The Magical Myeik Archipelago

I recently went on a trip to the Myeik (aka Mergui) Archipelago, in the Andaman Sea off the south coast of Myanmar (Burma). It's a place I had long wanted to visit, ever since reading Siamese White by Maurice Collis (check it out—a great read!). I spent five days in the company of a group of adventurous travellers, cruising around the archipelago, which consists of over 800 islands, mostly uninhabited.

It wasn't a perfect voyage, due largely to stormy weather, as it was the beginning of the monsoon season, but it was a wonderful break from work and my growing dependence on electronic gadgets—phone, laptop etc. I had a great time photographing deserted beaches, villages of Moken people (sea nomads) and, of course, stormy weather.

A story of mine about the archipelago will appear in the July/August issue of Fah Thai, Bangkok Airways inflight magazine, so if you happen to be on one of their flights in that time, look out for it. In the meantime, here's a small selection of images from my trip to give you a taste of this magical place.

Just one of the many beautiful islands in the Myeik Archipelago

Colourful rocks and clear waters

Oriental small-clawed otters playing on the beach

Kayaking round a deserted island

Travel companions on the Sea Gipsy

Moken children

Moken man thatching a hut in the pouring rain

Moken woman repairing a dugout canoe

Flaring sunset in the archipelago