Inle Lake is probably the highlight of my trip to Myanmar. It was literally a breath of fresh air after braving the dusty roads of Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan. Two years ago, I visited the Tonle Sap lake in Siem Reap. The floating villages there were nice, but absolutely nothing compared.

Inle Lake is accessible from a town called Ngaung Shwe which is an hour’s drive away from Heho airport. It’s a small town serving mostly as a transit place to the resorts on Inle Lake. Ngaung Shwe however does have a number of nice cosy hotels. We stayed at Paradise hotel for a night and it provided a decent room with a nice balcony to relax. When in Ngaung Shwe, I highly recommend trying the local wines. I tried the Shiraz Tempranillo and Pinot Noir from the nearby Red Mountain estate which were both really nice!

Inle Lake Map

Inle Lake local wine

Inle Lake local wine

Inle Lake has a number of floating resorts. Be mindful that the place is very popular with tourists and according to our hotel staff, you cannot get a room anywhere on the lake without a booking prior. We stayed at the Skylake Inle resort which was extraordinary. I was completely stunned when I reached the resort. Love at first sight.

Skylake

Skylake

Skylake

Skylake bridge

Skylake

Skylake bridge

Skylake

Skylake bedroom

There are a number of places you can visit starting with the floating villages and temples. The water was amazingly clear and the sky of the deepest blue. A boat can be arranged either at Ngaung Shwe or at your resort for about 15,000 kyat/day.

Inle Lake house

Inle Lake warehouse

Inle Lake house

Inle Lake waterfront living

Inle Lake water villages

Inle Lake

Inle Lake

Inle Lake

Inle Lake mansion

Floating farm

Floating farm

Floating farm

Girl washing up on Inle Lake

There is a lot going on in those floating villages . We visited the jumping cat monastery, the floating farms, a cigarette manufacturing hut, a silk weaving place and a lacquer shop. If you are unsure what to see, just ask your hotel to give you a rundown of what’s nice to see.

Craftsman applying laquer

Cigarette production

Silk weaving

Weaving silk

Jumping cat monastery

Inside the jumping cat monastery

The food on the lake is also amazingly good. We tried a lake fish and some avocados at a floating restaurant. Absolutely delicious and not at all expensive. There are a number of restaurants around and we just picked one at random.

Fresh water fish

One unique and distinctive characteristic of local fishermen is that they row with their leg while fishing.

Fisherman leg rowing

We were lucky that our bungalow was facing the sunset, and what a gorgeous sunset it was too. 

It was hard to leave Inle. I had a great time in Myanmar and loved Bagan for its temples. But Inle holds a special place in my heart and you can be sure I’ll be there again…the next time for at least a full weekend.