Inle Lake

Inle Lake, set high in the Shan hills of eastern Myanmar, is a serene and beautiful freshwater lake famous for the unique way of life of the Intha people who live upon and around it. They dwell in villages of stilt houses over the water, tend remarkable floating gardens of tomatoes and flowers rooted in the lake bed, and are known worldwide for their distinctive style of rowing standing on one leg, wrapping the other around the oar, all explored on tranquil long-boat trips.

What you actually see

• The leg-rowers - the fishermen rowing with one leg.
• The stilt villages - the houses and workshops over the water.
• The floating gardens - the gardens rooted in the lake bed.
• The lake monasteries and markets - the temples and rotating markets.

When to go

November to February, the cool dry season, for the most pleasant weather, as the highland setting can be cool, especially in the mornings and evenings; a boat trip at dawn, in the mist, is especially beautiful.

Honest expectations

The famous leg-rowing fishermen posing with their conical nets near the villages are now often doing so for tourist photos and tips rather than genuinely fishing. Some workshop and craft stops on the boat tours are geared to selling. The lake and its way of life remain genuinely serene and unique.

Nearby

The town of Nyaungshwe, the Shan hill villages and the trek from Kalaw are nearby.