After spending 48 hours at Inle Lake, we flew in to Thandwe (SNW Airport) from Heho.
As is par for the course, aside from our hotel reservation at the Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa, we had no itinerary or agenda.
Nevertheless, this is what we did (and I highly recommend all of it).
24 Hours At Ngapali Beach: The Top Things To Do At Ngapali Beach (Thandwe, Myanmar)
An Ocean-Rock Pagoda along Ngapali Beach
Check-In And Hang Out At The Hotel (At Least For A Little While)
First-things-first: When you are visiting paradise on the beach, you’ll need a beach-front hotel.
Although there were many amazing and luxurious hotels to choose from, we selected the Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa because it was one of the only hotels in Ngapali that was bookable on points.
Arrival at Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa
Pool on the ocean. Did I mention I highly recommend the Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa? Â
Plunge pool at the Ocean View Twin Villa With Private Pool
Go For A Walk On Ngapali Beach (And Find The Mermaid!)
Ngapali is to Thandwe what Waikiki is to Honolulu.
This immaculate beach runs from just north of the airport all the way down south to Gyeiktaw.
We walked south from our hotel. It was the perfect place to collect shells, take plenty of beach pics, see some wildlife, and even find a Mermaid.
Hunting for shells
A sand crab made this little “tree” from his burrow
Beautiful lava-rock adorned sandy beaches as far as the eye can see
The fat of the land (?)
Turns out, Mermaids are real
Head Into Town For Dinner
Sufficiently loaded up with oceanic seashells, we caught a tuk-tuk “shuttle” into town.
We had been recommended a restaurant called Htay Htay’s Kitchen as a place known for its Burmese food and drinks.
We were not disappointed, and it was spicy! Watch out for that Papaya salad!
Heading into town
The one and only…
Fresh grilled fish (with some teeth on him!)
The quintessential dish: Shan noodles with egg
Watch The Sunset At SHORE
After dinner, we high-tailed it back to the resort so that we could catch the Ngapali Sunset from the second-story bar SHORE.
Go For A Bike Ride (And A Walk) North Of The Airport
The next morning, we rented bikes from the hotel to explore the section of Ngapali beach north of the airport.
The Amara Ocean Resort kindly let us use their beach (and their bar)
The finest, softest beach I’ve ever set foot on in my life
No seashells were safe
The view northward
I found a small pagoda by the sea
24 Hours At Ngapali Beach: The Top Things To Do At Ngapali Beach (Thandwe, Myanmar)
One of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made in travel was booking only one night in Thandwe. 24 hours is not enough.
In my defense, I had no idea the Ngapali beach would be so pristine, the weather would be so perfect, or the hotel would be so luxurious.
On the long list of places I’ve visited, Thandwe is at the top of my list as a place I’d like to return to, and next time I’m staying at least a week.
Cheers!
