Kyaukpyu

Kyaukpyu (also spelled Kyaukphyu) is a coastal town in Rakhine State and the centerpiece of the Kyaukphyu Special Economic Zone, a Belt and Road Initiative project developed jointly with China's CITIC Group. It is the terminus of parallel oil and natural gas pipelines running to Kunming in China's Yunnan Province — the gas pipeline has operated since 2013 and the oil pipeline since 2017 — and a planned deep-sea port project is being built in phases on nearby Maday and Ramree islands to give China direct Indian Ocean access. Fighting between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar military has affected the wider area in recent years.

The best time to visit is November to April.

By Car / Road

Kyaukpyu is connected by road to Sittwe to the north and onward toward the mainland.

• Ramree Island: The largest island in Rakhine State, on which Kyaukpyu sits.
• Kyaukphyu SEZ and pipeline terminal: The China-backed special economic zone and the starting point of the oil and gas pipelines to Kunming.

• Sittwe — Capital of Rakhine State, to the north.
• Thandwe / Ngapali — beach resort area, to the south.