Western Myanmar is made up from Rakhine State, formerly known as Arakan, and Chin State, bordering Bangladesh and India. The main attractions of Western Myanmar are the ancient city of Mrauk U in Rakhine State and the deserted sandy beaches on the Bay of Bengal. A newly opened area is Mount Victoria in Chin State, a national park and an area of outstanding natural beauty.  

Back in its 15th century heyday Mrauk U was one of the richest cities in all of Asia, and there are many places of interest to visit in the ruins of this once great city including the well-preserved Shittaung Temple, Laungbanpyauk Pagoda, with its exquisite carvings, the ornate Sakyamanaung Pagoda and the largest of Mrauk U’s stupas, Yadana Mannaung. Also of interest are the ruins of the Royal Palace and the Archaeological Museum. From Mrauk U it is easy to visit the nearby Chin villages, where the women traditionally have their faces tattooed. Mrauk U is reached by a five hour boat journey on the Kaladan River from Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State. 

Myanmar’s best beaches are to be found 200km to the south of Mrauk U on the Bay of Bengal. Ngapali is the country’s premier beach destination and has long stretches of sandy beach, swaying palm trees and some very nice small-scale resorts. Further south is Ngwe Saung, another area with a long pristine sandy beach. Newly opened to tourism, Ngwe Saung now has some fine international standard resorts with all kinds of water sports and excellent seafood on offer. The best way to reach Ngwe Saung is by boat on an overnight cruise through the Irrawaddy Delta to Pathein from where it takes just over an hour by road to Ngwe Saung.

The area around Mount Victoria, in Chin State bordering India and Bangladesh, is a region of outstanding natural beauty. The village of Kanpetlet makes the ideal base for exploring the national park with its diverse flora and fauna and stunning scenery.