inle 14.jpeg — Inle Lake

**WHERE**: Eastern Myanmar
**WHY**: Beautiful waterway, ‘must-do’ activity
**TIME**: 1 DAY

REASONS TO BOOK A PRIVATE BOAT TOUR

You’ll avoid the crowds
While avoiding the crowds entirely at Myanmar’s most popular tourist destination may prove difficult, you certainly will be able to avoid being trapped on a boat with a group of strangers for an entire day. Worth the money for that alone.
Visiting Myanmar? Read my guide on what to expect here.
YOU get to choose your own itinerary
Most Inle Lake tours come with the exact same itinerary. However, Inle Lake is far more than the stilt fisherman and floating villages. In fact, the off the beaten track activities such as pottery making, rice-wine tasting and cooking classes are by far the most exciting options available on the lake. You won’t ever get to do any of these on a large, pre-arranged group tour.
You can skip the tourist traps
The stilt fisherman and floating villages are absolute tourist traps. Thirty years ago both would have had some degree of authenticity, but nowadays, they are a complete sham. It only took me witnessing a large catamaran full of photo-hungry tourists pull up beside a single stilt fisherman, their flashes blinding the poor guy, to conclude that these activities are heinous, and should be skipped. If avoiding things that are absolutely fake, boring, and completely inauthentic appeal to you, then book a private tour.
you’ll get to hang out with a local
Expect to chat with the ship captain amidst a heaving mob of thirty other tourists? Not a chance. However, on a private boat trip, you’ll be able to chat away with the boat captain, and hopefully be able to get some degree of local insight into where you are going, what you are seeing, and who you need to talk to at each location you’re dropped off at. Our captain was a (possibly) teenager, who was actually pretty funny, and had lots of excellent stories about life in the tourist industry. In particular, it was fascinating talking with a young person whom had witnessed the gradual opening of Myanmar to the world - these insights just won’t happen on a chartered group boat.
you can choose where you want to have lunch
Might seem a bit basic - but have you ever seen where large group tours get taken for lunch? Huge dining halls or canteens, with food prepared with as much love as you’d give a cockroach. However, compare this to the average fare you receive at a down-home style cooking joint, run by a husband and wife duo, that seats 8? Do the math; you know which one is going to serve up a better plate. We opted to choose our lunch in advance, as advised by the tour operators where to get ‘the really good food at,’ - they listened and delivered, the lunch we ate on Inle Lake was delicious. Had we gone with a tour company, I’ve no doubt we would have been served a passable daal with a cold piece of roti bread. No thanks.

who TO BOOK WITH

Thu Thu Travel Agency: Yone Gyi Street, Yone Gyi St, Nyaungshwe, Myanmar
Inle Lake Tourism: Phaung Taw Site Road, Nyaung Shwe(Inle Lake) 06081, Myanmar
Mr. A Tun Travel Agency: Yonegyi Road Nandawunn Quarter (Inle) Southern, Nyaungshwe, Myanmar
Amazing Lotus Travels:

HOW MUCH TO SPEND

This one is probably going to depend on who you book with, what time of year you’re going, and whether you opt to go for a private tour or not. However, we paid about $60 AUD per person in 2016, which seemed to be a pretty good rate. Some of the tour companies around Nyuangshwe charge around $100 AUD per person, but we felt as though that was probably a touch steep. Regardless, allow me to reinforce this point - book a private tour, you won’t regret it.

WHAT TO BRING

Warm attire (it will be cold on the water in the morning)
Sunglasses
Spare socks
Rain Jacket
Cash (no ATMS anywhere nearby)
Lots of water
Sunscreen

In summary, a private boat trip is the only genuine method left of seeing Inle Lake. Despite being a tourist mecca, you can still see this place in a relatively authentic way, if you just avoid the throngs of other tourists. Do it by booking a private tour! Any questions, ask away in the comments!

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