184EASTERN MYANMAR
INLE LAKE
K.K.O. Internet (Map p 178 ; Yone Gyi Rd; per
hr K1500; h7am-10.30pm) International email
accounts can be accessed via proxy servers at
this small cafe.
Lin Internet (Map p 178 ; Kann Nar Rd; per hr
K1000; h7am-10pm) Close to the boat jetty,
above the Mini Mart, with decent connections.8 Getting There & Away
By far the easiest way to reach the Inle Lake re-
gion is to fl y. Most long-distance road transport
starts or fi nishes in Taunggyi – to reach Nyaung-
shwe, you’ll have to change at the junction town
of Shwenyaung on the highway between Taung-
gyi and Heho. Air
The main airport for the Inle region is at Heho,
25.5 miles northwest of Nyaungshwe on the way
to Kalaw – see p 174 for fl ight details. There are no
offi cial airline offi ces in Nyaungshwe, but hotels
and private travel agents can make bookings.
Taxis waiting at the airport charge K25,000
to Nyaungshwe (one hour); a cheaper but less
convenient option is to hike the near mile to Hwy
4 and wait for a pick-up truck or bus bound for
Taunggyi (K2000, 1½ hours); ask to be let off at
Shwenyaung, from where you can change for
Nyaungshwe. You may face a long wait. Bus & Pick-up Trucks
Any bus travelling from Mandalay (see p 221 ) or
Yangon (see p 70 ) to Taunggyi can drop you at
Shwenyaung for the full Taunggyi fare.
To Yangon, overnight buses originating in
Taunggyi reach Shwenyaung at 3pm (K14,000,
16 to 20 hours). Similarly, the Mandalay-bound
bus arrives at Shwenyaung at 6pm (K10,000,
12 hours) and the bus to Nyaung U (Bagan) at
around 5am (K10,000, eight hours). Hotels and
travel agents in Nyaungshwe can book seats on
these buses but be sure to be at the junction in
Shwenyaung early so you don’t miss your bus.
To reach Kalaw (K3000, four hours), Thazi
(K5000, six hours) or Meiktila (K7000, seven
hours), you must fi rst take a pick-up or taxi to
Shwenyaung. Once you reach the Hwy 4 junc-
tion, you can fl ag down local buses and pick-ups
heading west.
From Nyaungshwe, pick-ups run to Shwenyaung
(K500, 30 minutes) and Taunggyi (K1000, one
hour) from 7am to 5pm. The pick-up stand (Map
p 178 ; off Yone Gyi Rd) is west of the market but
pick-ups also stop near the bridge north of Min-
gala Market, although they’re often full by then. Ta xi
The easiest way to fi nd a taxi in Nyaungshwe is
to ask at your hotel or, failing that, call Ko Kyaw
Kyaw Oo (%209 367); charter taxi fares include
Shwenyaung (K10,000), Heho (K15,000),Taunggyi (K25,000) and Kalaw (K40,000), and
taxis have room for three or four passengers.
Motorcycle taxis at the stand (Map p 178 ; Main
Rd) near the market can transfer you to Shweny-
aung for K3000. Train
The train rumbling through the hills from Shwe-
nyaung to Thazi is slow but the scenery en route
is stunning. From Shwenyaung, the single daily
departure leaves at 10am arriving in Kalaw after
three hours ($3) and reaching Thazi at least
another six hours later ($5).
For train times from Thazi see p 167.8 Getting Around
Dirt tracks run through the marshes in all direc-
tions from Nyaungshwe – several shops on Yone
Gyi Rd and Phaung Daw Pyan Rd rent out clunky
Chinese bicycles for K1000 per day.
Motorcycle taxis at the stand (Map p 178 ; Main
Rd) near the market can take you to Kaung Daing
hot springs for K5000 return.The Lake
% 081
Almost every visitor to Nyaungshwe takes a
boat trip on Inle Lake. But the lake is so large
and the villages so spread out that Inle never
feels too crowded. The exception is when the
traditional fi ve-day market rotation comes to
Ywama or Inthein; every tour boat and sou-
venir vendor in the Inle region heads straight
for the market and tourists jostle for space
with tribal people trying to do their weekly
shopping. 1 Sights
Inthein VILLAGE
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West of Ywama, a narrow, foliage-cloaked
canal winds through the reeds to the lake-
side village of Inthein (Indein). As the chan-
nel leaves the reed beds, the jungle grows
denser and denser on either side, before the
village appears suddenly among the vegeta-
tion. The Apocalypse Now ambience evapo-
rates somewhat when you see the waiting
tourist boats and souvenir stalls, but no
matter – the pagodas on the hilltop are still
incredibly atmospheric despite the crowds.
The fi rst group of ruined stupas is imme-
diately behind the village. Known as Nyaung
Ohak, the crumbling stupas are choked in
greenery but you can still discern some ornate
stucco carvings of animals, deva and chinthe.