Serenity Over Inle Lake

Floating markets, villages and monasteries dot the way during a relaxing freshwater ride in east Myanmar

By THE IRRAWADDY

Shortly after your longboat sets off from shore, gliding silently through channels choked with water hyacinth, a narrow waterway opens to the secondlargest freshwater lake in Myanmar, and your cruise over Inle Lake has officially begun.

The shoreline seems to fade away. In the distance, green mountaintops shrouded in clouds are the only reminders that this tourist hotspot is 900 meters above sea level.

With its floating gardens and wooden houses on stilts, Inle Lake in Shan State is never short of visitors, whether local or foreign. The 45-square-mile lake, which sits at the foot of the Shan Hills in the state’s southern Taunggyi District, takes on different rhythms throughout the course of any given day. When dawn breaks, the scene is almost otherworldly, with a thin veil of mist hanging over the water and floating houses silhouetted against a pink and orange sky. The silence is almost overwhelming.

But as the sun peeks out from the mountains to the east, Inle Lake comes to life. The lake dwellers, known as Inthas, load their wooden boats with long conical nets for fishing and head out for the day. They stand with one foot on the stern as they wrap the other leg around an oar, in a paddling style not used anywhere else in the world. For visitors, the lake has much to offer, with villages and monasteries rising from the water. The only way to get around is by longboat. During your cruise, be sure to visit the market at Phaung Taw Oo Pagoda for traditional Shan fabrics and merchandise, and meet hill tribes as they come by with colorful turbans and shy smiles.

Alternatively, stop for souvenirs at the textile and silverware shops on stilts in nearby villages. If you come across boats of local fishermen on your way to a floating restaurant for htamin chin, an Inle signature dish of rice, tomato and fish, don’t hesitate to record the rowing—these fishermen are not camera-shy. For architecture buffs, clusters of ancient pagodas are worth a visit on shore.

Tourists looking for a busier schedule should visit in late September during the Phaung Taw Oo Pagoda Festival. During the 18day celebration, four heavily gilded Buddha images are removed from pagodas and taken down to the lake, where they are transported on barges decorated like a mythical bird. The barges are towed by several boats of the one-legged rowers, gliding together in an impressive procession.

Twilight over Inle Lake is when serenity reigns, as the occasional roar of inboard diesel engines from larger tourist boats becomes less frequent. As darkness moves in, a lone fisherman rushes his longboat home. Lights flicker on at the floating residences, and minutes later, tranquility descends on the vast waters.