lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

186EASTERN MYANMAR INLE LAKELAKEFRONT VIEWCutting through the morning mist onInle Lake is one of Myanmar’s must-doexperiences. Be sure to bring a coat orsweater (it can get cold out there), andin addition to the usual sights, be sureto hit the five-day market (p 183 ).NampanVILLAGEnm'¾pn'South of Ywama, the peaceful village ofNampan is built on stilts over the water. It’soff the main tourist circuit, but the AlodawPauk Pagoda (Map p 185 ) is one of the oldestshrines on the lake. Built on stilts over thewater, the whitewashed stupa enshrines afabulous gem-encrusted, Shan-style buddha.Nampan has several small cheroot factoriesand there are some good restaurants onthe edge of the village.Floating GardensGARDENSkâÆn'"emY;(Map p 185 ) North of Nampan are these famousgardens, where Intha farmers growflowers, tomatoes, squash and other fruitand vegetables on long wooden trellises supportedon floating mats of vegetation. In themorning and afternoon, farmers paddle upand down between the rows tending theircrops. It’s a bucolic scene made all the morephotogenic by the watery setting.In Phaw KhoneVILLAGEa='"ep:xu®(Map p 185 ) This tidy village of teak stilt housesis famous for its weaving workshops. Buildingsacross the village vibrate with the clatterof shuttles and the click-clack of shifting loomframes. The workshops are a popular stopon the tourist circuit, and it’s fascinating tosee the skill of the weavers as they produceornate, multicoloured fabrics on looms madefrom bamboo poles lashed together with rope.Maing ThaukVILLAGEmiu='"esCk'(Map p 185 ) On the eastern side of the lake, thevillage of Maing Thauk has a split personality –half the village is set on dry land, while theother half sits on stilts over the water, linkedto the shore by a 450yd wooden bridge.Inland from the village’s main road, a fewcrumbling gravestones near the orphanagemark the location of the colonial-era FortSteadman.You can continue walking uphill to apeaceful forest monastery (Map p 185 ) forgood views over the lake. Maing Thauk is accessibleby boat and by road – you can cycleto Maing Thauk in an hour or so along a dirttrack leading southeast from Nyaungshwe.Southern End of the LakeAt the southern end of the lake, the villageof Thaung Tho (off Map p 185 ) holds an importanttribal market every five days. Thismarket sees far fewer visitors than the oneat Inthein. A long walkway leads uphill fromtown to a complex of whitewashed Shanstupas. There are more interesting stopsin this part of the lake; the village of KyaukTaung (off Map p 185 ) is devoted to potterymakingand is also part of the market circuit,while nearby Kyaing Kan (off Map p 185 ) specialisesin weaving robes using lotus threads.A long canal at the bottom of Inle Lakewinds south through peaceful countrysideto a second lake ringed by Shan, Intha andPa-O villages. It takes around three hoursfrom Shwenyuang to reach the largest village,Sankar (Samka; off Map p 185 ), once the seat of aShan hereditary prince. On the opposite sideof the lake is Tharkong Pagoda, a collectionof crumbling zedi and stucco sculptures thatdate back at least 500 years. The main attractionhere is the almost total absence of othertourists – visits to this area have only beenpermitted since 2003 and foreigners must stillbe accompanied by a Pa-O guide. Guided boattrips to Sankar should be arranged throughGolden Island Cottages (p 183 ); guides cost$10 and there’s a permit fee of $5.2 ActivitiesMotorboat TripsIt is de rigueur to take at least one boattrip on the lake during a visit to Inle. Everymorning, a flotilla of slender wooden canoesfitted with long-tailed outboard motorssurges out into the lake, transporting visitorsto various natural, cultural, religious,historical or commercial sites.The lake itself is rich in wildlife, especiallywaterfowl. The area around the lake has beenprotected as the Inle Wetland Bird Sanctuary,an official bird sanctuary, since 1985 andyou’ll see herons, warblers, cormorants, wildducks and egrets as you zip along the channelsbetween the villages. But you won’t hearthem – or the comments of fellow passengersfor that matter – over the thunder of the