With its translucent turquoise water, white sand, and backdrop of gently inclined palm trees, Ngapali is one of the country’s most stunning beaches, which is why Myanmar’s Tatmadaw  (military) government ear- marked it for high-end devel- opment back in the 1990s. As a   pali  result, the accom modations here are a bit more chic than at resorts on the Delta coast. Tariffs are sky high by Southeast Asian standards, and infinity pools, stylish teak-built chalets, and sun terraces with uninterrupted sea views are the norm.

For the time being, villagers from the fishing settlement  of Gyeiktaw, around the head- land to the south of Ngapali’s  3-mile (5-km) stretch of sand, still outnumber foreign visitors, even during the peak season. However, this looks set to change when a crop of larger resort complexes currently being built are completed.