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Our co-founder Jay Tindall has been visiting Myanmar since 1993. He prefers to escape to remote areas such as Loikaw & the Chin State, as well as sailing in the Mergui Islands.
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Inle Lake is a pleasant, relaxing addition to any trip; popular activities include bicycling, hiking, boating, and a visit to a series of floating markets and villages.
Inle Lake is a pleasant, relaxing addition to any trip; popular activities include bicycling, hiking, boating, and a visit to a series of floating markets and villages.
Explore Indain, a village on the west side of Inle Lake, home to a veritable forest of small stupas lining the shores of the lake. These figures are in various stages of decay and some of them date back to the 11th century. Many contain small images of the Buddha. Together they create a wonderfully atmospheric setting.
Board a basic motorboat (a long, narrow outboard-motor vessel with comfortable chairs) for an cruise on Inle Lake. You’ll pass by tribal villages, floating farms, most likely some migratory birds, and centuries-old pagodas dotted among the paddy fields.
Visit Inpawkhon Village and discover a local silk and lotus-weaving factory, where you can observe the various methods of weaving, dyeing, and extracting thread from lotus stems.
Visit the Inthar Heritage House, which is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Inthar culture. It also serves as a center focusing on the re-introduction of the Burmese cat into Myanmar, which have vanished from the country over the years due to industrialization and the introduction of other breed
Explore the lake's floating villages, stopping to have tea in the home of a local family. Through your guide as interpreter, learn about the locals' lives in one of the world's most unique habitats.
Go on a moderate hike (three hours round-trip) to a village of the Pa-O ethnic people, whose traditional culture is little known and gradually disappearing. Many Pa-O still farm according to age-old methods, and they are particularly known for growing the best tobacco and mustard leaves in the country. Visit a local market, meet local Pa-O residents and learn about their lives.
Visit Phaung Daw U Pagoda on the lake, which is one of the three principal shrines in all of Myanmar. Named after a sacred mythological bird, the pagoda dates from the 18th century and houses five 12th-century Buddha images, which devotees coat with fresh gold leaf on a daily basis. To the right of the main shrine there are two golden pedestals used to transport the images during the pagoda’s annual eponymous festival.
Visit a local vineyard for a wine tasting session and tour. This pioneering winery, situated near Inle Lake, is one of the only winegrowers in the country. The wines are made using traditional Western wine producing methods, new technologies and modern equipment.Although the winery may be a long way off catching up with its international competitors, visiting allows a unique insight into the beginnings of a young winery in a country that isn’t generally associated with such epicurean delicacies.
by BBC Travel 
by Conde Nast Traveler 
