Inle Lake and the Shan State, Myanmar
 
Inle Lake and the Shan State
 
Inle Lake is probably the most touristed place in Myanmar, making it a good place to start or end a journey. You can find restaurants serving Italian pasta and other luxuries of the modern world. Inle is a splendid place to take it easy around the lake. You can take a boat tour into the main part of the lake and see various craftspeople practicing their trades and see the traditional leg-rowing Intha fisherman going out for their morning catch. There are also countless possibilities of exploring the canals by canoe, or you can go trekking into the nearby hills.
 
 
People from the surrounding villages gather for the floating market.
 

 
 

Aside from fresh produce, you're likely to find plenty of souvenirs up for offer at the floating market as well.

 
An Intha fisherman looks for a place to lay his net.
In the floating villages, one of the special products is hand-woven garments. These spools of thread are made of the sacred lotus plant.
 
 
 
 
As in other parts of Myanmar, you are never far from a spectacular view of a glittering paya.
 
 
Still, some buddhist sanctuaries are different from others. Nga Phe Kyaung is better known as 'Jumping Cat Monastary'. Monks here are happy to show you that indeed cats can be trained. To jump through hoops, no less!
Kalaw
 
This beautiful hill station is close to Inle Lake and worth stopping in for a few days. The air is clear and the town has a pleasant, laid-back feeling to it. The best time to visit Kalaw is on market day, when the tribes from the surrounding mountains converge on the town. But even if you miss market day, there are plenty of opportunities to meet the ethnic minorities in the area. There are numerous trekking guides operating out of Kalaw and you can go into the mountains and visit hilltribe villages quite easily. Trips can last anywhere from one afternoon to one month, depending upon your interests , physical condition, and whether or not you would like to sleep in traditional hilltribe accomodation.
 
 
 
Kalaw is at its best at sunrise, when the monks go out for alms and the town is surrounded in a cool mist.
 
 
This Palaung village is one of the closest to Kalaw. Although the men have adapted the ethnic Shan style of dress, the women still wear the traditional and colourful clothing of this tribe. Sarongs are hand-woven on the loom and take 14 days to complete! Extended families live together in long houses such as the one in the photo. It is a delight to be invited into their home and I would recommend a trek into any of the many hilltribe villages in this area to get a taste of the lifestyle that these groups live.
 
 
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