When you hear the word Myanmar, beautiful beaches and crystal clear water is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. Think again, because Southern Myanmar is home to several of the most stunning gems in the whole of Southeast Asia.
While these beaches rival those found in the usual hotspot destinations of Thailand, the Maldives, and Hawaii— lack of infrastructure and tourism to the areas have made them quite difficult to find if you don't know what to look for.
I spent the time getting lost, asking locals for help, and wandering the surroundings for hours so you wouldn't have to. Google Maps is hardly reliable in small villages so buckle up and get ready to explore.
Here’s a look at my top three hidden beaches in Southern Myanmar and why you should reconsider that trip to Thailand in favor of the lesser-traveled Myanmar.
#3 Tizit Beach: A Sanctuary Shrouded by Mountains
Tizit Beach is located about one hour south of the city of Dawei. Getting here is quite a challenge and not recommended for the faint of heart.
The roads are dangerous, unlit, and sandy so only make the trip if you are confident on a bike and double-check to make sure the bike is in proper condition with working breaks.
As a reward for the trouble, expect to see very few, if any, tourists at Tizit Beach. The only people we saw were a few local children playing football and fisherman off the shore.
You will need to rent a motorcycle and traverse across a pretty steep mountain pass to get to Tizit Beach. Expect the journey to take about an hour in each direction.
As you are riding down the peninsula there is really only one main road to take. Stay on the road for about 30 minutes keeping an eye on the right side for a sign marking Tizit Beach.
The sign will come and you will notice an elementary school playground soon after with a small road leading straight toward the mountains. Take the right turn.
Continue over the mountain for about 20 minutes. At the bottom of the pass, you will come to a fork in the road with unclear directions. Going left will lead you into a small cemetery. Heading right will take you through a small residential area and finally to the waterfront.
As with many of the beaches in the area, there will be pretty substantial flooding during the morning, so coming after 3 PM is probably best.
As you arrive, expect to be greeted with panoramic views of the lush mountains, a vast delta plain, and crystal blue water.
The sand on Tizit is a brownish-orange that appears to morph into a deep red color around sunset. It is soft and clean. The beach is also much wider than others in the area allowing you more flexibility to set up camp away from the tide.
In the ocean, the water is warm enough for a swim and the current was nothing to worry about for an experienced swimmer. There are no lifeguards, so obviously swim at your own risk, but we had a nice dip.
A handful of wooden fishing vessels are docked off the coast and provide some pretty interesting watching. The locals were super friendly and the children were curious and happy to see us.
The best part of Tizit Beach is its perfect riding material for a sunset cruise along the water. Near the shore, the sand will harden up and you can bring a motorcycle down to ride on. This was by far my best memory over the thirty days I spent in Myanmar.
Sunsets on Tizit are epic because as mentioned before, the whole place just turns red. But, don’t stay too late as the mountain pass isn’t lit and the ride home in the dark is definitely sketchy.
If you do catch a sunset, I would urge you to be prepared to leave immediately after the sun drops and make sure the lights on your motorbike are working.
While Tizit may not be the most beautiful beach I saw in Myanmar, it holds a special place in my heart and is well worth checking out if you are in Dawei.
#2- Grandfather Beach: Popular, but Plentiful
Coming in at number two on my list of hidden beaches is one of the more interesting ones in Dawei. It is quite popular with locals, but not overcrowded by any means.
Grandfather Beach is another that is hard to find but worth the trouble once you do. Getting here requires about 3 hours on a motorcycle from the city of Dawei- assuming you stop to take some photos and eat along the way.
To get there, continue on the main drag all the way down the peninsula for several hours. At some point, the road through the jungle will cut across and run parallel to the coastline. Once you get to the top of a hill and spot the ocean you are close.
You will be looking for a small town called Kyauk Wap Pyin at the bottom of the hill. Take a right turn and continue for about twenty minutes until arriving at the fishing village pictured below.
From here, it's on you to find the orange-dirt road leading to the beach. It’s steep, slick, and pretty crazy to ride over. It is on the right side of the town if you are looking at the sea from the village.
Grandfather Beach is no stranger to daytime flooding. If you arrive around noon expect to get nearly waist-deep in water crossing from the parking area to the beach.
It’s not all bad news though. This flooding leads to some cool things happening. The restaurants are well aware of the water levels and have situated themselves accordingly. There are also a few swings set up on the beach at the perfect height above the water.
The sand at Grandfather Beach was the softest of any of the three mentioned in this article. It is a fairly popular spot for locals, so don’t expect a completely empty beach. In turn, it wasn't nearly as clean as Tizit and it is also quite a bit narrower.
If you are interested in going to Grandfather Beach but don’t want to deal with the nearly 6 hours of riding in one day, you can check out my full 30 Day Myanmar Itinerary and navigate to the section on Dawei to get some ideas of places to stay closer to the beach.
If you don't have a place to stay at the south end of the peninsula, watching the sunset from Grandfather is unobtainable unless you take the risk of a long and dark ride back to the city (which I would urge against).
Overall, Grandfather Beach has the most infrastructure around it which means you will have plenty of options for places to eat and drink. Plan to make an entire day out of your trip to Grandfather to get the most from the experience.
#1- The Mergui Archipelago: An Unexplored Haven
It may come as no surprise to anyone who has been to Myeik, but the hundreds of remote islands in the Mergui Archipelago hands down take the cake when it comes to beaches in the region.
Had my curiosity from browsing Google Maps and noticing the area via satellite not happened, I would have never found out about the glory of this region. Hardly any information exists on the web and tourism in the area is extremely limited.
While many of the islands are still completely off-limits to humans, quite a few of them have wonderful private beaches to take advantage of.
Having realized many of the people I spoke to during my month here had no idea this type of scenery existed in Myanmar, I feel it's my duty to spread the word and encourage others to see it for themselves.
The only way to visit is by taking an island-hopping tour from the city of Myeik. I actually traveled to Myeik on a whim just based on the satellite images I saw. I'm glad tours of the area actually do exist.
The tours range in price and length but expect to spend a couple of hundred dollars for a 2-3 day tour, all the way up to thousands of dollars for week-long yacht tours. It seems pretty standard that food, a tent, and drinks are provided in the price- but double-check with the travel agency you book with.
During my five days, I came across only three foreign tourists. The guide told me many of the islands we visited have only ever been seen by hundreds of foreigners at most. The area is so secluded and undocumented that it was even unknown to several of the Burmese friends I made over my travels.
At times I felt a little intrusive considering how little tourism comes through the area. At one of the islands we visited, we got to interact with a group of settlers who are 100% dependent on the sea, don't use electricity, and cannot even communicate with the Burmese tour guides. Even here, you could feel a genuine human connection and although we were on their home island, they were welcoming, friendly, and genuinely happy to see tourists.
Back in the city, the locals I talked to were certainly welcoming of me and were happy to see the joy the area brings others. They were glad others could come and appreciate this little hidden gem on earth.
I ended up camping on an island for a couple of nights and the only person accompanying me in the middle of the sea was the island caretaker and his ten puppies. Each day, a small boat would then take us to several of the surrounding islands for swimming, beach time, and snorkeling before returning back to the campsite.
If you are SCUBA certified this is also a fantastic area for diving as it is home to several impressive coral reefs and marine species.
The whole experience of island hopping down south is quite surreal. Knowing this is one of the few places left on earth that have not really been explored gives you a really unique feeling as you are out there in the middle of the sea.
I can absolutely say this should be the top priority on your next Myanmar trip (or Southeast Asia)!
Conclusion
Myanmar truly is a remarkable country plagued with an unfortunate history. The people I met during my time were some of the friendliest and most optimistic in the world- regardless of the hands, they’ve been dealt. While this guide covers some wonderful beaches— and I can guarantee you will have a fantastic time traveling around the country— my main goal is that everyone who visits will sit down and connect with the locals on a deeper level because they have some pretty remarkable stories and I have made friends for life.
Enjoy the trip.
—Hess
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