Dunia Baru - Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar

The Mergui archipelago, just north of Thailand is one of those places that sometimes feels like you’re exploring the new world. As you’ll see in this drone video by Tim Browning, the topography is a spellbinding combination of sea and mountains.

Dunia Baru spent the beginning of 2016 cruising the Mergui archipelago in oblivion, not seeing another yacht for the entire time there. The owner and charter guests had such a great time, Dunia baru is headed back to Myanmar for the beginning of 2017.

Very little information is available on Mergui through a Google search, which makes the archipelago of around 800 untouched islands all the more appealing.

Most of islands are completely unspoiled: the diversity of flora and fauna on the islands is staggering, and marine life is prolific. Many islands are covered in thick tropical rainforests, while the coral systems here are thriving. The only people who live in the area are the Moken, fishing and free-diving sea gypsies who spend most of their life on water.

Underwater, the best conditions in the archipelago for diving are from November until April; whale sharks and manta rays are usually in the area from February until May. Other marine life includes frogfish, grey reef sharks, ribbon eels, cowries, mobula rays, lobsters, ghost pipefish and nurse sharks.

For the longest time Mergui, which is in the Andaman Sea off the western shore of the Malay Peninsula, has been closed to tourists. It was opened up in 1997 but even now there are very restricted (and unreliable) flights to the area, so the archipelago is still a beautiful, well-kept secret.

If you’d like to charter Dunia Baru while she’s in the Mergui archipelago – or sailing in Indonesia – please get in touch at: https://www.indoyachts.com/contact

Video by:

Tim Browning
Panoramic Journeys
Bird Aerial
Black Tomato