The next morning Stef was on the mend, but he was weak and dehydrated. After some re-hydration salts, it was discussed that we should head further south and stay at the bungalows on Paradise Beach for a night.

One last relaxing ride up and down the beach, and we were tackling the mudflats again. It didn't seem so bad this time around because we knew what to expect, however, when we got to the newly-laid cement, the track up the hill was going to be tricky. We couldn't ride on the cement because it was still wet, and there wasn't too much room either side. Again, we were off the bikes with one pushing from behind and the other walking beside giving some throttle.

We definitely provided a bit of commotion for the villagers to laugh about.

At the top of the hill, we met the bungalows owner, and he was telling us that they just now issued his permit to accept overnight guests. He had a very big smile, and we were happy for him that he could start making a living. We asked him how his guests will get through the swamp to his bungalows, and he said that its not possible by motorbike, so he picks them up by boat.

Forty minutes later, we were on the road down to Paradise Beach where there was a good restaurant for Stef to tuck in and recuperate. Passing by the village of Kyauk Wap Pyin, we saw a couple of Canadians that we had talked to on Py Nyat beach the first day. They were having lunch at Yway's, so we decided to stop and say hello. They had spent the night at the bungalows and told us it was fully booked for the next month.

That wasn't what we wanted to hear, but we decided to take a look for ourselves and see if they would let us camp on the beach.

From Kyauk Wap Pyin we headed to Aut Kyauk Wap, where the turn off leads to an unpaved road which eventually turns into single track. The Canadians mentioned that the track was very hairy and skirted a sheer drop off, but when we got there, it ended up being not so tough.

Arriving at Paradise Beach, we entered the restaurant and asked the young guy behind the desk if he had any bungalows. He just shook his head. We asked if it was okay to camp on the beach, and he shook his head again. It was a bit of a problem because the next legal place to stay was back in Dawei--3 hours away. We ordered a couple of coconuts and sat pondering our options.

In the 20-minute period since we arrived, 2 or 3 couples turned up asking the same questions. Stef went to talk to the young guy, who finally relented and said it was okay if we went right down the beach and pitched our tents but only if we left the next day. It was nice of him because the other couples had gotten back on their bikes and headed off for what we could only gather would be the 3-hour trip back.

A quick look around showed us that Paradise Beach was a great little place. It reminded us of Koh Pangan in the 90's. There were maybe 10 bungalows or so spread throughout the coconut trees. They were very basic with a little balcony and the all-too-familiar Asian plastic chairs and tables. The beds had mosquito nets, and the bathroom was a simple toilet and shower. The beach was in a cove lined with palm trees, and it looked pretty spectacular. There wasn't much else to wish for except maybe some availability.

Camping was fine for us. It was very private down the beach; there was an outdoor bucket shower and toilet, but the main attraction, outside the wonderful white sand and turquoise water, was the restaurant. The food was just amazing. Either that or we were very hungry.

We talked to a few people staying in the bungalows, and they were the typical laid-back, unpretentious types that told us some stories of their travels up and down the peninsula. There was a Swiss doctor from Aargau who had screenshots from Google Earth of the whole coast. We studied the area looking for potential beaches, and it seemed, if we could get another fisherman to take us south of Paradise, there were some nice little coves that looked promising.

Swiss Snowboard Touring

20 Days in the Wilderness

August 24th, 2015

August 24^th, 2015