Inle Lake Travel Guide
Inle Lake is a popular tourist destination in central Myanmar to the southeast of Mandalay. It has a decent tourist infrastructure, with many guesthouses and shops, and boat trips on the lake the main draw.
The lake is located in the heart of Shan State and is pretty shallow, yet good for a boat trip or for a cycle around. Daytrips of the northern part of the lake are most popular and cheapest. An entry fee is levied on all visitors to Inle Lake.
You can hire a bike for peanuts and explore the many surrounding villages or even go hiking. While day hikes are popular, a three-day hike to Kalaw is a much better bet. Also be sure to check out the Floating farm.
Inle Lake also puts on many festivals and events, with the three-week long Hpaung Daw U Festival being the most popular, along with the Thadingyut festival of lights and Buddhist Lent. There is also traditional boat racing, where the rowers use one of their legs to do the paddling.
In the town there are many cafés and restaurants. Of special note is Golden Kite on Myawaddy Road. It’s well known in Inle and has some of the best homemade pasta and pizzas in the region.
Getting There & Away
The best way to Inle Lake is to fly to nearby Heho from either Yangon or Mandalay. There are regular flights here and you can get a transfer to the lake by taxi direct from Heho Airport. Prices are a bit steep, however, and it is a better bet to walk down the road a bit and pick up a taxi there.
Buses also run to Inle Lake from Heho and are the cheapest option, while line-ka pickups are another option and can be shared. You can also take a bus from Mandalay and Yangon although this will take the best part of a day from either city. Mandalay International Airport is the closest major airport to Inle Lake, with transfers taking most of the day.