Inle Lake
Travel Guide > Asia > Myanmar > Shan State > Inle Lake
In this Article
- Introduction
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Getting There
- Getting Around
- Eat
- Drink
- Sleep
- Keep Connected
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Introduction
Inle Lake is one of the best sights in Myanmar. It is the second largest lake in Myanmar and is framed on both sides with stunning mountains. The banks of the lake, which is a marshy reed land, is home to several villages built on stilts with homes connected by bridges and boats. There are also 4 cities that are little bit more modern. The entire lake area is considered the Nyaung Shwe Township. The lake is the home to the Intha people, around 700,000, which are a minority group that are famous for rowing their boats with their legs.
Other then riding on boats around the lake and villages there also other activities. A favorite activity is day hikes around the country side. This can be a great way to see the the lives of people in the countryside of Myanmar. There are also some great handy crafts to buy including bags and wood work. Remember to try some local food and see some farms on the water!
Events and Festivals
- Hpaung Daw U Festival is a three week Buddhist festival held during September and October. This festival features boat racing and local people dressed in their best.
Getting There
By Plane
There is an airport in Heho, which has domestic flights to Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan. To get to the Heho airport it is best to hire a car in Inle Lake, it is about an hour drive.
By Car
It is possible to rent a car and driver in Mandalay or Yangon to get to Inle Lake.
By Bus
All the buses and pickups stop at the junction, which is a small town on the highway. The junction is about a 30 minute drive from Inle Lake. The best way to get to and from the junction is by pickup truck, car or motorbike.
Bus is the cheapest and easiest way to get to Inle Lake. A bus from Yangon can take from 10 to 20 hours depending on the ride. Remember that it can get cold during at night when going through the mountains so bring some extra clothes. There are also daily buses to Bagan and Mandalay.
To reach Kalaw or other small towns the best way is to jump on the back, or roof, of a public pickup truck. There are several every morning waiting at the junction.
By Boat
Some hikes from Kalaw end with a boat road to the main town in Inle Lake.
Eat
Drink
This is version 8. Last edited at 14:37 on Aug 26, 09 by Utrecht (+52). 2 articles link to this page.
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