Ngwe Saung, Myanmar’s Silver Coast, is an idyllic 13-mile stretch of sand on the Bay of Bengal, a 5-6 journey from Yangon through the alluvial Ayeyarwady Delta. Where once locals inhabited the land just beyond the dunes, today a stretch of hotels line Ngwe Saung Beach.

Towards the north you will find tranquil stretches of sand disturbed only by gushing creeks and scuttling Sebastian-coloured crabs. Down south, games of touch rugby and volleyball are usually in full swing, and at dusk, if it is low-tide the young men working in the hotels play end-to-end, scrappy games of football.

From this end of Ngwe Saung you will be able to see Lovers’ Island, fit with Buddha image and a reclining mermaid on its eastern rocks. At low-tide one can walk out to this rocky clump and go snorkelling to gawk at the vibrant coral life. When it is good weather, day trips to Bird Island for keen twitchers can be arranged. Renting a motorbike for the day will allow you to explore the surroundings at your own leisure.

At the nearby villages of Thazin and Sinma you will be able to see locals fishing off the beach with enormous nets. Outside of the monsoon season, arriving at these villages before 8AM offers the chance of seeing the fishing fleet return home after a night on the seas, with catches of tiger prawns, barracuda, and tuna.

Ngwe Saung Village 

Ywama (aka ‘Ngwe Saung village’) is a little fishing village slowly adapting itself to its new role as a popular seaside town. As this transformation takes place, as yet none of its charm has diminished.

It hosts a wide selection of restaurants serving fresh, steamed and sautéed fish and seafood. Its sandy roads and collection of quirky souvenir shops may remind one of any seaside town in Europe, albeit with the added Myanmar flavour of monks ringing bells for alms and local pupils heartily bellowing out their lessons from the school at the centre.