Nyaungshwe/Inle Lake Part 1

Inle Lake is one of the top 3 tourist destinations in Myanmar, along with Bagan and Mandalay.  We actually skipped Mandalay due to time constraints, and went directly from Bagan to Inle Lake.  While the general destination is known as Inle Lake, most of the accommodation is actually in the town of Nyaungshwe.  There are places to stay on the lake, but they are fancy resorts well out of our price range.  At any rate, we enjoy being in town and being able to walk to find food etc...  

The bus to Inle stopped EVERYWHERE to pick up locals from small villages along the highway.  In fact, by the time we reached our destination, the aisle of the bus was full of little plastic chairs for people to sit on.  The bus to Inle actually stops along the highway at Shwenyaung.  From there you are loaded onto a motorickshaw and deposited at your guesthouse in Nyaungshwe.  

A grandfather fishing with his kids

On our first day we decided to rent bicycles and bike the ‘loop’ of the lake.  It isn’t a true loop as you bike partway along the lake, then take a boat across and bike back.  The area is ideal for biking because of the flat terrain and lack of traffic.  I like biking as it allows movement at a faster pace than walking, but it’s slow enough to enjoy the scenery.  Our guesthouse had good pre-printed maps and instructions for the bike loop.  We set out early to avoid the hot midday sun.  As it turns out we ended up biking in the midday heat on the return trip anyways.  

 House on stilts.  Checkout the 'garage'!

The most memorable and enjoyable part of the bike trip was seeing the vast lake for the first time.  Inle Lake has a very wide marshy perimeter – very different from the lakes we have at home.  While biking the loop you only catch glimpses of the lake as the road is built a good distance from the lakeshore.  It’s only after you get on a boat and travel through the floating villages and gardens that you hit the vast open lake.  It was stunning that day – blue skies and mirror waters.