When the weather outside is frightful, we’re dreaming of the Andaman Sea… Specifically a new resort debuting on a tropical island in the Mergui Archipelago off the western coast of southern Myanmar. Come March 2018, the Wa Ale Island Resort—named after the 9,000-acre island where it’s located—will open its doors to visitors on a kilometer-long stretch of pristine beach.
This will be the first luxury resort in this cluster of 800 islands in the Andaman Sea, allowing savvy travelers access to an incredible, remote destination blessed with unspoiled white sandy beaches and jungle. In fact, the island is in the Lampi Marine National Park, an ASEAN Marine Heritage site, teeming with marine life like whale sharks, turtles and dolphins.
Wa Ale Island Resort will have 11 Luxury Tented Beach Villas and three Treetop Villas overlooking the turquoise sea. The accommodations were built with local materials (like river stones and reclaimed wood) to minimize impact on the surrounding environment.
There will be two restaurants serving Asian-Mediterranean cuisine. Ingredients will come from the resort’s organic garden and local fishermen (who use sustainable fishing methods). Add this to the bucket list: A private picnic packed up by the chef to be enjoyed on one of the secluded beaches. Recreational activities run the gamut from snorkeling and scuba diving to paddle boarding and kayaking through the mangroves.
Good to know: The resort works with the local community and donates 20 percent of net annual profits directly to the Lampi Foundation.
Related Articles
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi Is Now Open
The Strand Yangon Plans to Finish Renovations This November