Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Even today there remains a debate over whether the Rakhine are actually Burmans with
Indian blood, Indians with Burmese characteristics or a separate race (as is sometimes
claimed locally). Although the first inhabitants of the region were a dark-skinned Negrito
tribe known as the Bilu, later migrants from the eastern Indian subcontinent developed
the first Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms in Myanmar before the first Christian millennium.
These kingdoms flourished before the invasion of the Tibeto-Burmans from the north
and east in the 9th and 18th centuries. The current inhabitants of the state may thus be
mixed descendants of all three groups: Bilu, Bengali and Burmese.
Regardless, Rakhine's historical roots are linked to those of northern India, which held
political and cultural sway over the region for centuries before the land fell under
Bagan's dominance during medieval times. In 1430 the local king Naramithla returned
after three decades in exile in the Bengali city of Guar to establish a new capital at
Mrauk U from where Rakhine was ruled for the next 400 years. When the British an-
nexed the state in 1826, the capital was moved to Sittwe.
In 2012, sectarian riots in Sittwe led to the expulsion of that city's Muslim community
(known in the western press as the Rohingya). The unrest was seen as at least partially
responsible for sparking widespread anti-Muslim sentiment across Myanmar; for back-
ground on the Rohingya
Click here
.
Ngapali Beach
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'Getting away from it all' isn't exactly why most people come to Myanmar, but if the
need strikes, Ngapali's idyllic palm-lined beach is
the
place to do it. With its pristine
white sands, the clear blue waters of the Bay of Bengal, and a host of sophisticated ac-
commodation, Ngapali - some say named by a wayward Italian reminiscing about Na-
poli years ago - has a justified reputation as the country's premier beach getaway.
But this is Myanmar, and despite the jet-setters and accolades, Ngapali continues to
maintain a charming fishing-village vibe, as evidenced by the small boats heading out
day and night to catch a bounty that is later served up superfresh in restaurants and ho-
tels. Ox-drawn carts amble along the beach as locals find the sand-ways a smoother ride
than the rough one-lane road. And although Ngapali is currently experiencing something
of a construction boom, fewer than two dozen bungalow-style resorts spread across more
than 15 miles of coast means that there's still a lot of space on the beach.
Peak season is from November to March, yet even at the height of the season, Ngapali
is a snoozy, early-to-bed place. Things are almost comatose during the rainy season (June
