Page 172 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

170 SoutheaStern MyanMar Dawei anD arounD
DAWEI SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE
along the northern edge of nabule Beach, 30km northwest of Dawei, a wide, sandy road leads
to the isolated shoreline. on either side of it, a series of signs stands in front of various scrubby,
deserted plots, ambitiously announcing the “LnG Terminal – 35 acres” and “Main Port 2km”. This
is the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
in 2008, the Myanmar and Thai governments signed a deal to develop this stretch of coast
into a huge industrial estate and deep-sea port. with a highway, railway and pipeline leading
directly to Bangkok, 350km to the east, the development would allow firms from across
Southeast asia to bypass the busy waters of the Straits of Malacca.
Local people, fearing that they stand to lose their land and livelihoods, and that the benefits
will mostly go to overseas businesses rather than local ones, have established the Dawei
Development association to monitor the SeZ. So far there have been accusations that farmers
have been forced to give up their cashew and betel-nut plantations without fair
compensation, and an increase in complaints of land grabs as developers rush to find a
foothold in the area.
3 in 2013, the project was put on hold after failing to gather sufficient financial backing, but in
early 2015 the Thai and Myanmar governments announced that they were resurrecting the
project with the assistance of Japan. The first stage of development involves the construction
of a new road to Thailand, the creation of a small port and various infrastructure and
telecommunications projects, due by 2020. For now, it’s possible to visit the project
showroom near nabule to get a flavour of what the future here will look like.

Maungmagan Beach and around

Maungmagan, the best known of Dawei’s beaches just 16km north of town, is the only
one that’s set up for visitors, with a string of restaurants lining the sand and an excellent
guesthouse or two nearby (see p.171). It’s strange, then, that it’s also one of the less
attractive beaches in the region, with darker sand, more rubbish than elsewhere, and
– at low tide at least – a wide expanse of muddy sand that gives the distinct feeling of
bathing in an estuary.
Still, Maungmagan is a good base for exploring the surrounding area, which includes
the site of the proposed megaport (see box above), lots of pretty villages set amid
groves of cashew trees, and a 12km-long beach at Nabule (pronounced “Nabu-lay”),
which is one of the more attractive beaches in southern Myanmar. If you head south
along the coastal road from Maungmagan, you’ll reach Myaw Yit Pagoda after 11km,
a collection of zedi at the end of a causeway on a rocky section of shore.

Launglon and the Dawei Peninsula
Some 22km southwest of Dawei the small town of LAUNGLON is the gateway to a
string of fantastic beaches that dot the coastline – if only you can find them. Most of
the access roads are little more than sandy or rocky paths leading over the hills to the
coast, so be prepared to ask directions and for fairly challenging road conditions.
SAN HLAN is a palm-fringed fishing village 5km southwest of Launglon, with a
harbour full of wooden boats and a beach covered with drying racks. While the village
is rather rubbish-strewn, it’s still a pretty spot, and there’s the possibility of hiring a
fishing boat to one of the nearby beaches – Pa Nyiq or Shan Maw make good targets,
although you may need some Burmese to communicate what you’re after.
From Launglon, the peninsula stretches for a further 50km until you reach Shin Maw
(not to be confused with Shan Maw) at the southern end. This open horseshoe-shaped
bay has a pagoda on its southeastern tip, with beautiful open views over the Andaman
Sea beyond. Close by is the beautiful beach at Zat Sar Aw, where the only
accommodation on the peninsula can currently be found.

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