New Shine 2

Maybe the best part of Dream House was the cooking. The chef really knows what she’s doing, and every dinner was amazing. Service in the dining area was great, too. Michael was friendly, polite, helpful, and keen to assist. The room was quite acceptable for the price. It’s about a 15-minute walk to a beach that may be the nicest I’ve ever seen. I loved the village along the shore, the umbrella-shaded beach chairs, the incredible sand for building castles, and the swimming. I’m not much for all the BBQ seafood, but my guide ate enough for both of us. We also took a speedboat to an offshore island, which was such a cool surprise, and watched fishermen haul in their catch each morning. I hoped to come back, and I did: on 20 April 2025 I spent three more nights at Dream House. It was as great as I remembered, my third visit. I’ll be back in June with four or five mates. Save me a room, Michael!

It was a relief to leave. This was the worst place I stayed in Myanmar. It may be the cheapest around, but I can see why: the room was damp, smelly, dirty, and uncomfortable, despite some pretty natural decorations on the walls and ceiling. We arrived around 3 pm and every room was still dirty from the previous guests. We were told to pick one and wait for it to be cleaned, so we went for a walk. At check-in, the owner took our passports and said he’d return them later, then disappeared. He ignored our calls and messages all evening, and nobody was at reception until late. I worried about our passports and felt unsafe overnight. The walls were thin, and we heard an old man groaning and grunting all night. Mosquitoes were relentless, but the net was too dirty to use. The bedding was just pillowcases, a sheet, and dirty warm blankets, which were unnecessary in the hot, stuffy room, with no proper sheet to cover ourselves. The bathroom felt like a horror movie: dirty grey water from the tap and cistern, a moldy shower curtain over the window, and wet toilet paper. There was no water heater or bottled drinking water in the room. Breakfast was okay but worse than at other places: rice with egg that wasn’t freshly made, some traditional sweets, and instant coffee. The owner appeared the next morning and returned our passports, but the desk was soon unattended again. We couldn’t find anyone to check out, so we left our backpacks in the room, put the key in the door lock, and looked for another hotel. One night was enough. We left the room open, tidy, and clean, but when we returned for our bags, the owner rudely accused us of breaking hotel rules by not telling him we were checking out. That felt dishonest when he’d been absent and hadn’t cared about us. We argued, which made the stay even worse.

For the price, it was a great stay. The beach is a little way off, but they offer a convenient free ride from 7 am until 7 pm. I couldn’t find anywhere to rinse the sand off my feet, which would have been nice. Otherwise, a good place.

Michael, his family, and the grandfather were so accommodating and friendly. We arrived at 4 am, and the grandfather brought blankets so we could sleep by reception, on the floor and a small sofa. Michael spoke good English, so communication was easy. We stayed three days, and breakfast was different each morning. There were different noodles, even pancakes, plus juice and coffee or tea. Their restaurant food was fresh and good, since they go to the market after you order rather than keeping food in the fridge. The beach was about an eight-minute walk away. Our deluxe room was fine and cool enough with just a fan, even in late December. There was no hot water and the toilet facilities weren’t very good. Still, the family’s helpfulness, the value, and the overall experience made it a good stay.