187INLE LAKESLEEPINGEASTERN MYANMARSLEEPINGEASTERN MYANMARTHE LAKEboat’s motor. Bring ear plugs or sit right at
the front, away from the thundering pistons.
Every hotel and guesthouse in Nyaung-
shwe can arrange motorboat trips or you can
make your own arrangements directly with
the boat drivers at one of the piers – although
they’ll most likely fi nd you before you can
fi nd them. Prices for day-long boat trips start
at K12,000, which typically includes visits to
the famous sights in the northern part of the
lake such as Phaung Daw Oo Paya in Tha
Ley, the Nga Hpe Kyaung in Nga Phe village
and the fl oating gardens. A trip to Inthein
will raise the cost to about K15,000, while
visits to destinations further south such as
Thaung Tho or Kyauk Taung can run as high
as K25,000. The fee covers the entire boat;
drivers will carry fi ve or more passengers in
a single boatload and passengers get padded
seats and life jackets.
Trekking
Inle Lake is the end point for several trek-
king routes from Kalaw. Trails run west
from Kalaw through the villages of the
Shan, Intha, Pa- O, Danu, Palaung and Da-
naw tribes, ending at villages on the west-
ern lake shore. These treks can be walked in
either direction, though most people walk
from Kalaw to Inle, as the fi nal stages are
mainly downhill.
The most popular start/end point for
treks is Kaung Daing, but begging has be-
come a problem on this route because of
tour groups handing out sweets and money
to children. More interesting places to start
or end the walk to Kalaw include Inthein
and Thandaung.
There are also some interesting day hikes
and overnight treks north and south of Ny-
aungshwe, passing through rice paddies dot-
ted with Shan stupa ruins. Trails into the hills
east of town lead to Pa-O villages with pan-
oramic views over the lake. Guides can talk
you through the various treks and itineraries.
Day hikes cost around $10 a day, which
includes a basic lunch of rice and curry
(carry your own bottled or purifi ed water).
Overnight treks around Nyaungshwe are
$25, while the two or three-day trek to Ka-
law costs $30 per person in groups of three.
Recommended guides in Nyaungshwe in-
clude Pyone Cho at Lotus Restaurant (Map
p 178 ; [email protected]; Museum Rd (Haw
St), Nyaungshwe) and the brothers Than Htay
and Ko Htwe at Sunny Day Tour Services
(Map p 178 ; [email protected]; cnr Main Rd &
Yone Gyi Rd, Nyaungshwe). Swimming
The lake waters are very clear so a dip looks
inviting, but the channels around the vil-
lages are shallow and full of weeds. The best
place for a swim is out on the main body
of the lake, though you need to be wary
of speeding riverboats. One safe spot for a
swim is the disused teak mansion known as
Inleh Bo The (Map p 185 ), near the mouth of
the channel leading to Nyaungshwe. 4 Sleeping
Although many travellers choose to stay in
Nyaungshwe, there are also a number of up-
market resorts built on stilts over the lake,
where the sensation of sleeping over the
water is very atmospheric. All of the resorts
have their own boats and drivers but, as the
resorts are quite isolated, most people eat
where they stay.
Reservations are recommended in the
high season, and discounts are often avail-
able for advance bookings. All rates include
breakfast. All of the hotels arrange pick-ups
and return boat trips to/from Nyaungshwe
for K8000.
The majority of accommodation on Inle
Lake is around Maing Thauk; prices grow
progressively higher the further north you
go. None of the following hotels appear to
have government links, but Pristine Lotus
and Myanmar Treasure Resort do.oGolden Island Cottages HOTEL $$$
Nampan (GIC; Map p 185 ; %209 390, in Yangon 01-
549 019; http://www.gicmyanmar.com; r $50-70; i) Thale
U (GIC; Map p 185 ; %209 389, in Yangon 01-549FLOATING OVER INLE LAKEAs beautiful as they are from the
ground, the views across Inle Lake are
even more stunning from the air. If
you can gather up a minimum of four
passengers, who are each prepared
to stump up $5000, then the folks at
Eastern Safaris (www.easternsafaris.
com) can arrange a four-day, three-
night hot-air balloon safari over the lake
and surrounding hills. They’re the same
reliable and professional folks who run
the balloon rides over Bagan (see p 113 ).
A six-day, fi ve-night safari that also
includes Bagan is also available and is
usually scheduled for December, the
best month for hot-air ballooning.