100SOUTHEASTERN MYANMAR
MON STATE
if the friendly English-speaking owner isn’t
around.Ngwe Moe Hotel HOTEL $$
(%24703; cnr Kyaikthoke Paya & Strand Rd; s/d
$27/36; a) The three-storey Ngwe Moe on
Strand Rd is frequented by groups. The
rooms are fresh and comfortable but lack
character.Aurora Guest House HOTEL $
(%22785; 277 South Bogyoke Rd (Lower Main Rd); r
$5-18; a) The more expensive rooms in this
rather dark and dreary budget hotel have a
private bathroom and air-con; others only
have a fan and a shared bathroom. Breakfast
is not included. 5 Eating
For a city of this size, the eating options are
scarce. The Attran Hotel and Ngwe Moe
Hotel have restaurants that serve lunch and
dinner. An atmospheric teahouse (South
Bogyoke Rd (Lower Main Rd); snacks from K400;
h6am-6pm) near the Aurora Guest House
serves good tea and snacks.oBeer Garden 2 BEER GARDEN $
(58 Strand Rd; meals from K3000; hdinner) Ig-
nore the misleading English-language menu
they’ll dust off for foreigners and instead
head straight for the barbecued snacks:
these guys are truly talented grillers. Simply
point to select your vegies and proteins from
the refrigerators and staff will slather them
with a delicious, spicy sauce and grill them
for you. Couple your skewers with a glass
of what must be the coldest draught beer
in Myanmar, and you’ve got Mawlamyine’s
best meal.Mi Cho Restaurant MUSLIM, BURMESE $
(North Bogyoke Rd; meals from K1500; hlunch
& dinner) This busy hole in the wall, a short
walk from Attran Hotel, serves excellent
Muslim-style Myanmar cuisine, in particu-
lar a rich biryani and a delicious dhal soup.
Worth the walk.Mya Than Lwin
Restaurant CHINESE, BURMESE $$
(Dawei jetty, Strand Rd; mains from K2000; hall
day) This restaurant, in what appears to be
a former warehouse, is now a popular hang-
out. You can dine on the wooden planked
fl oor outside and feel like you’re on a boat
at sea or in the smokier, and more bar-like,
indoors. There’s an extensive menu of soups,chicken and seafood, including an abun-
dance of shrimp- and prawn-based dishes.Help Grandfather and Mother
Restaurant CHINESE, BURMESE $
(Strand Rd; mains from K500; hall day) Does
what it says on the label; the money raised
here goes to a charity helping the town’s el-
derly. If that weren’t reason enough to eat
here, it’s also a delightful waterfront res-
taurant in its own right and absolutely the
place to watch the sunset with a cup of tea.
The sign is written in Burmese only; look
for silhouettes of old people walking with
canes.Chan Thar Restaurant CHINESE, BURMESE $$
(4 Myoma Tadar St; mains from K2000; hall day)
You could easily mistake this restaurant for
a cinema and walk right on past. The sweet
and sour stir-fry is unusually good and the
chef can even whip up a mean fruit salad.
There’s beer and conversations on tap and
a TV tuned to the UK premiership football.Peking Restaurant CHINESE, BURMESE $$
(235 South Bogyoke Rd (Lower Main Rd); mains
from K3000; hlunch & dinner) Despite the
name, this isn’t the place to go for northern
Chinese specialties. Rather, they do an ac-
ceptable, if somewhat overpriced and greasy
take on Chinese-Burmese standards. 7 Shopping
Mawlamyine has a number of busy mar-
kets including the Zeigyi (central mar-
ket), the Big Market and the even bigger
Myine Yadanar Market. Though locals
distinguish between all of them, you prob-
ably won’t as they virtually meld into one
another and you’ll be too engrossed in the
melange of smells, sights and tastes to care
anyway.8 Information
A police station is located over the road from the
government jetties. The post offi ce is a couple of
blocks further inland.
Grace Internet Cafe (South Bogyoke Rd (Lower
Main Rd); per hr K500; h9am-10pm) Not en-
tirely reliable internet connections are available
at this shop in the centre of town. There are a
couple of similar places in the area.8 Getting There & Away
Air
Myanma Airways fl y to Yangon ($30) and Myeik
(Mergui; $65) every Sunday at 7am, although