In pictures: Waterside at Burma’s Inle lake
INLE LAKE is one of Burma/Myanmar’s most beautiful places. The 22km long and 11km wide lake has 17 stilt villages around its picturesque shores.
On any given day these could be bustling with floating markets, while trades such as silversmithing, woodwork and weaving continue regardless. The villages are also filled with ancient temples and monasteries. One of the most famous is the ornately carved Nga Phe Chaung monastery where the jumping cats reside, renowned for their prowess through hoops and other obstacles.
Out on the lake and you can expect to come across commuters, fishermen employing the traditional leg rowing style, tourists on river tours and market boats piled high with tomatoes or other produce.
The Paung Daw U Festival is a particularly colourful time to be here when Buddha images are rowed around the lake over 18 days with great pageantry and reverence. This festival takes place in late September / early October.
Inle Lake is an overnight bus ride from the former capital Rangoon/Yangon and on the major tourist circuit of the country that includes Bagan and Mandalay.
The famed paddling style of Inle lake. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
Friendly locals on a tractor in Nyaung Shwe. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
One of the ethnic minorities in a lake side village. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
Buddhist pagodas atop a hill. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
Young monks walking through Nyaung Shwe. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
The jumping cats of Nga Phe Chaung. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
The daily market in Nyaung Shwe. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
Stilt houses in one of the lakeside villages. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
Canals in Nyaung Shwe. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
Horse and cart in Nyaung Shwe.Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
A canal feeding off Inle Lake at sunset. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
A woman smoking a cigar in the market at Nyaung Shwe. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
Local handicrafts are practiced in villages around Inle Lake. Pic: Joanne Lane, www.visitedplanet.com
Recommended for you
Random travel spot – Myanmar’s jumping cats
Cats aren’t usually much of a tourist attraction. But when you get them jumping through hoops it starts to liven up a bit, and if the trainer is a Buddhist monk well that just rocks it right up the top end of the must-do tourist scale. In one of Myanmar’s floating monasteries by Inle Lake,…>
In pictures: Asia’s picturesque fields and terraces
THE beautiful agricultural fields and terraces of Asia are amongst the most beautiful images most people take when traveling around. These images are of locations as varied as Burma, India, Indonesia and Malaysia. Each indicates something about the economic makeup of the area, the geography and the amount of work locals, and the generations before…>
Top Offers
-
Old Penang Guesthouse
Urban Boutique Guesthouse
Penang, Georgetown, Malaysia
Deal USD $ 10 per night
-
Sukau Rainforest Lodge
Eco River Retreat
Kinabatangan River, Borneo, Malaysia
Deal USD $ 400 per night
-
Abaca Boutique Resort
Spa & Wellness Resort
Lapu Lapu City , Mactan Island, Philippines
Deal USD $ 340 per night
-
Eternity Springs Art Farm
Eco Wellness Retreat
Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Deal USD $ 100 per night
-
L’Hotel Nina at Convention Center
Urban Budget Hotel
Hong Kong, The New Territories, China
Deal USD $ 100 per night
-
Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel & Spa
Luxury Beach Resort
Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam
Deal USD $ 134 per night
-
The Secret Sanctuary Boutique Cottage
Boutique Guesthouse
Kuching, Borneo, Malaysia
Deal USD $ 35 per night
-
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat
Boutique Resort
Canungra, Queensland, Australia
Deal USD $ 200 per night
-
Anggun Boutique Hotel
Urban Boutique Hotel
Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang, Malaysia
Deal USD $ 75 per night
-
The Apsara
Urban Boutique Guesthouse
Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang Province, Laos
Deal USD $ 75 per night
-
Hintok River Camp @ Hellfire Pass
Rivers Glamping
Kanchanaburi, River Kwai, Thailand
Deal USD $ 125 per night
-
The Chedi, Chiang Mai
Luxury Boutique Hotel
Chiang Mai, Chang Khlan, Thailand
Deal USD $ 250 per night
-
Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa
Luxury Resort
Dalat, Lam Dong, Vietnam
Deal USD $ USD $175 per night
