Inle Lake

Short description of Inle Lake

Inle Lake (အင်းလေးကန်) is a shallow freshwater lake in the Shan hills where the Intha live on the water itself. Fishermen row standing on one leg with the oar wrapped around the calf, and whole villages of stilt houses sit above floating gardens of tomatoes and beans. Long tail boats are the only practical transport, running between weaving workshops, silversmiths, cheroot rollers and the stupa field of Indein. Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda holds the lake’s most revered Buddha images, and a rotating five day market moves between the shore villages. Nyaungshwe at the northern end is the base for visits.

AI edited

Recommended length of stay

Travel seasons at a glance

Best time to visit: November – February

• Jan
• Feb
• Mar
• Apr
• May
• Jun
• Jul
• Aug
• Sep
• Oct
• Nov
• Dec

All highlights and sights

1. Long tail boat tour across the lake
2. Intha leg rowing fishermen
3. Indein stupa field & Shwe Inn Thein
4. Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda
5. Floating gardens of the Intha
6. Lotus and silk weaving workshops in Inpawkhon
7. Nga Phe Kyaung jumping cat monastery
8. Five day rotating market
9. Nyaungshwe town and canal
10. Pagoda festival boat procession (approx. October)
11. Red Mountain Estate vineyard
12. Silversmith and cheroot workshops
13. Kayaking on the lake at dawn
14. Sankar southern lake villages(Day trip)
15. Hot springs at Khaung Daing
16. Shwe Yan Pyay teak monastery
17. Cycling loop around the western shore
18. Pindaya Caves with thousands of Buddha images(Day trip)

Ways to get there and away

Airports nearby:

• HEH Heho Airport (Heho) · 25 km northwest(recommended)
• LIW Loikaw Airport (Loikaw) · 101 km south
• NYT Nay Pyi Taw International Airport (Naypyitaw) · 127 km southwest

Nearest port:

Mandalay · 178 km northwest

Nearest railway station:

Kalaw (Kalaw) · 38 km west

Map view

Distances

More travel destinations in Myanmar

• Bagan
• Yangon
• Golden Rock (Kyaiktiyo)
• Mandalay
• Ngapali Beach
• Hpa-An
• Bago
• Mrauk U
• Pyin Oo Lwin
• Kalaw