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186

EASTERN MYANMAR

INLE LAKE

Nampan VILLAGE

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South of Ywama, the peaceful village of

Nampan is built on stilts over the water. It’s

off the main tourist circuit, but the Alodaw

Pauk Pagoda (Map p 185 ) is one of the oldest

shrines on the lake. Built on stilts over the

water, the whitewashed stupa enshrines a

fabulous gem-encrusted, Shan-style buddha.

Nampan has several small cheroot facto-

ries and there are some good restaurants on

the edge of the village.

Floating Gardens GARDENS

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(Map p 185 ) North of Nampan are these fa-

mous gardens, where Intha farmers grow

fl owers, tomatoes, squash and other fruit

and vegetables on long wooden trellises sup-

ported on fl oating mats of vegetation. In the

morning and afternoon, farmers paddle up

and down between the rows tending their

crops. It’s a bucolic scene made all the more

photogenic by the watery setting.

In Phaw Khone VILLAGE

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(Map p 185 ) This tidy village of teak stilt houses

is famous for its weaving workshops. Build-

ings across the village vibrate with the clatter

of shuttles and the click-clack of shifting loom

frames. The workshops are a popular stop

on the tourist circuit, and it’s fascinating to

see the skill of the weavers as they produce

ornate, multicoloured fabrics on looms made

from bamboo poles lashed together with rope.

Maing Thauk VILLAGE

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(Map p 185 ) On the eastern side of the lake, the

village of Maing Thauk has a split personality –

half the village is set on dry land, while the

other half sits on stilts over the water, linked

to the shore by a 450yd wooden bridge.

Inland from the village’s main road, a few

crumbling gravestones near the orphanage

mark the location of the colonial-era Fort

Steadman.

You can continue walking uphill to a

peaceful forest monastery (Map p 185 ) for

good views over the lake. Maing Thauk is ac-

cessible by boat and by road – you can cycle

to Maing Thauk in an hour or so along a dirt

track leading southeast from Nyaungshwe.

Southern End of the Lake

At the southern end of the lake, the village

of Thaung Tho (off Map p 185 ) holds an im-

portant tribal market every fi ve days. This

market sees far fewer visitors than the one

at Inthein. A long walkway leads uphill from

town to a complex of whitewashed Shan

stupas. There are more interesting stops

in this part of the lake; the village of Kyauk

Taung (off Map p 185 ) is devoted to pottery-

making and is also part of the market circuit,

while nearby Kyaing Kan (off Map p 185 ) spe-

cialises in weaving robes using lotus threads.

A long canal at the bottom of Inle Lake

winds south through peaceful countryside

to a second lake ringed by Shan, Intha and

Pa-O villages. It takes around three hours

from Shwenyuang to reach the largest village,

Sankar (Samka; off Map p 185 ), once the seat of a

Shan hereditary prince. On the opposite side

of the lake is Tharkong Pagoda, a collection

of crumbling zedi and stucco sculptures that

date back at least 500 years. The main attrac-

tion here is the almost total absence of other

tourists – visits to this area have only been

permitted since 2003 and foreigners must still

be accompanied by a Pa-O guide. Guided boat

trips to Sankar should be arranged through

Golden Island Cottages (p 183 ); guides cost

$10 and there’s a permit fee of $5.

 2 Activities

Motorboat Trips

It is de rigueur to take at least one boat

trip on the lake during a visit to Inle. Every

morning, a fl otilla of slender wooden ca-

noes fi tted with long-tailed outboard motors

surges out into the lake, transporting visi-

tors to various natural, cultural, religious,

historical or commercial sites.

The lake itself is rich in wildlife, especially

waterfowl. The area around the lake has been

protected as the Inle Wetland Bird Sanctu-

ary, an offi cial bird sanctuary, since 1985 and

you’ll see herons, warblers, cormorants, wild

ducks and egrets as you zip along the chan-

nels between the villages. But you won’t hear

them – or the comments of fellow passengers

for that matter – over the thunder of the

LAKEFRONT VIEW

Cutting through the morning mist on

Inle Lake is one of Myanmar’s must-do

experiences. Be sure to bring a coat or

sweater (it can get cold out there), and

in addition to the usual sights, be sure

to hit the fi ve-day market (p 183 ).