Ngapali Beach
Ngapali beach
Palms and holiday chalets on the beach
Ngapali Beach is a beach located 7 kilometres (4 mi) from the town of Thandwe (Sandoway), in Rakhine State, Myanmar. It is one of the best known beaches in Myanmar and is a popular tourist destination.
The beach stretches for 3 km (2 mi) and overlooks the Indian Ocean. The name "Ngapali", has no meaning in Burmese, but comes from the Italian "Napoli" (the city of Naples).[citation needed]
Ngapali Beach has been promoted as a major tourist destination in Myanmar. Several resorts and hotels are located in Ngapali, usually of the high end - such as Bayview Ngapali, Amata Resort, Amazing Ngapali and also the government owned Anawa. Ngapali used to have private bungalows, but these were torn down in the late 1990s to make way for the development of hotels. The hotels and small tourism industry help to provide income for the villages around Ngapali and also Thandwe. There is also a golf course nearby.
The beach is served by Thandwe Airport. All of Myanmar's internal airlines, Myanmar National Airlines, Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways, Air KBZ and Air Bagan have frequent flights to Thandwe from most of their destinations. Ngapali's isolation means that few people are able to afford the airfare, thus making it more popular amongst tourists as an unspoilt and private beach.