Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
At the southern end of the lake, the village of Thaung Thut, about 1½ hours from
Nyaungshwe, holds an important tribal market every five days. A long walkway leads
uphill from the village to a complex of whitewashed Shan
stupas
.
Further south, the village of
Kyauk Taing
is devoted to pottery-making and is also part
of the market circuit. Also in the area,
Kyaing Kan
specialises in weaving robes using lo-
tus threads.
Activities
Motorboat Trips
Every morning, a flotilla of slender wooden canoes fitted with long-tailed outboard mo-
tors surges out into the lake, transporting visitors to various natural, cultural, religious,
historical or commercial sites.
Every hotel, guesthouse and travel agent in Nyaungshwe can arrange motorboat trips,
or you can make your own arrangements directly with the boat drivers at one of the piers
or near Teik Nan Bridge - they'll most likely find you before you can find them. Prices
for the standard day-long boat trip start at around K15,000 to K18,000, 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 (Jumping Cat Monastery) in Nga Phe village
and the floating gardens. Tacking on a trip to Inthein will raise the cost to about K18,000
or K20,000. Other destinations further afield include Thaung Thut (K20,000, 1½ hours),
Hmaw Be (K35,000, two hours) and Samkar (K50,000, three hours). The fee covers the
entire boat; drivers will carry up to five passengers, who get padded seats and life jack-
ets.
The boats have no roof, so be sure to wear sunscreen. And bring a coat or buy a
blanket in the market to keep off the wind chill on boat tours around the lake.
DON'T MISS
INLE LAKE'S FIVE-DAY MARKET
A rustic market rotates among several cities and towns in the Inle Lake region. The
most touted of these is the so-called floating market at Ywama, but this has be-
come quite touristy in recent years. The land-based options, where tribal people
come down from the hills to trade livestock and produce, are generally much more
interesting and 'authentic'.
