Well organised
To entice travellers out of town, effort is required and New Wave seems to have successfully expended plenty of it.
Rooms represent good value for Bagan, particularly if you can snare a ground floor, courtyard one.
The newish-looking set up has a subtle pale yellow and green colour scheme. Reception, a level of rooms and a rooftop restaurant face the street and hide a quiet courtyard to the rear, where there are additional rows of two-storey rooms. The yard has plenty of plants and seating areas and, though the main road isn’t that busy, it cuts out what traffic noise there is.
Rooms are plain and white -- a bit on the stark side perhaps -- but they are of a decent size and being relatively new, they’re sparkling clean. Air-con and hot showers work well and mattresses are firm without being rock hard. All come with kettle, fridge and cable TV, while ground floor rooms have small private balconies. Upper floor ones look onto the corridor.
The third floor cafe where breakfast is served is pleasantly laid out and makes for a great spot to watch the street’s comings and goings, even if breakfast itself is uninspired. Staff members are friendly and there’s a good overall feel to the place. All rooms seem to have similar price tags.
A word of warning: New Wave II lies a few metres down the street in a three-storey magnolia-painted brick house, just back from the main road. It has nothing at all to do with the original. Decidedly grungier outside than New Wave I, their air-con rooms were okay inside. While it could be useful if you’ve turned up and everywhere else is full, if they can’t think of an original name, then we don’t think they’re deserving of a separate entry.
Address: Main Rd, Wet Kyi Inn, Bagan
T: (061) 60731; (094) 5005 3155;
Email: newwavebagan@gmail.com
Web: http://www.newwavebagan.com
Coordinates (for GPS): 94º53'12.78" E, 21º11'7.81" N
See position in Apple or Google Maps: Apple Maps | Google Maps
Room rates: US$20 to $40
What we were quoted as a walk-in.
Standard double room | US$30 | US$50 |
Reviewed by
Mark Ord
Based in Chiang Mai, Mark Ord has been travelling Southeast Asia for over two decades and first crossed paths with Travelfish on Ko Lipe in the early 1990s.
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