When a nominally civilian government was installed in Myanmar in 2011, and the ensuing years saw the country gradually opening up, there was cause for optimism. The Southeast Asian nation was hailed as the “last frontier” by foreign business leaders eager to secure a share of a promising emerging market. There was huge potential for investment in infrastructure and manufacturing, a youthful population of 60 million, poised to become consumers, and of course, vast untapped natural resources.
A lucky few had already caught a glimpse of some of these rich natural resources as early as 1997, when the Mergui Archipelago, an immense region comprising hundreds of tropical islands stretched out along Myanmar’s Andaman Sea coast, opened to divers travelling in boats from Thailand. Dozens of world-class dive sites began to be catalogued, including offshore sites such as “Black Rock” and “Western Rocky”. International dive magazines reported bustling reefs festooned with soft corals, abundant fish life, and big animals like sharks and many different species of rays, including mantas.
The archipelago’s “sea gypsies” – the Moken – completed the idyllic picture. We read about the self-sufficient, nomadic way of life they had led along the Andaman coast for hundreds of years. We learned of their subsistence lifestyle on small, wooden boats, foraging for food using spears – enough to feed their families with a little left over to trade for necessities. Numbering in only the thousands, these seafaring nomads had found a way to live in harmony with the ocean.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der AG 159-Ausgabe von ASIAN Geographic.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der AG 159-Ausgabe von ASIAN Geographic.
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Green Dreams
With its tea plantations and rice paddies, dense jungles and expansive forests, the region is well known as a green paradise. But many of the most impressive Asian landscapes have names you may never have heard of. Journey with us as we reveal just some of the incredible locations that make the rest of the world green with envy!
Life On The Edge
In the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, in the remote northern Russian Far East, indigenous ethnic groups like the Chukchi and the Yupik live in the most extreme conditions, hunting seals in their traditional kayaks as they have for millennia
The Karakoram Anomaly Decoded
For decades, scientists have believed that glaciers in the Karakoram Range are defying the trend of those across the globe-resisting glacial melt due to human-induced global warming. But as we trek up the Karakoram's second-longest glacier in July, as the United Nations announces the world's hottest ever month on record, does the melting ice beneath our feet suggest the so-called Karakoram Anomaly is slowing? Or is there a ray of hope it will continue to delay the inevitable?
Green Water Revolution
Southeast Asia's Quest to Sustainable Wastewater Management in an Era of Climate Sensitivity
Green Philippines
The Philippine Archipelago may be synonymous with perfect beach holidays, but the Southeast Asian nation is also a great choice for your next ecotourism adventure
Why so Green?
From the Green Dome of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina to the fluorescent greens of flags and political campaigns, Islam has established itself as the world's \"green\" religion
Pilgrimage To Japan
The Land of the Rising Sun is as eclectic as it is fascinating, an exotic blend of ancient and modern. But two destinations in particular offer visitors an authentic taste of this unique nation: Wakayama, its spiritual centre, and Kyoto, its cultural heartland.
The Silk Road Through Uzbekistan
High-speed trains may ply some of this route today, but the historical, religious and cultural significance of the great cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva remains intact
10 Awe-Inspiring Reasons To Visit Sri Lanka
From eye-popping temples and tea estates to jaw-dropping national parks and natural wonders, the "teardrop island" has it all
Nepal: In The Shadow Of Giants
Sandwiched between China to the north and India to the south, Nepal receives influences from Asia's two major powers, but this unique land bordered by the greatest mountain range on Earth promises experiences offered nowhere else
