Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Money
CB Bank, 2/154, Thitsa St, has currency exchange
(Mon-Fri 11am-2.30pm).
Post o
ce
School St (Mon-Fri 9.30am-3pm).
you there in time to cross and continue travel in Thailand
- the bus to Kanchanaburi takes 3hr.
Destinations
Hpa-an (3 daily; 10hr); Mawlamyine (3 daily;
10hr); Myeik (4 daily; 7-8hr); Yangon (3 daily; 15hr).
By train
The main train station is just east of the town;
there's also another station to the south but it's less
convenient.
Destinations
DAWEI
Only recently opened to overland travel,
Dawei
is set to be transformed as the site
of a $50bn deep sea port from which
goods will be transported to Bangkok and
beyond. Although there have been severe
setbacks, changes are already under way
including new hotels built in town and a
shopping mall under construction. It has
also meant the opening of a
border
crossing
for foreigners at Htee Khee,
160km east and providing access to
Kanchanaburi in hailand. his should
see Dawei firmly established on the
backpacker trail over the next few years.
Mawlamyine (daily; 14hr); Yangon (3 daily;
23hr 30min).
ACCOMMODATION
There are two places licensed for tourists on Maungmakan
Beach itself but they are both pricey and have strong
government links.
★
Coconut Guesthouse
Maungmakan village
T
09
8752293. A 10min walk from the beach, this relaxing
Burmese-French-owned place has ten rooms. There are
two singles for $20, but if they're full there's unfortunately
no single occupancy discount for the eight dou
bles.
Nevertheless it's a backpacker favourite in the making.
$25
Shwe Moung Than
665 Pakaukku Kyaung St, Dawei
T
059 23763. The ordinary doubles in this bright pink
hotel are nothing special for K35,000 but the top-floor
“cheap rooms” are the best bargain in town. You get all the
important facilities - a/c, hot water
and wi-fi
in the lobby
- but with simpler decor and no TV.
K15,000
7
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
It's a pleasant place to wander but there
isn't much to do in Dawei town itself,
other than visit the
Shwe Taung Za
pagoda, which has a large Buddha with
a polished face. he town is a good
base for day-trips, though, and your
accommodation should be able to
help arrange a motorbike and driver
(K10,000 per day). Sights include the
very large
Shwe That Layan
reclining
Buddha and
Saba Taung Hill
, which
was used as a base by Japanese forces
during World War II. here's a
monastery on the hill, as well as a few
wartime buildings and a network of
tunnels. he latter are hidden beneath
vegetation and are not safe to explore
without a guide.
Dawei also provides access to
Maungmakan Beach
, a thirty-minute
(K2000) motorbike ride away. It's an
attractive sweep of sand, once you get
away from the litter which blights the
main stretch of restaurants. With a
rental motorbike (K5000 per day from
Coconut Guesthouse
) you can strike out
and find your own immaculate spot, or
visit nearby hot springs.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus
The bus station is north of the town. Minibuses to
the Thai border (4hr; K30,000) run daily 7-11am, getting
EATING AND DRINKING
Palé Eikari
572 Ye Yeik Tha St
T
059 21780. In the
evening they put out chairs and tables in the garden of
this hotel restaurant, which specializes in seafood dishes
such as hot and sour prawns (K4500) although there are
also simple noodle dishes (K1800). Daily 7am-10pm.
DIRECTORY
Money
CB Bank, 54 Rzarni Road, has currency exchange
(Mon-Fri 9am-2.30pm).
THE FAR SOUTH
The town of
Myeik
(Mergui) was
previously visited only by high-spending
tourists en route to the very expensive,
and very beautiful, Myeik Archipelago.
There is still no affordable way to visit the
islands, but now that Tanintharyi Region
has been opened up for overland travel a
steady trickle of foreigners is passing
through Myeik on the way to or from
Kawthaung
(which has a border crossing
with Ranong in Thailand). The road
between Kawthaung and Myeik is closed
to foreigners, but boats run along the
coast when the weather allows.
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