The second biggest lake in Myanmar has become a major tourist attraction in the country. Inle Lake is famous for its floating villages and gardens. The local culture stands out a bit from other parts of Myanmar. Every aspect of their lives is connected with water and the lake for the locals.

Arrival

Some interesting options present itself when planning the trip the Inle Lake. The closest centre for transportation, markets and life next to the lake is a town called Nyaungshwe. One of the most common ways to travel is a bus journey. It is possible to get a bus straight to Nyaungshwe from all of the main cities in Myanmar. If strict on time and not on a budget then it is possible to catch a flight to a place called He Hoe airport, which is about 40 km from Nyaungshwe. From the airport, the only option to get to the city is to get a taxi. They are waiting outside the airport building, so it easy to get one. Another option available is arriving at Inle Lake by walking. Yes. Walking. 3 days, 2 nights trekking options are popular with a starting point in Kalaw. You will walk in total 61 km through local villages, beautiful landscapes and spend nights in homestays/monasteries. The trekking agencies will take your luggage to Nyaungshwe for you. Photo. An airplane on a route from Bagan to Inle Lake.

Boat ride on the lake

The main activity is to take a boat ride on the lake for a day. Hotel receptions and tour agencies in the city can easily arrange a boatman/guide for you. They typically have certain routes that they offer but if you know for certain that you want to go somewhere else then it is possible. We opted for a route offered and head out for a day. Photo. Typical house in Inle Lake.

Fishermen

The first “stop” after boarding the boat early in the morning was seeing the local fisherman doing their morning “exercise” on the lake. They propose an interesting sight because of their unique fishing manners. The fishermen ride a shallow canoe-type boat standing on the edge of the boat on one foot.  The other leg is wrapped around the paddle and used for paddling. That leaves the hands free for only fishing. Photo. Local fisherman showing off his balancing skills. 

Floating tomato farms

Farming on the Inle Lake is unique. The farmers grow their tomatoes and other crops on the masses of floating roots on top of the lake. Photo. Floating tomato plantation.

Silver jewellery workshop

The next stop after surfing on the floating masses of land was a silver jewellery making workshop. In the first part of the visit, a guide from the facility introduced and showed us how the local jewellery making is taking place step by step. After the workshop, there was a pretty big shop from where it was possible to buy different handmade items. Photo. Assembly of jewellery.

Lotus weaving workshop

Besides using typical materials like silk and cotton, the local women at Inle Lake also practise weaving with lotus fibres. The fabric is made from the stems of lotus flowers growing on the lake. We were guided through all of the processes again from the beginning of opening up the lotus root to having the fabric fully produced. Photo. Weaving in process.

Paper & Umbrella making workshop

As for all the other “workshops”, then also in here, the local women were displaying how the items have been produced. There were no explanations this time though. The bigger part of the location was dedicated to a shop which hosted some random items. Just at the entrance of the shop/workshop, the long-necked Kayan tribe people are being displayed. Tourists go to sit down with them just to get their photo taken. It is quite strange though since the Kayan tribe is not from around this area at all. They have just brought there for tourist attraction. Photo. Umbrellas being produced on the left side. Ready umbrellas for sale on the right side.

Nga Hpe Kyaung Monastery

Also called as the jumping cat monastery. It is known for its jumping cats who were trained to jump through hoops and putting up a performance. During our visit there, we did not see any cats jumping though. The building itself seemed to be pretty old and constructed from teak wood.

Cheroot making & boat building

In another stop where our boatman took us, they introduced us how the long canoe-type fishermen and cargo boats are being made. Besides the boats, on the same territory, there were local women rolling and producing cheroots – cylindrical cigars with open ends on both sides. They roll the crushed tobacco inside the thanat leaves and seal the cigars with threads. Cheroots are low-cost to produce, so they are popular in Myanmar. Photo. List of possible ingredients for cheroot.

Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda

The most famous and lively temple in the Inle Lake area.

Other activities

Besides having a day for the lake tour there are a handful other things to do and places to visit near Inle Lake. As there is not much to do in Nyaungshwe itself the best thing is to rent a bicycle and head out of the town.

• Htat Eian cave. There are many Buddha statues in the cave. It also includes some small passages and staircases which makes the place interesting to explore. Besides the cave, there is a monastery and a school for young students before the entrance. By buying their locally made fruit shakes/cookies from their small cafe, you can support the school itself as well.
• Red Mountain Estate Vineyards. The views on the lake from the vineyards are great, especially during sunset time. They offer locally produced vine and meals as well.
• Khaung Daing Hot Springs. To the west side from Nyaungshwe are located some natural hot springs. Personally, I did not manage to pay a visit so I can’t say much about it.

Photo. Buddha statues in Htat Eian cave.  Photo. Young monks learning English at a school. Photo. View from the vineyards. There are more destinations around Inle lake to visit, but this is what we managed during few days there. Apparently, it is possible to make a loop with a bicycle out of the city by crossing the lake with a boat at one point. Visiting Inle Lake was a great experience and I would say even though it has become quite a tourist attraction, it is still one of the “musts” when visiting Myanmar. Inle Lake still has its authentic feeling to it and it is easy to see that the locals really live there in the houses on stilts. These are not just another exhibition villages.