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Ngapali BeachTake with a pinch of salt the story about this beautiful beach reminding a homesick Italian of7 Naples. From its gently swaying palms, luxury resorts and appealing guesthouses to its pristinesands, tempting blue waters and delicious seafood caught fresh each day by local fishermen,Ngapali (p 270 ) is the antithesis of the Italian city. Enjoy it for what it is: the perfect getaway and achance to wind down – sunbathing, snorkelling and sipping fresh coconut juice as an ox-drawn carttrundles slowly across the fine, soft sand.FRANK CARTER/LONELY PLANET IMAGES ©HsipawAttractive Hsipaw (p 258 ) is ideally placed for quick, easy hikes into fascinating Shan and8 Palaung villages. The town’s handful of guides offer just enough English-speaking help to makethe experience comfortable, while the whole region feels far less ‘discovered’ than that aroundKalaw. Hsipaw itself is a historic little town. It was once home to Shan princes and has its own(very) ‘Little Bagan’ of historic stupas. Fill out a few interesting days here with visits to a curiousassortment of local, house-sized factories. Palaung homeTOM SMITH