Everything I heard about Inle Lake was true. It is, first and foremost, beautiful, surrounded by verdant mountain ranges, marshes, and floating gardens.
The people are wonderful, generous, welcoming and warm. We were lucky to arrive during an important Burmese festival – exams. In Nyaungshwe, where we stayed, hundred of young monks were taking their annual exams. This oddly enough is something the entire community takes part it. They watch the monks during the exam period, and then there is a huge celebration afterwards.
last minute studying
taking the exam
the audience
the procession at the end of the exam
After trekking 60 km in 3 days Inle Lake was the perfect place to rest for a while and enjoy a slower pace of life. After the festival we toured the lake, the marshes around its perimeter, floating gardens, stilted markets and hutted communities. Inle is home to a complex and vast marketplace where fisherman, boat makers, cigar makers, blacksmiths, farmers, etc exchange goods amongst peaceful communities and Buddhist monasteries. The boatmen have a unique way of paddling their canoes by using their feet to steer.
foot steering
cigar makers
long-neck weavers
monastery
stilted communities
floating gardens
wine tasting
yeah man
Like the rest of the popular pit stops in Burma, Inle Lake is struggling to cope with the recent swell of tourism, something that is likely to exponentially accelerate in the coming years. Signs were found all around the lake promoting environmental awareness. And like Bagan, I feel extremely lucky to have been able to visit now, before hoards of picture takers descend on this beautiful watery paradise.
milesawayfromhome 
Posted on July 29, 2013
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