We
were met at the Thandwe airport by the vehicle pictured at the left, an
honest to goodness working bus dating from 1923. For all we know,
Somerset
Maugham could have ridden in it! It was a loud and breezy ride to the
resort,
as the windows were missing from the bus, and clearly so was the
muffler.
The bus itself is not a simple curiosity piece; hundreds of these are
still
in use in the Myanmar mass transit system in cities such as Yangon and
Mandalay. They are held together by spit and glue, and all of the parts
have to be fabricated by hand--where there is a will, there is a way.
To
the left is the beautiful entrance to the Sandoway resort, an avenue of
carefully manicured shrubs and plants opening onto a teak entry hall.
The
Sandoway distinguishes itself by its elegance and simplicity of design.
As you can see from the photo to the right, the entryway is
constructed
in traditional fashion, with teak beams supporting the traditional
thatched
roof. Along the center of the top beams is a textile runner that gives
a more "finished" look to the entryway, while the sides are lined with
potted plants. At the end of this entrance hall is the reception area.
From
the reception area one walks down a shorter hallway similar to the
entryway
pictured above. This takes you to the lounge area. The photo to the
left
shows the bar area (in the center of the photo) with its distinctive
tiger
bench. The room has the same white linen textile suspended from the
ceiling,
and in the glass cases are memorabilia from Ngapali and the surrounding
area. In the center of the room is a traditional Burmese fishing craft,
filled with carvings of cats. Beyond the boat is a lounge and indoor
dining
area. On the walls are historic photographs of Yangon, Bagan, and
Mandalay.
Amenities
notwithstanding, the real reason for coming to Ngapali is to enjoy the
beautiful beaches and the crystal clear aquamarine waters of the Bay of
Bengal. The photo to the right completes our tour of the basic common
facilities
of the Sandoway, showing the outdoor dining area and the boardwalk with
the teak deck chairs facing the water. The photo to the right is shot
from
slightly further down the walkway and shows the beautiful beach area.
As
this is the only major resort at this end of the bay, it is a quiet and peaceful place to get some sune and catch up on your reading.
The accommodations at the
Sandoway Resort are all private bungalows. To
the left is a photo of the bungalow in which we stayed. They are two
storey
dwellings, with a small living room and bath on the first floor,
fronted
by a deck facing the water. The upper story is a loft with a king-size
bed and a small landing looking out toward the Bay of Bengal. By
clicking
on the arrow at the lower left of the photo below you can take a guided
slide show tour of the bungalow. Our impression of the accommodations
was
mixed. On one hand they are absolutely beautiful, and the interior
layout
is stunning. However, they have no air-conditioning and, even worse,
almost
no cross ventilation. In the hot season (we were there in March) they
are
absolutely stifling during the day. There is an evening breeze, but to
open the doors and windows too close to sunset is to invite hordes of
mosquitoes.
It was a beautiful place to see, but rather uncomfortable. to live in.
We were told that the designer was an award-winning architect. I can
only
surmise his other award-winning designs were saunas. It might be a
different
story when the weather is cooler. I hope so, because it was a gorgeous
bungalow.
