Page 262 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

260 INLE LAKE AND THE EAST INLE LAKE
INLE LAKE BY BOAT
A boat trip on the placid waters of Inle Lake is not only a beautiful and thoroughly enjoyable
experience, but by far the best and easiest way in which to see the various sights around
the lake, and take in its unique way of life. Most trips from Nyaungshwe follow a fairly standard
route. Your boat will first spend some time chugging along the canal joining Nyaungshwe to
the lake. As soon as you hit the lake proper, you’ll see a bunch of “fishermen” (their boats
surprisingly devoid of fish) posing for pictures in return for cash – easily ignored, since you’ll
6 get plenty of chances to snap real fishermen later on.
Heading around the lake, trips normally head to Nampan at the southern end of the lake
– with most likely a stop at Maing Thauk if it’s market day there – and then continue on to
Phaung Daw Oo Paya, with possibly a side-trip to Inthein and a stroll on the floating
gardens (see box, p.262), before ending at Ngaphe Kyaung. If you’re leaving Ngaphe
Kyaung before 4.30pm you could ask your boatman to also include the Khaung Daing hot
springs. There are several options for lunch at Nampan and around Phaung Daw Oo Paya.
On the way around, your boatman will inevitably call at various floating cottage industries:
lotus-fibre weavers, goldsmiths, cheroot-makers, boat-builders and the like. These are all free to
visit, and there’s little pressure to buy souvenirs, but feel free to tell your boatman if you’ve tired
of these soft-sell activities.
PRACTICALITIES
Pretty much all hotels, guesthouses and travel agencies in Nyaungshwe can arrange boat trips,
though you might be able to get a slightly cheaper price by haggling with the numerous
boatmen who hang out around the main canal in Nyaungshwe. The standard price is around
K18,000–20,000 per boat for a full-day trip (plus an extra K5000 if you want to visit Inthein). Boats
fit a maximum of five people, though three or four is far more comfortable. Ask if your vessel has
life jackets and cushioning on the seats. You’ll all be seated in a line and essentially unable to
talk to each other over the jagged rattle of the engine – bring a hat (the boats have no cover),
sunblock and water. Clothing with long sleeves can also come in handy during the often chilly
early mornings. Tours can take most of the day, meaning that an early start is advisable:
pre-sunrise departures are popular, though some prefer to start later on and return at dusk.

the lake and very much on the coach-party (or, in this case, boat-party) circuit. This
is particularly the case on days when the village hosts the rotating Inle market (see
p.241), which here features a photogenic floating market section, although tourists
now generally outnumber locals. Even on non-market days the place gets rather more
foreign visitors than it really knows what to do with.

Inthein
The canal ride west from Ywama to the over-touristy village of INTHEIN (also romanized
as Indein) starts among reed beds before continuing between more solid banks with
jungle on both sides: a striking contrast to the wide-open space of the lake. Just behind
the village, at the base of a hill, is Nyaung Oak, a set of picturesquely overgrown stupas
with carvings of Buddhas, chinthe, devas, elephants and peacocks. Head uphill along
a covered walkway to reach Shwe Inthein Paya, a collection of seventeenth- and
eighteenth-century stupas which are being slowly and heavy-handedly restored. On
the way down, look out for a path on the left which runs through a bamboo forest
back to the riverside.

Ngaphe Kyaung
• Daily 24hr • Free
Previously referred to as the “jumping cat” monastery, Ngaphe Kyaung was formerly
famed for its felines, which resident monks had trained to jump through hoops in