Kawthaung, the southernmost town of Myanmar, is separated from Thailand’s Ranong Province by a broad estuary in the Pakchan River, also known as the Kra Buri River. Known as Victoria Point during the British rule of Burma between 1824 and 1948, it is a charming and laid-back town straddled across the hills between the Kra Buri River on the east side and the Andaman Sea to the west.
As a gateway to the islands of the Myeik Archipelago, Kawthaung is worth a visit.
The town and the surrounding areas offer several sights of interest such as the town’s 21-metre-high (69 feet) Pyi Daw Aye Pagoda located on a hill overlooking the town. Built in 1949, walk inside the temple to see the eight meditation niches that represent the eight days of the Buddhist week. It also contains 14 Buddha images.
About three kilometres further north is the Mey Paw Kyan Pagoda. At the northern end of town along the river is a large area of stilted houses built on the edge of the river. During low tide, the residents scour the muddy riverbed for molluscs and crabs. At high tide the waters surround the stilted houses, almost splashing inside the basic wooden homes. This is the time when even the youngest kids come out to plunge into the water. They run along the wobbly planks connecting the houses and then jump. The people are very welcoming and curious to engage with visitors.
Kawthaung’s downtown offers a few pleasant restaurants serving up tasty Burmese and Thai food, as well as coffee shops and authentic markets. Close to the harbour, the street is lined with a number of simple seafood restaurants and lively beer stations.
At the southern end of the harbour lies the modest Cape Bayin Naung Park, named after King Bayinnaung, a Bamar (Burmese) monarch who invaded Thailand several times between 1548 and 1569. Here you can find a large bronze statue of the famous king in full battle gear and brandishing a sword pointed in the direction of Thailand. A warning to the Thais not to dare invade. It requires a short but steep hike up to the crest of a hill on the cape.
At the most southern tip is the Nagayone Temple right at the water’s edge. Nearby is the Kawthaung Grand Spirit Shrine.
Some 40 km north of Kawthaung, to the south of Maliwun village, is the Maliwan Waterfall with a swimming area and a small water park with slides.
One of the brightest highlights of the Kawthaung area is Palautonetone, a low-lying island about 9 km northeast of the Kawthaung harbour. The island is linked to the mainland by a 1,000+ metres long old teakwood bridge which is open to vehicular traffic. Best to avoid the crossing on a motorbike which is quite nerve-wracking, especially when wet! A better way to cross the bridge is on foot. Where the bridge reaches the island, notice the abundance of critters in the mud during low tide, in particular, the large mud crabs and amphibious mudskippers.
The south side of the island is covered with mangroves and is best explored by kayak rather than by land.
A hundred metres or so before the northern tip of the village, a dirt track turns off to the left to circumvent some low hills and lead you to a long wide brownish-sand beach on the island’s northwestern side. While the beach is reasonably clean, the seawater is quite murky. Where the small road terminates at the beach, a string of seafood restaurants and beer stations serve basic meals and cold beer. You can also find a few T-shirt shops and snack vendors.
The northwest side of the island is home to a lively yet rustic and picturesque fishing village partly build on stilts over the water. The people are a mixture of Bamar Buddhist, Chinese Buddhist and Muslims, and while they are not used to seeing many tourists, they are generally very welcoming. Be prepared for a string of happy kids following you, laughing at most every gesture you make! Most of them love having their photos taken.
During low tide, the sea recedes quite far which allows the locals to scour the exposed seabed for anything edible or valuable. During high tide the waters surround the stilted houses, almost splashing inside. Be here to see the little kids enjoying the deep waters that are well over their heads. They are like fish, or little otters, in the sea!
The island of Palautonetone can be reached by tuk-tuk from downtown Kawthaung, or even better, stay at the lovely Victoria Cliff Hotel and Resort, located some 6.5 km (4 miles) from the Kawthaung harbour.
The Resort offers a variety of luxury accommodation types which include the Ocean View Wings, the Lake View Villas, Ocean View Villas, and the Hillside Villas. The Resort grounds can best be described as well-groomed botanical gardens, complete with lakes, swans, and very tall palm trees and incredibly well-maintained giant bonsais. Their restaurants serve top class Burmese, Asian, and Western cuisines with stunning views over the sea and nearby islands. Enjoy a large swimming pool as well as a smaller infinity pool overlooking the sea.
After a day of exploring the Resort and the southern tip of Myanmar, have a relaxing massage or scrub at the Maliwan Spa, or workout at the well-equipped fitness centre overlooking the large pool and gardens. The Resort can accommodate up to 500 guests for weddings, conferences, or any kind of celebration. Pure bliss!
From the Victoria Cliff Hotel and Resort it is a short tuk-tuk ride to the bridge, or rather take on the roughly 2 km (1.2 mi) walk to the island village. You will take a lot of photos while crossing the bridge and don’t forget to check out the critters down below as you leave the bridge on the island. A new bridge is currently under construction which will replace this old teakwood bridge. Apparently, the old bridge will be saved and used as a footbridge, though the adjacent new concrete bridge will unquestionably spoil the photo opportunities.
From Kawthaung, private yachts leave to a few luxury resorts spread out across the tropical archipelago. Known as the Myeik (or Mergui) Archipelago, it is an immense area that covers approximately 36,000 square kilometres (13,900 square miles) and lies in the Andaman Sea off the Tanintharyi Region’s coast in southern Myanmar. It consists of more than 800 scattered islands mainly composed of limestone and granite, varying in size from small jagged rocky outcrops to large islands many kilometres in diameter.
The archipelago lies in a 400 kilometre (248 mile) long north-south scattering, in tropical waters where temperatures are consistently pleasant with average lows between 20-24°C (68-75°F) and average highs ranging between 28-33°C (82-91°F). These are ideal conditions for tropical wildlife to thrive, both in the sea and on the islands.
Arguably one of the most beautiful islands of the archipelago is the quaint island of Wa Ale at the westernmost edge of Lampi Island. The only accommodation on Wa Ale Island is the brand-new Wa Ale Island Resort. The entire luxury resort was creatively constructed with local materials including river stones and reclaimed wood to minimize its impact on the surrounding environment.
UNESCO recently examined the Myeik Archipelago as a tentative World Heritage Site for its biodiversity, and its report concludes with:
☛ Read more: Myeik Archipelago – A Paradise
Further reading
- Unspoiled Mergui Archipelago – Asia’s Paradise
- Ayeyarwady River Boat Journey: Myanmar
- Myanmar’s Coastline – 1,930 km of pure bliss!
- Portraits of Nagaland – Myanmar
- The Vibrant New Year Festival of Nagaland
- Top Islands of the Mergui Archipelago
- Mystic Hill Tribes of Myanmar’s Shan State
- Are tropical islands in Myanmar Asia’s last untouched paradise?
- 7 once-in-a-lifetime experiences at the new destination Mergui Archipelago
Blog post and photos by Peter who has been travelling almost full-time since 2005 and has been to over 122 countries. He visited several countries, such as Japan, more than 20 times. Peter is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of GlobeRovers Magazine, an independent travel magazine focused on intrepid destinations.