Palautonetone is a low-lying island a few kilometres north of Kawthaung. It’s conveniently linked to the mainland by a bridge. Following a geographical pattern set by many of Mergui’s islands, the land-facing east side is mangroves, while the sea-facing side boasts a long sandy beach. The island is also home to a lively fishing village. The island, village and beach all take the name of Palautonetone. It’s probably a corruption of the Malay word for island, Pulao.
-
Ad Grab a low season deal at the Bawga Theiddhi
and base yourself in New Bagan.
The wooden bridge in its own right is spectacular, leaving the coast just north of Victoria Cliff Resort and extending a good kilometre on stilts into the mangroves opposite. We assume the wood is teak and including the lengthy raised stretch through the mangroves it comes in at well over a kilometre — so next time someone tells you U-Bein is the world’s longest teak bridge tell them you’ve been to Palautonetone! The bridge is, surprisingly, open to motorised transport.
Bridge, island, fishing village and beach just behind the hill. Photo: Mark Ord
After the mangroves, the road weaves through the busy village; while it’s rustic and picturesque, it’s also seriously grubby. They don’t see many foreigners in these parts so you’ll need to put on your best Queen of England impersonation as you weave past gob-smacked locals and excited kids. (If you want to attract a crowd, stop at a village tea shop.) The large village, clustered around a bay on the island’s north, is a mixture of Bamar Buddhist, Chinese and Muslims. A small Buddhist pagoda tops a low hill just west of town.
Bridge over the Andaman Sea. Photo: Mark Ord
Before the end of the village, a dirt track turns off left to circumvent some low hills and lead you to the beach on the island’s west side. Sticking to the usual Burmese beach template, there’s a string of seafood restaurants, beer stations and cafes, plus snack, hat and T-shirt vendors, and inner tube renters, where the access road hits the sea. Then kilometres of empty casuarina-lined sandy beach stretches into the distance, broken only by the occasional fishing boat or wading reef egret. The water’s murky — it’s close to the mainland — but the yellow sand beach, especially away from the cafes, was ... please log in to read the rest of this story.
Don’t miss the boat!
Please subscribe to Travelfish.org to read the rest of this article, or log in here.
Subscribing to Travelfish costs A$35 per year and it gets you access to more than 200 downloadable guides to specific destinations, fabulous discount coupons and 50% off our personalised travel planning service. Sign up here.
By
Mark Ord.
Last updated on 24th June, 2016.
-
Ad Spend 5 days / 4 nights on the Dolphin Queen
From US$615.
Location map for Palautonetone
/98.511568581,10.018590247,17/960x400.png?access_token=pk.eyJ1IjoidHJhdmVsZmlzaCIsImEiOiJSdGI5endFIn0.NFfNjYzAAn9OBSxs64ptJA)
Start planning your holiday today
Sent every Monday, our newsletter is full of travel advice, news & special deals. Read past issues.
Popular attractions in Kawthaung
A selection of some of our favourite sights and activities around Kawthaung.
What next?
Browse our independent reviews of places to stay in and around Kawthaung.
Check prices, availability & reviews on Agoda or Booking
Read up on where to eat on Kawthaung.
Check out our listings of things to do in and around Kawthaung.
Read up on how to get to Kawthaung.
Do you have travel insurance yet? If not, find out why you need it.
Planning on riding a scooter in Kawthaung? Please read this.
Browse the web securely while travelling with TunnelBear. Try with a 7–day free trial.