lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

270RAKHAING OR ARAKAN?The interchangeable terms Rakhaing and Arakan are frequently used and refer to thepeople, the state and the local language. Arakan is actually derived from the way foreignvisitors from centuries ago pronounced the word Rakhaing. As it harkens to the era whenMrauk U was a regional powerhouse, English-speaking locals often use the term with aparticular pride.Names aside, there’s still debate over whether the Rakhaing are actually Bamar (Burmans)with Indian blood, Indians with Bamar characteristics or a separate race (as isclaimed locally). Although the first inhabitants of the region were a dark-skinned Negritotribe known as the Bilu, later migrants from the eastern Indian subcontinent developedthe first Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms in Myanmar before the first Christian millennium.These kingdoms flourished before the invasion of the Tibeto-Burmans from the northand east in the 9th and 18th centuries. The current inhabitants of the state may thus bemixed descendants of all three groups: Bilu, Bengali and Bamar.The Rakhaing proudly speak ‘Arakan’, a language they claim birthed Bamar (and it’scertainly related). But the national government uses Bamar in state communicationsand supposedly forbids study of the Rakhaing script.WESTERN MYANMAR RAKHAING STATERAKHAING STATEThe southern half of this state, which canalso be spelled ‘Rakhine’, is the only part thatforeign tourists can reach by bus, in additionto by air. Here you’ll find some of Myanmar’sbest beaches. The northern part of the state,home to the capital Sittwe, must be accessedby air or boat.HistoryRakhaing’s historical roots are linked to thoseof northern India, which held political andcultural sway over the region for centuriesbefore the land fell under Bagan’s (Pagan’s)dominance during medieval times. In 1430the local king Naramithla returned afterthree decades in exile in the Bengali city ofGuar and established a new capital at MraukU, from where Rakhaing was ruled for thenext 400 years. When the British annexed thestate in 1826, the capital was moved to Sittwe.With ethnic Rakhaing making up the majorityof the population, there has been a persistentmove for autonomy from Myanmarsince Independence. In the 2010 election, theRakhaing Nationalities Development Party(RNDP) had 35 of its candidates electedacross the national and local assemblies,making it one of the most successful of theethnic parties.In October 2010 Rakhaing’s coast was batteredby Cyclone Giri, killing over 150 andleaving another 70,000 people homeless.Unlike when Cyclone Nargis hit in 2008, thegovernment took steps to ensure the safetyof those in Giri’s path, evacuating some50,000 people from the port of Kyaukpyu,under development as the terminus for anoil pipeline to China.Ngapali Beach=plI%43It feels weird to think about ‘getting awayfrom it all’ while in Myanmar, but Ngapali’sidyllic palm-lined beach is the place to do it.With pristine white sands on the Bay of Bengal’sblue water, Ngapali – some say namedby a wayward Italian reminiscing about hisNapoli years ago – serves as the country’sbeach hot-spot for a jet-set crew of (mostly)older Europeans and rich locals.The place preserves its fishing-villageroots with small boats heading out day andnight to catch a bounty that is later servedup superfresh in restaurants and hotels. Oxdrawncarts amble along the beach as localsfind the sand-ways a smoother ride than therough one-lane road. And barely a dozenbungalow-style resorts over 2 miles gives alot of space on the beach.Even at the height of the season, Ngapaliis a snoozy, early-to-bed place. But this couldsoon change, as several new big resorts are inthe works and Tay Za (see p 26 ) is said to bebankrolling the extension of the airport, to becompleted in the next three years, to enabledirect flights from Bangkok and Singapore.Peak season is from November to March.Things get even quieter in rainy season(mid-May to mid-September) when flights