Inle Lake Boat Tour
A fisherman on Inle Lake in Myanmar
Two Days In Inle Lake, Myanmar
Exploring Inle Lake On a Boat Tour
880 meters above sea level in the Shan Hills, you will find Inle Lake, the second-largest freshwater lake in Myanmar. The lake is home to more than 35 native species of fish and large parts of the lake are covered in floating plants.
Inle Lake is a myriad of activities with floating gardens, villages on stilts, pagodas, and numerous artisans along the shores.
Hundreds of small vessels navigate the waters transporting goods and folks up and down the lake. We chose to take in the spectacle by spending the day on a boat tour.
Early morning in Inle Lake, Myanmar, waiting for our boat.
Bus From Bagan to Inle Lake
$15.00, each, got a bus ticket with JJ Express from Bagan to Inle Lake. Departure was at 8:30 am and we needed our passports to check in at the fairly modern bus station.
The bus was freezing cold and the AC must have been cranked to the max. It was a full-size modern coach with reclining seats. Blankets, snacks, and water were provided for the journey.
The roads south of Bagan were quite bumpy but road work is in progress for long stretches on this route which will be great for future travelers. We spotted very little heavy equipment so it will take some time for this project to be completed.
Passengers get off a boat in the town of Inle Lake in Myanmar
On the final stretch of the plateau leading us to Inle Lake the roads were vastly improved and much to our surprise we arrived at 5 pm, almost two hours early.
Royal Inlay Hotel
It was the usual hustle to get off the bus and we decided to walk to the hotel as the GPS said the Royal Inlay Hotel was only seven minutes away. The town of Inle Lake felt authentic and the walk was no problem. We paid $27.00 per night which included a good breakfast buffet.
The large room had a decent view. Wi-fi, however, was a challenge at the Royal Inlay Hotel. You had to find it in little pockets and corners of the hotel or on the upper deck.
Working on the blog and travel plans at the Royal Inlay Hotel in Inle Lake Myanmar
We scouted out the harbor area before dinner in preparation for the following day’s boat tour. It was a good way to get the lay of the land.
Pawpaw Authentic Bamboo House Restaurant
Di did some research and found us an excellent spot for dinner. Pawpaw, an authentic bamboo house restaurant, is a community development project aiming to assist marginalized young women from remote areas in Myanmar.
The owner came to our table and explained in vivid detail the project. The food was excellent, but do not expect lightning-fast service as many of the young women are in their first job learning the trade. They did, however, serve our meal with a sense of noticeable pride.
Pawpaw, authentic bamboo house restaurant in Inle Lake
We ended up booking our boat tour through Pawpaw as well and thereby supported a parent of one of the young women working in the restaurant. See the photo below for more information about Pawpaw.
Inle Lake Boat Tour
Our guide for the day, Hunter, picked us up at 8:00 am and his boat was docked in the busy harbor alongside dozens of other similar vessels. When Hunter was getting the boat ready he accidentally knocked the lid of the gas tank and pulled the gasoline cord.
He tried for a quick fix but in vain. With lots of help from fellow boat guides, he had the problem fixed in 45 minutes and we were finally on the water.
Hunter, our friendly captain and boat tour guide on Inle Lake
No issue really as by now most boats had left and we had the lake to ourselves, well almost. Hunter proved to be a great guide, courteous and friendly for the entire day.
Fishermen On Inle Lake
It was fascinating to see the local fishermen in action balancing, working the oar with one leg, and pulling in nets simultaneously. Our guide, Hunter, circled the small boats at a very slow pace giving me ample opportunities to take photos. It was a serene experience.
Inle Lake Map. Click to view a larger map.
Inle Lake Floating Villages
There are several brightly colored floating villages on the lake and one of our favorite experiences was to slowly drift through a completely different world with houses on stilts, and mischievous kids playing or bathing in the lake water right outside their door.
We made a stop in a small village and meandered for a while. We paid a visit to pottery and saw a long-neck woman.
Di tried her hand making pottery and we bought a small keepsake gift. Di also found a nice pair of earrings in a small silver jewelry shop with silver mined in Myanmar.
Kids learn to swim at an early age in Inle Lake
We explored a pagoda along the shores and were almost the only visitors there. It is something that has happened many times during our travel and it is usually unforgettable, unlike the name of the actual pagoda we stopped at which we cannot recall.
Lunch was next at the Royal Palace Restaurant located right on the lake of course. We had a mixed veggie curry bowl and water to stay hydrated. It was an excellent spot with great service. (see the video below).
Boat Builders and Cigars
We stopped to see where they build the most frequently used boats on Inle Lake. A large tourist boat costs $2800.00, is made from three trees, and takes four months to build.
A family boat is $1500.00, made from two trees, and is built in a month. You can get a small fishing boat for $800.00.
Next to the boat building site, we made a quick stop at a small cigar shop where they make 500 cigars per day in three different flavors, banana, anise, and tamarind.
A group of women navigate the canals of a floating garden in Inle Lake, Myanmar
Our tour continued through the incredible floating gardens and more floating villages. This was an ecosystem and environment unlike any we have ever seen during our travels.
It was an eye-opening experience to float by and for a few moments witness the ordinaries and daily life taking place in these humble surroundings with the harvesting and transportation of fresh fruit and vegetables on the water.
A boat approaches Mine Thauk Village with a fresh load of fruits and vegetables for the market
Mine Thauk Village
The Mine Thauk Village is famous for its long pier, fruit, and vegetable market. It is a hub for boat transportation and we spotted many boats coming or leaving Mine Thauk. This was the final stop on our tour before we headed back to town as the sun was dipping on the horizon.
The boat tour is an absolute must-do if you stop by Inle Lake. It was a very rewarding travel experience which we wholeheartedly can recommend.
Day Two in Inle Lake
We had a slow morning at the hotel and got a bit of work done in the restaurant as the Wi-Fi was better than in the room. We had contemplated a cycling tour on this second and last day in Inle Lake but the noon check-out and bus departure for Yangon at 5:15 pm threw a bit of a wrench into these plans.
Instead, we set up shop on the top floor terrace and Facetimed with friends and family, and did more blogging and photo editing. We went to the Harvest Café for internet and coffee and wrapped up our day with woodfired pizza before heading to the Yangon bus departure.
Final Thoughts
Long-term travel is a give-and-take balancing act of allocating time for all your destinations. Inle Lake had lots to offer and we could easily have spent more time here.
If you pass through Inle Lake we suggest giving yourself 3-4 days at least. We only stayed for two nights.
You can take a balloon ride over the lake, go trekking, join a pagoda tour, or go bike riding or wine tasting. And you could easily do a second boat tour and not see it all.
Inle Lake absolutely exceeded our expectations and the memory of the boat tour will stay with us forever. Next, we were on the bus to Yangon.
Read our next post from Myanmar:
A fisherman on Inle Lake is balancing standing on the bow of his small vessel
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The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/1.4 R - XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Capture One Express. I used Fujifilm film simulations for some of the photos.
