Day 14 - Chaungtha
Since we arrived at 3am, the hotel can't really check us in but they were nice enough to let us rest in the employee quarter. I pretty much crashed on the cushions laid on the ground but the A/C was so cold it kept waking me up. We decided to turn off the A/C after
a while and opened the door even though the staff warned us about the mosquitoes. No joke! The mosquitoes almost ate us alive but too bad for them since I brought with me 2 bottles of mosquito repellent and my electric mosquito racket.
Tip: In addition to sunscreen (PA+++, UVA/UVB, SPF50+), be sure to bring mosquito repellent and ointments with you. I sprayed so much mosquito repellent on myself the entire trip I keep wondering if I am going to kill myself first. In fact, after I returned to Macau, I still got immunity against the mosquitoes for another month without spraying myself!!! My electric mosquito racket has also proved to be worth every single pound it weighed. I probably killed hundreds of mosquitoes and flies along the way. Highly recommended to my fellow mosquito-prone travelers.
The beauty of visiting Chaungtha (or anywhere) during low season is that there are less travelers and you can almost have the entire place to yourself. The water is still nice and warm, restaurants are less crowded, businesses are more likely to give you a better deal , and you get a better overall experience!
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| we got the entire beach all to ourselves |
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| the people here do not wear swimsuit as it is too revealing... |
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| they go into the water in their regular clothes... especially women... |
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| cool hats! |
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| I wonder if he intends to hold the umbrella for her at all... |
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| locals selling to tourists - more if you visit during peak season |
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| tubes for rent |
We ate almost everyday at this restaurant called "Hla Bo", which is just off the main street and you can easily get there hiring a motorcycle. It's very affordable and it's a great way to see the town. My mom and cousin came here the year before and enjoyed their consistent delivery of good quality food. (Apparently, there are quite a few tourist traps in the area so travelers beware!) I am very satisfy with everything I have tried there. Prices are reasonable and their menu is quite large so I have no problem trying something new every time. Some of the specialty dishes have to be pre-ordered but it's definitely worth it in my opinion.
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| (clockwise) veggies, clams salad, tomato shrimp, seafood soup... yum! |
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| lobs-tah!!! |
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| grouper in chili sauce... so good!!! |
The owner who rented us the tubes offered to take us to Ngwesaung the next day for 16,000 kyats per motorcycle. (Note: the price doubles during peak season but still a very reasonable price in my opinion.) He said he knows the back roads and could take us there in a little over an hour one-way. My cousin actually researched about going to Ngwesaung and it would take approximately three hours one-way if we were to take the main roads. Three hours is just too much for my bum but an hour, of course we agreed! One of the best decisions made!
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| he is not riding a zebra, just a horse painted with stripes... |
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| we are ready for some tubing action! |
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| hermit crab |
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I can sit here the entire day~
(with plenty of sunscreen, young coconuts and a big umbrella for shade) |
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the tube shop owner helped us bought these young coconuts,
so delicious! Say bye-bye to tourist traps! |
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| gorgeous sunset |
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| kid flying his kite |
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| all kids, but very different lives... |
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| just beautiful |
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