We visited many amazing countries during our trip to Southeast Asia and Myanmar was probably my favourite. The country is incredibly diverse with very kind, engaging locals and it’s so rich in culture and history. From big royal cities, through ancient magical Bagan, to the lush green mountains, Myanmar was a great surprise. At first, I wanted to skip Inle Lake, simply because of the time management, but I am so glad we didn’t! Spending some time in nature surrounded by mountains was a great getaway from busy cities and dusty roads. So here’s an article about the life on Inle Lake through my eyes and some useful travel tips before you go!
Unique Culture and Nature of Inle Lake
Inle Lake is the second largest lake in Myanmar and it’s an important source of fresh water in the country. It is located among the mountains in the 884 m height above the sea level, which made this place quite inaccessible in the past, therefore its way of life, culture and traditions developed without any outside influences. This fact makes Inle Lake area very special and quite different from the rest of Myanmar.
Besides of unique culture and cuisine of the local Intha people, there are many endemic species of fauna and flora which make this area so special. For example, over twenty species of snails and nine species of fish are found nowhere else in the world. That’s why Inle Lake became Myanmar’s first designated place of UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2015, which should help this area overcome some of the environmental concerns that come from tourism.
Where to Stay
We stayed in Nyaung Shwe for 3 days – one day we spent cruising on the lake in a traditional boat and the other two we hired bikes from our accommodation (1,500 MMK per day) and explored the surrounding areas of the lake. It was amazing and very different from busy streets and bustling life in Mandalay and dusty roads across the desert-like environment that surrounds Bagan. Mountains around Inle Lake are lush green, misty and bit colder than the rest of country. They hide many traditional villages, pagodas, wineries and hiking trails.
Similarly to Bagan, we had to pay the area fee, which was 15,000 MMK per person for one week (approximately 9 EUR).
There are all sorts of accommodation in Nyaung Shwe and the hotels or hostels are usually cheaper here than when they are located directly on the lake. From Nyaung Shwe the lake is easily accessible by bike, motorbike or boat trip.
Where to Eat
Nyaung Shwe is not a big city, but you can find here many cute restaurants serving hearty local meals. The cuisine of this area is quite unique because they mostly use only what they can produce and their dishes are built around the freshwater fish from the lake that they catch every day. Here are some of our favourite restaurants and cafes we visited during our stay:
Inle Heart View
Located in the mountains together with charming winery, we found this restaurant when running from the rain. They had big portions and cheap drinks with amazing views on the lake. The owners were very lovely people, they let us stay for couple of hours until the rain went away.
The Ancestor
Traditional Burmese cuisine in the heart of Nyaung Shwe. The restaurant is located in a family house where you can feel the love they put in their dishes!
Paw paw
Cute small café with outdoors seating. The prices are little bit higher than somewhere else but you are also donating to a good cause as this café is run by a local lady, who donates most of her earnings to the people and especially to women in need. You can also book some hiking tours in here and buy some eco-friendly products, such as high quality bamboo straws for your drinks.
Nyaung Shwe Night Bazaar
Okay, this is not a restaurant but it’s a really great place to go, observe and experience the local night life of Nyaung Shwe! The bazaar is more like a fair with food stalls and marry-go-rounds for children. Everyone is happily chatting; you can get some Burmese beer and get to know the locals better.
Boat Trip on Inle Lake
The boat trip for surely the highlight of our stay in Inle Lake and it’s a must when travelling to this area. The boats are very traditional, long and narrow and they are all hand-made. They can take up to 4 people, so you don’t have to worry to become a part of a big group. We booked ours with a driver from our hotel. The price should be the same everywhere – 18,000 MMK for the boat with driver for the whole day (only about 11 euro, so if it’s 4 of you, it becomes a very cheap trip).
The drivers know where to go and they will take you to the best places around the lake, so the itinerary is usually very similar if not the same, however, for example there is more than silversmith workshop, so you don’t have to worry that all the drivers will go to the same one and it’d be crowded. Here is what you can expect from a day spent on the lake.
Traditional fishing
Our first stop in the morning was watching “traditional” fisherman. However, their style of fishing is not so traditional anymore, they use normal nets and those with big nets shaped as bells are there only for the photos to pose for visitors. We didn’t know this beforehand which put us a in a little bit awkward position, but in the end, I am happy I gave this man 2000 MMK for posing for our pictures, because it’s easier money to earn for him, it doesn’t hurt my wallet and I am always happy to help if I can to those who need it.
Silver smith workshop
Silversmiths are some of the Inle Lake traditional workshops and crafts with silver being very high quality (my silver ring from here never gets dark in chlorine water, unlike my Pandora ring which I have clean regularly because the silver they use is not as great). They make jewellery right in front of you and I can honestly say, those people were so talented! Also the prices are more than fair. I got my simple silver ring for only 8 USD to remind me of this place.
Lotus, silk and cotton weaving workshop
Lotus weaving is so interesting and I bet you didn’t know that this was even possible! Well, certainly I didn’t! Weaving lotus from its roots is extremely long and difficult process, therefore the final product is very expensive, even though the fabric is not very pleasant to touch. They have a shop there, where you can try on some clothes made of lotus, but there are also some nice pieces made of silk and cotton for good prices.
Cigar workshop
Even though we don’t smoke, we came here to have look how they make special cigars and cigarettes from the plants from this area. I will be honest, the tobacco has quite a pleasant smell. In this workshop, they also make some products from bamboo, for example some kitchenware or fashion accessories. They use a special technique for polishing the bamboo so it doesn’t burn!
Phaung Daw Oo pagoda
This unique pagoda is built entirely on water. You have take your shoes off and then you are free to explore. There are locals on the boats near pagoda selling fresh coconut and other refreshments. It is a very special place to visit.
Long neck women tribe
This stop wasn’t my favourite and it made me feel weird. I regret a little bit going to this stop. The Karen tribe, or the “long neck women tribe” is not so traditional anymore and they put the rings on women more or less only for the tourism purposes nowadays. The girls are sitting in one small room were they also live and they are there just for tourists to come and take pictures with them, while they listen to their music from iPhones. It is literally a human zoo. I don’t know how the girls feel about their situation but I didn’t have a good feeling from this place. If you decide to go, please be respectful. During our visit we were the only people in the room with them (plus a translator/host) but I’ve seen Instagram stories when tourists were pushing their cameras in their faces, taking selfies without asking and pushing the around. Let’s not forget they are humans too. We asked the girls if it is okay to take pictures.
Monastery
The monastery is very old and it’s made entirely of wood on the water. I forgot its name but it was truly a beautiful place with many wooden Buddha statues inside.
Traditional villages and gardens on the water
We were passing through many villages that were built directly on the water, with houses on pylons of teak wood and vegetable gardens hanging above water. I can’t imagine how everyday real life for these people must be, but visiting this place for a day gave me romantic feelings and it was one of the best days of our Asia trip!
Important Notice
An important thing to mention is that the Inle Lake area experiences power shortage every day from 6 am to 9 am and from 2 pm to 5 pm during low season. They use hydropower and it has something to do with low and high tide, however I didn’t really understand when our host was trying to explain it. Anyway, if you are visiting in the peak season from November to February, you should be fine with electricity running smoothly all day long.
Weather
Unique geography of this area and the mountains surrounding Inle Lake means that it’s generally colder here than in other parts in Myanmar. Depending on the time of the year, the average temperatures can vary from 22 to 35 degrees Celsius with significant drops at night and early in the morning. The cool or dry season lasts from November to February, when the temperatures are mild, and there’s not much rain, but there are lots of tourists. The hot season starts in March and runs till the end of May and then in June the rainy season starts and finishes in October.
We travelled to Inle Lake in June and got few short storms, but otherwise the weather was sunny and quite pleasant. It’s important not to forget your sunscreen as well as the mosquito repellent when travelling to this area and have them always with you!
If you are interested to visit Myanmar, or if you are already planning your trip there, I would definitely recommend you to visit Inle Lake. It’s a great place to relax and recharge your inner batteries in nature, maybe do some biking and hiking. For more detailed info about Myanmar in general and for tip an itinerary for almost 2 weeks, check out my other article here.
I really hope you enjoyed the article and that it was useful for you. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know in the comment section below!
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