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MR GEORGE: LOCAL GUIDEI’m from Pathein, but I’ve lived at Chaung Tha Beach for 15 years. I’ve worked in tourismsince 1996, and in 2000, I got a wife from here.Best BeachMost Europeans like Ngwe Saung Beach (p 83 ) because it’s a long beach and it’s quiet, withfewer people. But there is no village there, only huge resorts. If you like nature, Chaung ThaBeach is better, but the beach is small and doesn’t have white sand or clear water.Best Time to VisitNovember to April is the best time because the region has a lot of seafood and goodweather. After April the monsoon comes and the water isn’t so clear because the rainwaterand river water mix. At Ngwe Saung Beach many hotels are closed during the rainy season,but the hotels at Chaung Tha Beach are open all year.Secret SpotAbout 9 miles from Chaung Tha Beach is a place called Chauk Maung Na Ma (p 82 ). It’svery similar to Ngwe Saung: it’s quiet, and you can snorkel, fish and meet local people.It’s also a good place for a picnic.Shwe Ya Min Guesthouse &Restaurant HOTEL $(%42127; s/d $5/10; a) Although locatedon the opposite side of the road from thebeach, the bright rooms here are scrubbedclean, neatly tiled and come with desk, softbed (bring your own mosquito net) and abathroom with highly original washbasins.The attached restaurant serves a justifiablywell-regarded pancake breakfast, andgracious, friendly service rounds out thepackage.Belle Resort RESORT $$$(%42112; www.belleresort.com; r $55-180; as)The rooms are understated sophisticationwith stone walls, sprawling beds, massivewindows with equally massive ocean viewsand satellite TV. Enter the bathrooms,made of stylish black stone, and things geteven better. And best of all, they claim toprovide more electricity than other places,giving you the chance to take advantageof the electronic amenities offered at thisprice tag.Grand Hotel HOTEL $$(%42329; r $30-35; a) The cute whitewashedbungalows here aren’t the newest or flashiestaccommodation along the beach, butrepresent good value. Along with an atmosphereof yesteryear, the spacious roomshave tall windows, TV, fridge and a hugebathroom with big old-school tubs.Golden Beach Hotel RESORT $$(%42128; r $25-40; as) This vast resort (56rooms) doesn’t have the park-like manicuredgrounds that others do, but the hotelroom-styleduplex bungalows have recentlybeen renovated. There is a well-used pooltable and a little-used pool. The stretch ofsand out the front is especially popular withmiddle-class Myanmar tourists.Shwe Hin Tha Hotel HOTEL $$(%42118; r $7-12, bungalows $20-25; ai) Locatednear the bus drop-off point and boastingbudget prices, this is Chaung Tha’s mostpopular backpacker choice. The rooms andbungalows are unremarkable, but it’s locatedat the quiet northern end of the beachand has intermittent internet and a touristinformation centre (p 82 ), where equipmentcan be rented and tours organised.Diamond Hotel HOTEL $$$(%13109; d/tr $50/65; a) The bungalowbasedrooms here are large enough, butleave you rather close to your neighbour.Rooms come with amenities such as TV andfridge but, other than the rainbow-colouredbalustrade on the balconies, not a whole lotof character.Dream Light Guest House HOTEL $(%42201; bungalows $8-35; a) All in all thelarge and airy bungalows here have seenbetter times, but they are just a sandy stepfrom the tranquil northern part of the81DELTA AROUND REGION YANGON SLEEPINGCHAUNG THA BEACH