Two thousand kilometers of coastline — much of it long stretches of white sand put Myanmar in the running to be Asia’s next super-popular beach destination.

Many of Myanmar’s beaches are unspoiled and undiscovered.  The best ones are along the shores of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.  These beaches face west, virtually guaranteeing great sunsets.

Here are four of the best Myanmar beaches to visit.

It is famous for its natural and unspotted beauty up to this day. The beach stretches about 3 km with soft white sand fringed by coconut palms.  It is situated about 7 km away from Thandwe (Sandoway), one of the ancient Rakhine (formerly Arakan) towns.  It is said to have been named after the Naple of Italy by a homesick Italian. Ngapali Beach is one of the loveliest places in Myanmar.

Ngapali beach is for people who like peace and tranquility, and visit places “far from the madding crowds”.  Bicylce tours are arranged to visit the nearby villages. The villagers usually sun dry their fish, shrimp and coconut. These products are transported to Yangon and all over the country. The best time to visit this beach during October and May of every year.

Ngwe Saung Beach is one of the loveliest and most pleasant beach resorts in Myanmar.  Located in the Ayeyarwady Division, some 48 kilometres from the town of Pathein, Ngwe Saung, with a beach frontage on the Bay of Bengal with its clear blue waters, its white crested waves, sandy beaches and unspoiled and pollution-free natural surroundings, is indeed one of the best places to select for a holiday interlude of rest and relaxation.

Ngwe Saung extends its warmest welcome to all visitors who wish to relax amidst the waving palms and balmy breezes of a truly memorable ocean resort.

The beach stretches for several kilometres and Ngwe Saung village can be found towards the northern end; it has a host of places that serve a variety of fantastic seafood dishes, including crab, shrimp, lobster, and various types of fish, as well as shops selling locally-produced handicrafts.

Chaungtha is a village and beach resort located in Ayeyarwady Division, Myanmar. Chaungtha Beach is about 5 hours’ drive away from Yangon, and is a popular resort as it is relatively more affordable than the nearby Ngwesaung and Ngapali beaches.  You can find the largest number of locals on holiday here.

Chaungtha received its name from the small stream (Chaung) which flowed at the western part of the village. Tha means pleasant in the Burmese language. Thus, Chaungtha means Pleasant Stream in Burmese.

There are classic beach activities aplenty in Chaung Tha, including horse riding, bicycle and quad bike hire and inflatable rings.  For the more adventurous, there are two islands that can be visited nearby: a larger one directly to the south of the main beach, which can be explored by foot and has a hilltop pagoda at its northern headland, with great views out to sea; and a smaller sand and rock island which can be seen on the horizon from the main beach.

Maungmagan beach (also spelt Maung Ma Kan) is situated 12 kilometres west of Dawei with its beautiful setting of hills rising straight up from the shoreline. It is Myanmar’s second most culturally significant beach after Ngapali.

Comparing to other beaches in Myanmar, Maungmagan is very under developed and primarily servicing the local Dawei residents. As a result the beach is very quiet during the weekdays.

Maungmagan is best used as an accommodation base from which to explore the other nicer beaches to the North and South.

There are a host of simple restaurants serving fresh seafood here and a 30 minute walk south will take you to a characterful fishing village with small boats nestled in its harbour – and some picture-perfect beer stations where you can relax and take in the views and sea breeze