INLE LAKE MYANMAR…BACK TO PARADISE?
By Roderick Johnson

There still remain a few countries in this fast-changing world that have resisted the rapid, lemming-like rush to capitalist economic growth and have as a result, been able to retain much of their environmental and cultural purity and identity. Such a country is MYANMAR, formally known as BURMA. Because of MYANMARS comparative separation of the past few decades there remain areas of the country, which are extraordinarily underdeveloped and which still retain that natural beauty and culture that many countries have lost over recent years to the lure of economic development and technological  progress. If you make the decision to visit MYANMAR you are sure to be impressed and amazed at some of the beautiful vistas and warm, friendly peoples that await you. Having visited the country recently I could fully recommend the area known as Shan State and particularly INLE LAKE as such a fascinating place to sail back in time and discover a world that you may have believed could not exist in the rapidly-changing twenty-first century.

INLE LAKE as the name implies is a natural lake situated in the central region of MYANMAR at 875 meters above sea level. It’s approximately 22 kilometers long, 11 kilometers wide and staggeringly beautiful, nestling as it does in the shadow of high hills and boasting 17 picturesque villages built on stilts around the lakeshore or lake islands. At this altitude the climate is far more moderate than the surrounding tropical plains. Summer temperatures range between 15-30 degrees Celsius whilst winter may see temperatures as low as 0 degrees Celsius at night but remaining a pleasant 20 degrees Celsius during the day.

The hard-working Intha People who inhabit the area around the lake are famous for the unique way they propel their flat-bottomed boats. This involves standing at the stern on one leg whilst wrapping the other leg around the oar and using it for propulsion power. This strange leg-rowing technique preserves upper-body energy for longer trans-lake travel and for fishing. Standing up as they negotiate the lake also provides them with a clearer view of the small shallow lake islands and the water hyacinth which may impede their progress. Motor boats are used on the lake but thankfully far less than this more gentle, environmentally friendly and traditional method. These flat-bottomed boats can be hired for around 3 Dollars US per day with guide and rower and provide the stressed traveler with a peaceful and ideal way to visit the places of interest dotted around the lake and the surrounding areas.

The hills around INLE LAKE offer some fantastic scenery and the views of the lake itself are truly breathtaking. You can hire a local guide for around 5 Dollars US per day who will show you  all  the best walking and trekking routes, as well as giving you first-hand  knowledge of the local culture,  flora and fauna. One could easily spend 1-3 days if time and money allows simply exploring the villages and forests around the lake. If you’re lucky, during your trek as I was, you may find yourself being invited into one of the INTHA peoples family homes and be treated to wonderful hospitality and a fine local meal of rice, vegetables and fresh cooked fish, all caught or grown organically around the lake area. The food is not too spicy as is so often the case in South-East Asia but is similar to other cuisine from this part of the world. Hhhhmmmnn…delicious! The lady who kindly invited me was called WIN- WIN-MAR (three syllable names being the norm in MYANMAR). She worked as a teacher in the local major town of NYAUNGSHWE, earning around 12 Dollars US a month. With this she has to feed clothe and educate her family of five, namely her husband and four children. Her husband worked as a farmer and helped to supplement the family income with the sale of his produce in the local markets. The house they live in is a traditional stilted construction built to resist flooding from the heavy rains during the monsoon season and also to act as a garage come storage area for animals and goods. The house is barely 8 meters square, constructed of local timber and bamboo and divided into a sitting room, a bedroom and a worship room adorned with numerous images of the BUDDHA. The kitchen is situated on an open-air balcony at the back of the house to avoid smoking out the house, which has no windows or form of ventilation. The dugout toilet is located further away from the house in the interests of hygiene. The family seemed very happy with, and proud of, their modest home and were delighted to have me visit them and share their hospitality and food over a discussion on England and English football in particular. I would thoroughly recommend such a home visit if you get the opportunity. The food is great the conversation interesting and the friendliness and hospitality will almost make you feel ashamed.

As you find yourself drifting aimlessly on a flat-bottomed boat around the scenic beauty of INLE LAKE time and the pressures it brings will simply melt away, leaving you with a wish that more countries were still like this, keeping the people and the scenery pure. A one-day excursion should be enough to visit most of the settlements and villages on or around the lake which house a population of roughly 70,000, most of whom are involved in cultivation, farming or fishing. A welcome change from the usual places in South-East Asia where the only source of income for the local inhabitants now seems to be from tourism, even if it is ‘Eco-Tourism’!

The floating market at YWANA is well worth a visit. You’ll find flora and fauna on sale there that you surely would find hard to locate anywhere else…even in the myriad lanes of Bangkok’s famous CHATUCHAK MARKET. It’s also a great place to meet local tribes people such as the INTHA, SHAN, MON and PA-O as they congregate from the surrounding areas to buy and sell their wares and produce. If you’re prone to the occasional historical or archeological fascination then INLE LAKE should have more than enough ancient temples and building to keep you occupied. There are many old, intricately carved structures built out of teak which is something almost unique to MYANMAR. There are perhaps as many as one thousand Wats and Chedis dotted around the lake area and even more to discover should you venture out on a short overland trek. Two I thoroughly recommend are NGA-PHE-KYAUNG which is on the lake itself and PHAUNG-DOW-UPAYA which is very nearby. The former temple is famous for it’s trained performing cats to whom the monks have taught various entertaining circus tricks. We’re talking serious jumping here. These guys can reach three meters from a standing start and loop-the-loop into the bargain!

All in all INLE LAKE and the surrounding areas offer a most memorable ‘back-to-nature’ experience which you’ll find hard to duplicate anywhere else in this rapidly developing world. You’ll maybe even find yourself rediscovering your primeval self, meeting some wonderful friendly people and who knows, you might even find some peace of mind.

FACTS FOR THE VISITOR:

Getting To MYANMAR is best done by plane as the authorities are still a little nervous about the land border crossings. Into YANGOON, MYANMAR with Thai, Biman or Indian Airlines, all of which offer stop-over packages to their native destination. To reach INLE LAKE a one hour plane journey from YANGOON to HEHO then one hour bus to the lake itself. Airfare around 140 US one-way.

By train is possible but notoriously slow and unreliable, as in 20 hours late! But you can brave it from YANGOON to THAZI then onto NYSHWE. Bus is the cheapest and best solution with many private and government buses plying the route from the capital overnight in around 14 hours and costing approximately 5$US. Note: There is an entrance fee of 3$US to enter the lake area.

 Copyright 2004 Roderick Johnson All Rights Reserved Permission Must be Obtained From The Author For Any Reproduction in Full Or In Part