Page 238 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

236 INLE LAKE AND THE EAST

Inle Lake and the east

The southern half of Shan State and neighbouring Kayah State – stretching
roughly from Kalaw and Inle Lake east to Kengtung and the Thai border, and
south to Loikaw – is certainly Myanmar’s most diverse and arguably its most
6 rewarding area to travel in, despite the occasional difficulties of getting from
A to B. Scenically, this is one of the country’s most spectacular destinations,
from the sublime pine-clad hills of Kalaw and the rolling uplands around
Kengtung through to Inle Lake itself, a serene oval of water nestled between
cloud-capped mountains. The region also offers an extraordinary ethnic
tapestry of tribes, including the majority Shan, the Intha lake-people of Inle,
the brightly red-turbanned Pa-O, the longhouse-dwelling Loi and the
long-necked Kayan (Padaung). You could easily spend a week or longer just
exploring the tourist hotspots around Inle and Kalaw, although further-flung
Kengtung and Loikaw offer the chance to get right off the beaten track,
while there are also plenty of opportunities to trek or cycle deep into the
heart of the beautiful countryside almost everywhere.

The region’s main attractions are all located in a relatively small area (though some
awful public transport can make it feel much bigger than it actually is) in the
southwest corner of Shan State. Gateway to the region is the old colonial hill station
of Kalaw, with its refreshingly crisp climate and gorgeous backdrop of forested hills.
It’s also the starting point for numerous treks into the beautiful surrounding
countryside, including the memorable two- or three-day hike down to Inle Lake,
which offers marvellous landscapes and the chance to delve into local ethnic-
minority culture en route. North of Kalaw, the pretty little lakeside town of Pindaya
is home to the memorable Shwe Oo Min Cave, filled with thousands upon
thousands of golden Buddhas.
Further east, the laidback tourist town of Nyaungshwe functions as the main base for
excursions by boat or bike on or around beautiful Inle Lake, just a few kilometres to the
south, and has a good selection of places to stay and a brilliant array of eating and
drinking venues (although there are plenty of mainly upmarket places if you fancy

Travel restrictions p.239 Inle Lake by boat p.260
Inle markets p.241 inle’s “long-necked ladies” p.261
Trekking to Inle Lake and around Kalaw Inle’s floating gardens p.262
p.243 The Taunggyi fire-balloon festival
Chewing betel, Kalaw-style p.244
p.264
Pindaya entry fee p.245
Silks and sausages in Loikaw p.268
Getting to Shwe Oo Min Cave p.247
Kayan or Padaung? p.270
Trekking around Pindaya p.248
Visiting the villages around Kengtung
Inle Lake entry fee p.250
Nyaungshwe by bicycle p.251 p.272
Red Mountain Winery p.256 Mong La p.274
“Sons of the lake” – the Intha people Tachileik–Mae Sai border crossing
p.259 p.275