Myanmar – Wa Ale

We were originally due to travel to Myanmar in April 2020. There were two things that I was really excited about, the first was ballooning over Bagan, and the second was visiting Wa Ale – a newly opened eco retreat in the Andaman Sea. Unfortunately, fate conspired against us, and our trip was cancelled on the back of the Covid lockdowns. We resolved to visit when circumstances subsequently allowed.

However, it looked as though we were never destined to visit the region when a military coupe was launched in 2021 and has raged ever since.

Not people to be easily dissuaded, and encouraged by friends in the village, whose son lives in Myanmar, we decided to try and make at least an element of our trip work. The northern part of Myanmar is a no-go zone. It’s literally a warzone. However, we figured we could make Wa Ale work. The archipelago is safe, and the management team at the resort assured us that they could safely and efficiently get us in and out of the country.

So, after a flight from Bangkok to Ranong we finally find ourselves at the Thai border looking across a relatively small expanse of water towards Kawthaung. A representative from Wa Ale meets us at immigration and together we take a short boat ride to Myanmar. As we get closer to the dock, we see Brahminy Kites flying overhead, gold temples poking through the canopy of a neighbouring island, and an entourage of staff waiting to greet us on arrival. It immediately feels like a very special place!

The manager of Wa Ale, Aung, has travelled to meet us, and greets us at the boat. Together with his team, they have us processed through immigration (which is basically a shed) in a matter of minutes. Even though we have previously completed digital visas, it is still impressively slick. Before my proffered cold towel has even had a chance to warm in the tropical heat, we are loaded onto another boat, and are heading into the Mergui archipelago.

If the South Pacific has 50 shades of blue, the Andaman has fifty shades of green!

As we travel towards our home for the next week, Aung explains that we are the only guests on the boat, and in fact, the only guests on the entire island!

Wa Ale, was built in 2018, by Christopher and Farina Kingsley. Aung has been there from inception, helping the Kingsleys to build the resort. As he explains, they had shared a dream. The result is a 14-bedroom eco-resort set on a private island. Although they had proactively approached the government with a proposal, it was not plain sailing, and the government invited competitive tenders. Fortunately, the team were well prepared and were awarded the lease – unsurprising given their passion for the project. The team built everything from the ground up. In parallel, the Lampi Foundation was established to fund social and conservation projects.

Fair to say that we love Wa Ale, from the moment that we arrive. The tide is out, and we are met on the wet sand by golf buggies that whisk us through the mangroves and jungle to the main pavilion. The staff are warm and welcoming and even though we are severely out-numbered, we quickly feel ridiculously spoiled and well cared for.

We’ve chosen to spend our time in one of the tree houses that sit sympathetically within the jungle, framing the beach. From our vantage point in the canopy we can see the green waters and a long stretch of beach. A pretty substantial spider interrupts our view of the sea and serves as a reminder that this is a very tropical spot. If any further evidence were required, we soon become familiar with our resident Tokay Geckos that live behind the wardrobe.

We head out to explore the aptly named Turtle Beach and find ourselves outside the rather lovely river café, overlooking the sea. It’s all a little mind-blowing, if truth be told. We have this gorgeous beach, the bar, and everything else here entirely to ourselves. I’ve played so called ‘millionaires golf’ before – i.e. times when you have the entire course to yourself and don’t see another player. This is the travelling equivalent…

We sit with cocktails watching the sunset, and reflect on how incredibly lucky we are. No two people should have this to themselves – it’s too much. That said, we feel incredibly grateful, and know that this is a never to be repeated experience.

We head over for dinner, where Aung introduces us to Larisa, the islands resident yoga instructor. Jenn has been doing yoga for years, and I’ve always fancied giving it a go, but never quite got round to it. This feels like a great opportunity to break my duck, and we agree to a 6.45 wake-up call and yoga at 7.30.

If we felt spoiled before, then by the time we are finished with dinner, it feels as though we have reached new heights. Allan’s food is really excellent, and the waiting staff are impossibly kind.

Feeling almost giddy, we head back to our room, through the torch-lit jungle. It’s amazingly noisy! Literally a cacophony of sound. We’ve heard cicadas before, but these are on acid! The noise is incredible and very atmospheric. Apparently, some species of cicada can produce a call in excess of 120 decibels! Back in our room, where the staff have prepared mosquito nets over the bed, the waves crash on the rocks below, competing with the cicadas for attention. Complete sensory overload!

We wake naturally with the light. In actual fact, it’s a combination of light, and the resident troop of monkeys crashing over our roof that wakes us – serving as a reminder of where we are.

A walk along the beach takes us to my first-ever yoga class! As yoga settings go, this is pretty hard to beat! So far, so good.

Jenn hasn’t practiced yoga for over 7 months so Larisa kindly decides to take it easy on us. That said, I find the basics pretty tough. Turns out breathing is far harder than I thought! 😉 Quickly discern that yoga is about concentration, focusing on your breath, and moving gracefully through fluid movements. Unfortunately for all concerned, grace and fluid movement come a long way down my list of personal attributes! But I give it a go, and notwithstanding my appalling levels of competence, I enjoy the challenge and the morning stretch.

After a hearty breakfast we head out snorkelling with our guide, William. Really lovely guy who is here for a month from Thailand. Before we head out, we are introduced to two baby turtles. They are being cared for at the resort until they are strong enough to be released, which may be as long as two years. Beautiful little things!

The house reef is teeming with fish, with a strong current that makes it effortless to cover the area.   

That afternoon I start my favourite activity in the jungle – wandering around with my camera. I love the place! Literally everything moves! There are countless butterflies, Oriental Pied Hornbills, Drongos (black bird below with crazy tail feathers), and plenty of macaques. It’s the type of place where you know full well that for every one creature you see, there are hundreds of eyes silently watching as you crash around.

Day two of yoga starts gently. However, I take the instructions very literally and pay close attention to what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m slightly perplexed when, with my weight supported by my left arm, and my right arm extended, Larrisa invites us to take our left hand and stretch it towards the sky. Panic! Day two and I’m being invited to levitate! Feels pretty like pretty advanced stuff! 😉

Love hearing about Larisa’s story. Heralding from Romania, she had 4 days notice about her seasonal placement in Myanmar. For most, that would be a hard no. Full credit to Larisa, she jumped at the opportunity and the rest is history. Brave decision, but what a reward.

We have a busy day visiting two local fishing villages. The first, and largest of the two, is a Buddhist community, where we are afforded the opportunity to visit a local school during lunch break. The sweets that we’ve brought with us are quickly distributed amongst the giggling children. Not sure they have ever seen anyone quite as white as me before! Jenn is given flowers by some of the children, creating a passing resemblance to Princess Di! Makes me smile.

The village is interesting, although I would describe the attitude of the villagers (particularly the males) as ‘strongly indifferent’. Feel safe enough, but also feel slightly intrusive. One of the most interesting aspects of the village is the two communities that co-exist here. Some of the fishermen have permanent dwellings, whilst a second group, the sea gypsies are largely nomadic. The latter, live aboard their boats, moving from place to place and living a subsistence lifestyle. Children are not schooled, and they typically favour barter over exchanging money.

The second village is a Christian fishing village and the vibe is considerably more welcoming. We even get to meet the pastor of a beautiful green church, over fresh coconut juice. The village has been completely relocated in recent years following a devastating monsoon, during which many people lost their lives and the village was flattened. The Myanmar government down played the catastrophe and refused external aid. Very sad that the country lacks competent leadership (although who are we to talk in the West).

From here we are utterly spoilt with lunch on a secluded beach. Beautiful sand, warm water, and an excellent lunch. Could very definitely get used to this lifestyle!

As the sun starts to set, we make our way to the so-called Hornbill Island. Right on schedule large flocks of Plain-pouched Hornbills start to return to the island. We probably watch a couple of hundred over the space of about 45 minutes. At the same time more than a dozen kites circle the island. Pretty magical and the sight makes for some cool photos.  

As if that weren’t quite enough for one day, at dusk we head for yet another spot. Looking up we watch as a constant stream of flying foxes make their way out of the forests and into the darkening sky. What an amazing day!

We decide to take it easy the following day with obligatory yoga, ahead of a lazy day on the island. That said, I continue my nature walks, trying desperately to capture the tiny red Crimson Sunbirds that seem to want to evade my camera. In the evening we hike up to a view-point to watch the sunset. It’s pretty steep and I feel decidedly guilty at the fact that our guides are carrying a water cooler full of cold beer for us!

Part of the reason for the hike is to look for the Dusky Leaf Monkey (also known as the spectacled langur), but sadly they elude us.

The sunset when it arrives is beautiful. It’s somewhat tainted by a fishing boat making its way perilously close to the island’s reefs. Technically no fishing is permitted within 3 miles of the shore, although it is almost impossible to enforce. It’s a great shame.

As we walk to yoga the following morning, there is excitement on the beach ahead of us. Several of the staff beckon us over and are super excited to show us two green turtle hatchlings! We knew the eggs were overdue and had dearly hoped to see this!

We watch as the staff help to dig the turtles out of the sand. Turtles lay their eggs some two feet below the sand, so it’s a lot of work for the new arrivals to claw their way out of the sand before making the long journey to the sea.

Ordinarily, it would be an exhausting and perilous journey. Birds, crabs, and monkeys all enjoy turtle! They are tiny and completely defenceless. The odds of a turtle surviving to adulthood range from the most optimistic of c.1000 to 1, through to the most pessimistic of c.10,000 to 1! Obviously, I don’t find this out until later – pretty sobering reading. Grateful that the Lampi Foundation exists to try and tip the balance in the favour of these beautiful animals.

We watch as over 20 turtles gradually emerge. They are collected in a bucket before we take them down to the seas edge to release them into the wild. Cutting out the journey over the sand reduces the risk of land-based predators and helps them preserve energy. Really incredible experience – definitely makes it on to our Top 10 list.   

At the end of our yoga class, Larisa suggests that we pick goddess cards. Why not? In for a penny. I draw Saraswati (Goddess of Self-knowledge), whilst Jenn picks Khadijah (the mother of believers). I will paraphrase somewhat, but there is a very clear message here about me doing something more creative (which may or may not include playing more golf) when I return from our adventures, and a message that Jenn will support me in doing so by continuing her stellar career. 😉

Now, I may be choosing to interpret the cards a little broadly, but pretty certain, that was the basic gist. Who are we to argue with the cosmos. Although I jest, our cards do actually resonate with us.   

Our goddess revelations are followed by an afternoon of paddle boarding. The boards are pretty sturdy and very difficult to topple. Needless to say I fall in within minutes of leaving the boat! 😉 I manage to avoid the hefty number of jelly fish in the water and we make our way through the mangroves. Beautiful and very peaceful. At the end we reach a small waterfall that is used as a fresh water source by the locals.

Once back on the island I go off in search of the elusive spectacled monkeys. Aung has given me a good idea of where to find them. After nearly an hour or so, I’m confident I can hear them, but they must be hiding in the trees.

Just as I’m about to give up, something brushes past my legs in the jungle, nearly necessitating a change of underwear! Fortunately, for me it’s just Jackie (one of the islands dogs). He darts past me and further into the forest. A few minutes later he starts barking and the monkeys respond in kind. The presence of the dog is enough to tempt one of the langurs out to investigate. Result! Thanks to Jackie I get clear line of sight, and manage a few decent shots. Would never have managed it on my own!

We visit Honeymoon beach that evening. It’s a short boat ride to the neighbouring beach. Beautiful spot. The second of Wa Ales projects is nearing completion at this site. The main resort has 14 rooms, whilst Honeymoon beach has been designed as a stand-alone get-away for a family or group of friends. Open next year and I’m sure it will be incredible! I already envy the guests.

That evening we are fortunate enough to meet the owner of Wa Ale, Christopher Kingsley. For several days the staff have been buzzing at the prospect of his arrival on the island. Rightly so, all of these people are employed because of his vision and support. We are fortunate enough to get to know him a little bit over desert that evening. Really inspiring story, about a guy who pursued his passion and spent two years on the island whilst his vision came to life. A long way from the comfort of New York City.

If you are interested you can read more here. Loved hearing about the early days of the project, the three PMs they burned through, and the process of buying 300 tonnes of reclaimed wood. Makes me smile listening to the attention to detail that was put into every element, including the furnishings. Also good fun hearing about some of the more colourful guests!    

All too soon it is our last yoga session. I’ve really enjoyed our morning routine and will certainly be sad to say goodbye to our ever-patient teacher. Feels as though I’ve made progress over five days and Jenn has increased her mastery. Suspect we may see Jenn on one of Larisa’s retreats in the not-too-distant future.

Final snorkel on the reef that afternoon and a last stroll through the mangroves brings our time on this magical island to an end. The fact that we have been the only guests certainly made our stay unique, but it would have been special regardless. I’ve loved being able to stroll around an island that is still wild, full of wildlife, and where secrets are revealed with persistence. Feel very fortunate to have been able to experience somewhere so unspoilt. The staff have made our experience even more special, and we have gradually relaxed into our incredible surroundings during our time here.  

The following morning, we are accompanied back to Kawthaung by Larisa and Aung. As we walk through the mangroves to the boat, we watch the monkeys eating crabs on the tree roots, and I’m tempted to get my camera out as two kingfishers pay their last respects.

Jenn and Larisa chat for most of the journey back whilst I kick back and watch the world pass by. Just as we arrive at the dock, we spot two dolphin, Myanmar’s passing gift.

It feels like this trip was a long time in coming, but I’m so glad that we persevered. While we’ve only been able to see a fraction of Myanmar, it is a country that has left us wanting more. Perhaps one day! Our next stop in Cambodia has a lot to live up to!