Chaung Tha

Chaung Tha (Burmese ချောင်းသာ) is a coastal town and beach resort in the Irrawaddy region of Myanmar.

Understand
This town is expanding fast and you can now find many beach side resorts. Step from your bungalow straight onto the beach. Although there are not so many foreign visitors, the number is growing and hotels are upgrading their facilities to accommodate them.

The beach itself is a long expanse of golden sand. Each hotel tries to clean its own beach side daily. Many vendors work the beach, but are not pushy. Some carry fresh live seafood and will barbecue it for you upon request. Inflatable rings and dinghies are available for hire.

Get in
Getting in via road, mostly by bus, is the only option.


 * Yangon – Buses leave around dawn and take 5-6 hours to reach Chaung Tha. The last 2 hours or so of the trip are on very bad roads, making the trip longer. The buses make 2-3 scheduled stops along the way at roadside cafes. The journey costs around 8,000 kyat. Travellers departing from Yangon should set aside an extra hour for travel between the city centre and the outskirts bus station, Dagon Ayar Highway Bus Station. Expect to pay between 300 and 5,000 kyat from the centre to the bus station, depending on the kind of transportation, i.e. local bus or taxi.
 * Pathein – Another option is to take a transport to Pathein from Yangon (bus, 3-4 hours, 3,700-8,000 kyat), or any other city in Myanmar, e.g. Pyay or Ngapali. From Pathein you can take a local bus or shared pickup/van for another 2 hours. Try the city bus station near Shwemokehtaw Pagoda or hail for passing by vehicles at the northern end of Min Gyi Road, which leads to Chaung Tha (and Ngwe Saung). The last regular transport leaves at 16:00, after which it is still possible to negotiate a transfer from Pathein to the beach via (pickup) taxi for around 30,000-50,000 kyat. If you do not have a lot of luggage, it is also possible to do this trip via a motorbike for around 10,000 kyat per person (2 hours). Be mindful of the bad roads for this portion of the trip, i.e., this option is not for those looking for comfort.
 * Ngwe Saung via coast and motorbike taxi for about 8-13,000 kyat one-way. This includes at least two river crossings. Reported durations vary widely between 45 min and 4 hr, so clarify beforehand.

You can even negotiate with any Yangon taxi driver to take you by taxi to Chaung Tha (some have air conditioning), so if you are travelling in a group of 3 or 4 and you split the cost it can be worthwhile. However, remember that the taxi will be returning empty, so you have to consider this when agreeing the price. If your trip is for just a few days, it may be better to negotiate with the driver to stay in town (he'll probably sleep in his taxi) and then he will be able to bring you back also. Current rate is around $120-150 one way.

Get around
The main strip is located directly by the beach, meaning all eating and relaxing needs can be satisfied on foot.

The motorbike taxis wait outside most of the hotels and are plentiful. Expect to pay 500 kyat per trip, although nothing is very far. Sidecar (a bicycle with a sidecar of two back-to-back seats) are also available at a more leisurely pace for the same fare.

See
Northern beaches are considered cleaner. On the other hand, depending on circumstances, beaches in the centre may be cleaner; after a storm, northern beaches may have black stuff washed up on them.



Do
Interact with the locals; it inevitably leads to the best adventures.

Drive up north for 5 to 10 km by bicycle or motorbike to discover remote beaches away from the busy village.

Buy
Numerous shops and street stalls exist along the beach road. Here you can buy souvenirs, local snack foods and beach clothing. Go into the village for the local's market of fish, vegetables and provisions.

Eat
Numerous restaurants line the main beach road, serving seafood in addition to the typical Myanmar cuisine. Most serve mango or delicious traditional desserts as a complimentary after-dinner treat.

Try to avoid eating at the larger hotel restaurants, as locals complain that they stifle competition by buying up all the freshly caught seafood and locally grown potatoes from the town's markets.



Drink
Because there is no electricity during the day, it's difficult to buy cold drinks (no electricity = no refrigerator) unless you find a bar with either its own generator or a large ice box.



Sleep
There seems to be a general electricity outage during the day, so do not blame it on the hotels.



Go next

 * Ngwe Saung – Famous for its long and beautiful beach. Can be reached via Pathein by bus, 7-8,000 kyat, 3-4 h. Or you can hire a direct motorbike taxi along the coast for 8-13,000 kyat, which is much more exciting, picturesque and probably better for your stomach. The latter includes at least two river crossings. Reported durations vary widely between 45 min and 4 h, so clarify beforehand.
 * Pathein – Famous for its handcrafted umbrellas. Pickups and buses take about 2 hr and cost about 4,000 kyat from Chaung Tha. Private taxis are around 30-50,000 kyat. You will most likely be dropped of at the city bus station in the center. Take a motorbike taxi to the highway bus station or start from the latter, depending on where you want to go. Possible onward destinations from Pathein include Ngapali and Pyay, but also Yangon.
 * Yangon – Return buses leave Chaung Tha at 05:30, 06:00 and 10:00 drop off at the Dagon Ayar Highway Bus Station outside of Yangon. There is also an Asia Dragon air conditioned bus that leaves Chaung Tha at 09:30 and drops off in the centre of Yangon near the train station, for 8,000 kyat.