I decided to sleep at Paradise beach as I want to explore the maximum of Dawei beaches. Going from Dawei city to the very south of the Peninsula and going back the same day is not an option.
At Paradise beach, there is only one place where you can sleep, the Paradise beach bungalows. There is no other option and if it’s fully booked you can’t sleep on this beach. I slept in a tent, the cheapest option, and even though not cheap: 25000 kyats.
For one night it was ok, and it wasn’t actually that bad to sleep there. After all, I had the best bed view and the whole beach as a toilet. I booked it through Hello Dawei.
Sleeping at Paradise beach bungalows
The sunset here was very beautiful with a fully pink sky. Such a bright pink! Amazing! The moon isn’t shining so I’ll have the best sky to stargaze. And it was. There is no source of light around this beach, and the few lights from the bungalow at some point are turned off. After eating dinner at the bungalow’s restaurant with very accessible prices, all I did was lay on the sand and watch the stars for hours. The sky was as beautiful as the Burmese sky in the mountain’s villages during trekkings. And, I was rewarded with two shooting stars. One of them was so big that I still have its image clearly in my mind. Another thing I knew it was possible at the beach was watching the bioluminescent plankton. Here you can watch the show all year round. I was very excited about it. Between 9 and 10 pm, I enter the sea in a chance to see this phenomenon, but I was disappointed. I didn’t see anything, not a single bit of light in the water. So I gave up and went to sleep, but I was already happy with the stars.
The following day I met other travelers that told me about how fascinating it was to watch the bioluminescent plankton in the water. I’m like: what? How did you saw it if I tried and saw nothing? Apparently, the show is only possible to be seen after midnight. I conclude that my attempt was too early and I gave up too fast. But I was so tired of that day, of riding for 5 hours on a motorbike… I think that’s the reason why I gave up so easily, but now I will not have another chance to see it ☹ I regret it!
Paradise beach viewpoint
The following morning, I decided to visit a viewpoint marked on maps.me to check how wonderful the view might be. And that’s what I do after breakfast. It is about 15 minutes away from the beach in a path that seems almost inexistent. A place where not many people have been, for sure. I hope that at the end of the line I will have an incredible view, but it didn’t happen. Maybe that was a viewpoint in the past, but with lack of maintenance and so many trees around, it is not possible to see a thing besides trees and plants. Don’t go to this viewpoint. It is useless and filled with spiders, not the smallest I have seen.
After another disappointment, I go back to Paradise Beach for a swim, check out and leave Paradise beach the same way: asking the bungalow’s staff for help. They are used to it and the price of 3000 kyats is fixed. I don’t mind. I will not ride that motorbike out of there anyway unless I want myself dead.
After the scary street, I proceed with the journey on my own again.
From Paradise beach to Grandfather beach
I’m heading to Grandfather beach that is not that far from Paradise beach. They say Grandfather beach is one of the most beautiful ones and I confirm! It was in fact the most beautiful of Dawei beaches. This one is way easier to get to, but trough dirt paths. I have no idea about the quantity of dust I ate during these journeys to Myanmar beaches. Fortunately, I had a mask that I used all the time. On the way to Grandfather beach, you will also face some steep hills but the street is so wide that it is not a problem. Just the last part, and if you want to take the motorbike to the beach itself, it’s more difficult. It’s a steep dirt narrow path that is not good looking even for a foot walk. Nop. No way I’m taking the motorbike there. But looking back now, I think it might be an excellent idea. The beach is huge with kilometers wide and at its end, I’m sure there is a breathtaking view. I say it cause I’ve been to the highest viewpoint, and just after Grandfather’s beach there appear to be several sandbanks that look majestic.
Grandfather beach is just beautiful. But you can see it better from a recently carved dirt hill that is a wonderful viewpoint. It looks like a paradisiac island with crystal clear waters and a sandbank that divides a very shallow water part from the ocean. There are a few places to chill and eat. There are not many people here, but it was definitely the most crowded beach I’ve visited in Dawei Peninsula with at least 20 people on the sand. I don’t go for a swim and don’t stay much longer. What I really want to see it the Golden rock viewpoint to Grandfather’s beach. I confirm it is the most beautiful viewpoint of the Dawei Peninsula.
Golden rock viewpoint
The golden rock stands as tall as your eyes can reach and the street to get there is not good at all. It might be the bumpiest street I’ve seen in the area as it is mainly built with rocks… For that reason, I’m not going there by motorbike and I decide to hike all the way up. It didn’t look so far… Well, it took me approximately 40 minutes to go all the way up. It’s very hard and it’s so hot, it’s so steep! I just want it to end! There is no other living soul doing the same and as expected once I reach the top there is no one in there. In fact, no one was there at the same time as me. As I’m regretting the stupid idea to walk to the top, my mind changes once I see it. There it is: Grandfather beach, and it’s so beautiful.
There are some benches facing the marvelous view and the first thing I do is sit and stare and rest. I’m overwhelmed by what’s in front of my eyes. The beach looks so big from here. I get why people take their motorbikes to the beach. It would take at least 1 hour to walk across it. The time that I don’t have. From the top, I see that after the beach is the view I mentioned before. The sand bars. The place looks enchanting and I’m hoping I will be able to see it from Sin Htauk beach. That didn’t happen.
On the other side of the viewpoint is the Golden rock, and another different view. They are so different from each other. It’s like being in two different places at once. I realized all my joy here while running from one side to the other and not regretting for a second the hard hike up. But I need to go down, mainly because I’m so hungry. Going down is faster but not much easier as my legs shake all the way down. I’m exhausted. At the bottom, I finally eat and rest. But I need to proceed. There is one more beach I want to see before heading to Dawei city: Sin Htauk beach.
Getting to Sin Htauk beach
It didn’t look that far, but it was… It took so long to reach!! I never thought it would take that long!!! The street is very bad, dusty, and also kind of scary. It is not possible to make short distances on average times here. Once I reach the end of the street it is not much longer for sunset. If Paradise beach accesses are bad, Sin Htauk bungalows are even worse. You can’t actually reach the beach by motorbike. Only walking. The path to reach Sin Htauk bungalows is through a mangrove forest and through the water. I was actually walking on water in the middle of a mangrove forest to reach Sin Htauk beach. And then, I walk on fluffy sand just before reaching this Myanmar beach. Not a place for motorbikes. It took me about 30 minutes to reach the beach through the mangrove forest. What a creepy access to a beach. I’m sure this is another beach that is not reachable when the mangroves are filled with water. I just hope that in the future these people don’t destroy all these wonderful mangrove forests in Dawei Peninsula in order to have better access to the beach, all because of tourism… I really hope. I don’t mind going through tough paths to reach those empty beaches if that’s what it takes to make them naturally beautiful as they are.
I walked in this place for about 30 minutes to get to Sin Htauk beach:
Finally, I reach the beach, I thought I would see some access to a viewpoint on the way, but I didn’t. That’s why I came to Sin Htauk, mainly for the view that I’ve seen in pictures. But all I see is a very empty beach, similar to Paradise beach and not so wonderful. It’s just a normal beach. I’m thankful for the weird way to reach it otherwise it wouldn’t have been worth it.
As I’m tired and sweaty, I go for a swim, lay down for 10 minutes and go all the way back. I just simply arrived at this place too late. It is almost sunset time and I can’t even try to figure out where can I get an awesome view cause I lack time to do so. I now realize that the best option would have been to spend a night at Sin Htauk beach too.
I go all the way back sad for not seeing or being able to find the spot where I’ll see those sandbanks I could see before on the Golden Rock viewpoint. I would dare to say that better than going to Sin Htauk would be going to Tha Yaun Beach, to the very end of it. I’m sure that’s the place where you would see those sandbanks, but I can’t confirm. If you go there let me know ☺
Because I left Sin Htauk beach very late, I did most part of my way to Dawei city during nighttime. At least I reached the main street during the day otherwise I would be in total darkness. And even on the main street, the journey wasn’t easy. There are many bumps, no lights in too many places, and loads of mosquitos hitting your face like little rocks. And it is cold. Not cool at all…
But I’m happy that I made all that distance and complicated paths without any accident. I was proud of myself and ready to ride more motorbikes in the future.
Here is a video of the 10 Dawei beaches I visited:
