from 'Delta trip' by zeke7 (April 2007)

Fresh off a journey into some out-of-the-way places in the Irrawaddy Delta and to nearby beach towns of Kanthaya and Gwa, as well as Ngwesaung. The Myanmar Blueprint guide with its excellent maps and up-to-date transport details provided inspiration, and some net research helped fill in some gaps.

Downtown Yangon to Hlaing Thar Yar bus station: Yangon city bus #32 or 54 goes there from downtown for 100 kyat, stops along Anawrahta Rd., eg near Shwe Bontha (probably commences from near Sule Paya). Not too crowded in the morning hours, as it's going opposite normal rush-hour flow. Beats paying as much or more for taxi fare to the bus station than what the YNG-Pathein/Chaungtha bus ticket costs.

Bus to Pathein: found Soe Aye has nice buses, 4500kyat, northernmost wing at Hlaing Thar Yar. In Pathein, the bus drops you 1.5 blocks away from Taan Taan Ta Hotel, so no need for trishaw hire if going there.

Pathein:

Taan Taan Ta Hotel cheapest game in town (generous 5pm checkout time if taking night boat; nice to shower beforehand); no foreigner license at the Shwe Sein Kyeik Guesthouse. Plenty of friendly folk in town; some others simply stare wondering why a foreigner would linger here. Charter a rowboat or take motor ferry across the river to the village on the opposite bank for 100kyat, maybe bring a bike (Taan Taan Ta rents for 300kyat/hr); the residents seem delighted to have a foreigner recognize their presence.

Pathein-Haigyi Kyun (pr. "choon"; = island): nightly new King Whale Express riverboat departs 8pm, arrives 4am (same schedule returning from Haigyi), 4000kyat VIP class upstairs (nice new reclining upholstered seats, adj. legrest, but telly blasts music videos all night long; bring earplugs). Bigger cheaper interior-seating section downstairs, and a small deck class (which looks to be very wet & cold proposition based on the morning's precipitation collected on deck; leaning your bag against the VIP room's outer wall for the trip's duration also proves wet).

Haigyi Kyun / Mawdin Pagoda / Ngwedaung Beach: at mouth of Pathein River and the adjacent cape at SW corner of delta region. Deboard at Haigyi village (on Haigyi island, in the middle of the Pathein R. mouth) at 4am, get called directly to police office at pier, answer questions in very limited English for their hand-drawn Burmese questionnaire like what's your father's name, what flight did you take to arrive in the country, and what company you work for. Wait for Immigration (adjacent office) to show up and have a few more questions for you.

In meantime, start walking, a tall fisherman takes you by hand and leads you on a walking tour of the village, then return for tea near pier and more waiting for Immigration. Fisherman says village has two Guesthouses. At night, one of them was literally and quite possibly figuratively, given the military presence here, a house of red lights. Take photos of a passenger boat of villagers arriving at the pier, then be told, “No photos.”

My plan: visit Mawdin Pagoda & Ngwedaung Beach on nearby mainland first day, maybe spend night and 2nd day charter boat to nearby Thameela Kyun (Turtle Island) famous for egg-laying.

My reality: @10am, 6 hrs after arrival, Immigration finally processes their part of my paperwork in short order. Police ask me what I'm going to do tomorrow…"Charter a boat to Thameela Kyun." "NO! Burma Navy!" Alright then, I'll return to Pathein on tonight's boat; police visibly exhibit relief on hearing this response.

Police help you charter mototaxi for the day. Proceed through village, west across island to ferryboat crossing. On the way, encounter two military checkpoints; at each, get off motorcycle with driver, and both of you walk with motorcycle the 25m or so length of the administrative building fronting the checkpoint. At other end, get back on bike and proceed.

Reach ferryboat crossing, see King Whale ferry moored on mainland side, much closer to your destination of Mawdin than where you had to deboard. Load bike & cross in small boat, fishing village on mainland side, motor south to Mawdin Point. Pagoda there of moderate interest, nice seaside setting. Order soda at teashop and keep bottle covered with kerchief due to unreal fly population. Become the immediate center of attention as all neighboring teashop traffic comes to gawk and talk.

Proceed up the beach on moto 20 min to reach Ngwedaung Beach, talked up in Myan. tour co. literature, but just nice; miles of sand and endless coconut groves, very quiet. Driver has friend with beach house, they loan you innertube for playing in the nice surf break, later bring out a fresh coconut to drink.

Return via same route, witness hukilau (community beach net haul from surf); back on island, at 1st checkpoint encountered guard tells driver to take detour back to village, proving quite remote and time-consuming, and keeping you out of contact with islanders.

Return to pier at 5pm, purchase ticket to Pathein, chat with police, then head up road to village for dinner. Upon reaching 1st nearby teahouse (selling only snacks), be advised in sign language by two customers there that you're being called back at the pier by 'two fingers drawn across the shoulder.' Older policeman approaches, says "No walking in village!" Stifle incredulity in the face of supreme authority, insist that you're simply going for dinner at the beer station; it's Dagon draft after all. Police still says no but seeing polite persistence, relents, and accompanies me. He tries to lead me to a table in the back, I choose one up front to see the street traffic and plop my day bag in adjacent chair so he can't join me. He parks it outside for 15 min, but eventually disappears.

Get beer, come to terms with disbelief at what just happened, upon appearance of your motodriver, decline his offer to drive you around village in order to avoid engendering ill authority will against future visitors if found out (besides, you have a fresh beer going). Notice old lady chatting with betelnut vendor outside light up the biggest manufactured cheroot you've ever seen, inquire and have waiter purchase some for you from nearby shop (16mm dia. x 16cm long, non-tapered, "Thoumyasei" brand or style) for 250kyat per rod; feel thus lightly compensated for immediately previous BS. Order dinner from English menu, find that no listed seafood is available (high price dictates it gets shipped to Yangon instead), discover that what looked like marinated chicken on one of the BBQ sticks you ordered is instead small fish heads (so, they have seafood after all!), chat with friendly folk, mosey back to pier and catch Pathein boat. Just a shame entire trip both ways takes place under total darkness.