Inle Lake, nestled in the heart of Shan State, Myanmar, is one of Southeast Asia’s most enchanting destinations. Surrounded by lush mountains and dotted with floating villages, stilted houses, and traditional fishermen, Inle offers a captivating mix of nature, culture, and history. Unlike the tourist hubs of Bagan or Yangon, Inle Lake remains relatively serene, offering travelers an authentic window into Myanmar's rural soul.
Whether you're a cultural explorer, nature lover, photographer, or adventurer, Inle Lake travel promises a deeply rewarding experience. In this complete guide, we’ll walk you through the wonders of Inle Lake, things to do, how to get there, when to go, and essential travel tips.
The Best Time to Visit Inle Lake
The ideal time to visit Inle Lake is during the cool and dry season, from October to February. The weather is pleasant, skies are clear, and boat rides are comfortable.
- Peak Season: October to February (cool and dry)
- Shoulder Season: March to May (hot but still accessible)
- Off Season: June to September (rainy but lush and green)
Tip: Visit during October to catch the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival, the most important annual celebration on the lake.
How to get to Inle Lake?
The above question is what most tourists to Inle Lake wonder. We will reveal the answer right after this.
Plane:
There are many airlines flying to Myanmar from Vietnam. You can easily choose an airline with a price that suits your budget.
If you do not want to waste time on the flight, you can book a flight with Vietnam Airlines because this is the only airline that operates direct flights from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to Yangon airport, Myanmar.
If you want to save money to travel here and there and enjoy delicious food or buy gifts, you can choose the following airlines: Vietjet Air, Bangkok Airways, Singapore Airlines, ... But these flights will go through transit stations in Bangkok, Thailand and take quite a long time to get to Myanmar.
Bus:
After landing safely at Yangon airport, the next step is to go to Inle Lake. You can travel by many different means to get to Inle Lake.
One of the most convenient and affordable means of transport is the night bus and the most well-known and reputable is JJexpress. You should book online on this company’s website and pay the fare in advance.
Boat ride:
You can also get to Inle by renting a boat. After renting a car to Nankan, you will rent a boat to go to Inle Lake. The boat ticket only costs about 6500 kyats (chat - Myanmar currency).
Book a guesthouse or hotel for your trip to Inle
For easy and convenient visiting of the lake and surrounding areas, you should book a room at a motel or hotel near the lake. We would like to introduce some motels and hotels with relatively good quality and prices as follows:
Sanctum Inle Resort
This is one of the high-class and luxurious hotels located next to Inle Lake. It has a scale of up to 96 rooms and has a fairly low rental price, the lowest here is 113.38 USD.
There are full modern amenities such as spa and beauty services, bars, swimming pools, etc., very convenient for tourists who come to rent rooms for a short time.
Address: Maing Thauk Village, Inle Lake, Nyaung Shwe Township, Shan State, Myanmar, Inle Lake.
Shwe Inn Thar Floating Resort
Shwe Inn Thar Floating Resort is a 4-star resort located on Inle Lake. Located in an airy location from here, visitors can enjoy the entire view of Inle Lake.
Not only does it have a beautiful view, but coming here you will have the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air and mild climate brought by the Inle River. Currently, this resort is also one of the resorts that tourists want to stay at most in Inle Lake.
Address: Inle Lake, Nyaung Shwe Township, Southern Inle Lake
Highlights of Inle Lake
Inle Lake not only attracts tourists by its peaceful and wild beauty but also by the places in the area such as flower growing villages, cigar making villages, the Pa-O ancient village or the jewelry or handicraft making village, ...
In addition, visiting large temples such as Phaung Daw Oo or monasteries is also a must.
