Dawei
Where to lay your head
Where to lay your head
Dawei offers some good midrange options, but its budget and higher end stuff is a bit on the thin side. Zayar Htet San is the most upmarket of the downtown bunch, while Golden is the best flashpacker/midrange option while Shwe Moung probably the best all round value for money. Others were under construction when we visited in early 2016, including a huge high-rise hotel by Pearl Ekari. The longstanding Garden Hotel was under renovation when we visited but should be finished by mid-2016.
Smartly decorated, centrally placed and efficiently run, Golden Guesthouse seems to have made an early bid for preeminence in Dawei. It’s the most popular spot in town and with clean, modern and well-appointed rooms at competitive prices, deservedly so. Furthermore despite the hotel — it’s not really a guesthouse — looking pretty new are renovating all rooms as of early 2016. The... Read our full review of Golden Guesthouse.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Neither the cheapest nor the smartest hotel in Dawei, Shwe Moung Than is an excellent compromise and probably represents the best value for money in town. Room rates are only slightly higher than grungy Dream Emperor but for your extra kyat you get a clean room in a new building with helpful staff and a breakfast thrown in as well. Recommended! The location isn’t bad either, on the quiet... Read our full review of Shwe Moung Than Hotel.
Diamond Crown is comprised of both a hotel and a guesthouse on the one site, with the guesthouse rooms recommended. Entrance and reception are at the rear, from Ye Street, with a six-storey hotel block on the right and what looks like an old British period villa serving as their guesthouse on the left. Rooms in the hotel are decently sized, clean and come with hot water ensuite bathroom,... Read our full review of Diamond Crown Hotel and Guesthouse.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
Zayar Htet San is central Dawei’s smartest option. And while it’s also just about the most expensive, the excellently appointed rooms represent a very good deal in Burma. The name isn’t one that rolls of a non-Burmese tongue; we’re not convinced by the eccentric architecture either, and it’s a shame they didn’t add a pool -- otherwise everything else at this relatively new hotel is... Read our full review of Zayar Htet San Hotel.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
This oddly shaped little building doesn’t look too bad from the outside but is home to some pretty dingy and musty rooms within. We were offered a small, fan-cooled single for $10, which is what passes for budget in Dawei, or a spacious three-bed air-con room for $20. The former was musty and not inviting while the latter was airier and more comfortable, though the whole place has a very... Read our full review of Dream Emperor Guesthouse.
Maungmakan Beach already has a couple of decent options with more under construction. We can envisage other beaches in the area opening up to resorts sooner rather than later, but for now only Maungmakan has licensed "foreigner" accommodation.
Though it’s French-Burmese owned, rather pricey Coconut Guesthouse has a rather Thai style, with chalets set in a garden and a wooden decked seating area with low tables and cushions. The well run, friendly and comfy guesthouse’s only problem is it’s not actually on the beach. It’s located 500 metres back off the road between the beach and village so it’s not an insurmountable distance, and... Read our full review of Coconut Guesthouse.
As the name implies, this resort is smack on the beach though on a quieter stretch north of the busiest section. It makes for a good all round option if you prefer staying by the sea instead of in town. The resort has a reputation for being orientated towards local tourists and while it lacks the ‘guesthouse’ set up, the English-speaking staff are welcoming and helpful -- and the rooms... Read our full review of Maungmagan Beach Resort.
Sent every Monday, our newsletter is full of travel advice, news & special deals. Read past issues.