We arrive at Inle Lake by motorcycle, to do the last stage of the trekking. We visited the town of Inthein, which happened to be home to the market that day (it's like in Spain, that every day the market is in a different town, and sellers are constantly moving). And we take the boat that takes us to the town where all the accommodations are concentrated: Nyaung Shwe. We had the reservation that night at the Aquarius Inn as it was necessary to send the backpacks from Kalaw, so there we headed the entire troop. We said goodbye to the guides and Simon, although we would see him a few more times.
This place has a special charm, it is true that it is where we have seen the most tourists, and many of the attractions are destined for them, but it is enough to pedal for 10 minutes to see what is truly authentic. One of the excursions was through a mud wheelbarrow that travels in the middle of the lake, with fishermen rowing with their feet, farmers, women collecting wood and roots ... all in a perfect balance on their boats.
In fact, the essential thing to do in Inle Lake is a small cruise aboard these typical moorings. If you want to book it in advance you can do it here although if you wait once there, you can surely try to get a better price (it depends on your negotiation skills hehe).
But it deserves to move away from the calm waters of the lake to travel the road around it ... where there are, because of all XD cages made of bamboo where they enclose impressive hairy pigs, stalls of all kinds: of chickens, fruit, gasoline in liter bottles , betel ... women who carry firewood on their heads.
And if you follow later ... a hot spring enclosure in the purest Western style. As we did one month trip we afford to take a bath and relax (more if possible).
On the opposite side, the road to the Forest monastery It is complicated in its final part, a steep climb that must be done on foot. The views of the lake from the pagoda and the almost deserted village that surrounds it are the best of this monastery.
On the other side of the road the town of Maing thauk, the only way to reach it on foot is a bridge that now remains covered given the high level of water, so to visit it it is necessary to rent a boat. We prefer to take a snack at a post next to the bridge. Suddenly Lety shoots with the bike half crazy! According to her, there was a snake of at least 2 meters in the brush… I am not very sure but then we read in the guide that Myanmar is the country with the most poisonous snakes in the world !! On the way back, we cross a procession of people dressed as gala who leave a monastery ... maybe a wedding?
The beauty of these bike rides is not to look for a destination and reach it anyway, but to enjoy every landscape, village, monastery, school or temple that you are going through, and stop to pause, or because the afternoon storm is falling . 5 days of tranquility, which after the trekking we needed! This stay at Inle Lake has been the perfect culmination to say goodbye to Myanmar and remember it as it deserves. The last breakfast potato omelette helps a lot 😉
Here is a list of more things to see and do in Inle Lake:
- Visit a workshop like those of artisans who work silver and of course an umbrella workshop, one of the symbols of the area.
- Take a trip to Sangha
- Approach the Phaung Daw U Pagoda, one of the most beautiful in the whole country
- Rent a boat and visit some floating village: it's amazing to see how people get to live on top of the lake! There is even an orchard where the locals grow vegetables 🙂
- Do not visit the Paduang giraffe women, try to be a responsible tourist and do not contribute to being part of this tourist circus.
- Go eat the Dosa King, an emblem of Inle Lake and where, of course, you have to try its famous dosas (Indian crepes hehe)
