe airport we have to present our passports at immigration once again – and go through the same process on departure. We take three internal flights, but this is the only airport where we encounter this – may be a hangover from military rule, or another job creation scheme.    

Having been registered we have leave the airport before collecting our luggage, which is taken beyond the airport gates to waiting hotel buses and taxis.  While it may sound a recipe for disaster, it worked very well as a hotel rep took our luggage tags and sorted it all out for us.  The hotel bus is another example of 1940s transport (a la Balloons over Bagan) with a varnished timber interior.

The hotel itself – Thande Beach – our home for the next four nights, is just what we need after our previously full-on tour schedule.  Set on a stunningly unspoilt beach that curves for 1.5km in one direction and 1km in the other, with a plentiful and well-trained staff tending to the rooms, gardens, beach loungers and bar, we couldn’t ask for more. 

While breakfast is included, no-one takes dinner at the hotel.  There is much better, and cheaper, food to be had at the row of ten or so local bar/restaurants just along the beach and we check out as many as possible during our stay. All serve wonderful fresh fish – you can see the lights of the fishing boats while eating – and delicious vegetables or salads, with a free pudding thrown in. Even with beer and cocktails we struggle to spend more than £10 a night.

 Most of the restaurants have a bamboo massage room attached and all offer sunset happy hours, so we swiftly settle into a relaxing daily round of breakfast, beach, reading, quick swim, reading, lunch, beach, reading, stroll, massage, sunset drinks, shower, cocktails and dinner, bed.  The most energetic thing we do during our time here is walk the length of the beach. After a big breakfast we don’t even have to move for lunch, just buy some fresh coconut juice and fruit from the ladies who walk up and down the beach displaying the fruit on their heads.  

Paradise!