4 Best things to do when you travel to Inle Lake
The heaven of tranquility, fancy, and breathtaking nature; the home to the unique traditional practices of floating agriculture, fishing, and leg-rowing methods. These words are all precise to describe Inle Lake, the beautiful highland lake situated in the heart of the Shan plateaus.
1. Visiting Shwe Inn Thein Temple
If this is the first time you have ever been in an Inle Lake tour, Shwe Inn Thein Temple is one of the must-visit spots in your list. Well-known for its 1,000 ancient towers built with unique architecture, you might spend a day tour to visit all over small temples. The average height of the temples is about 3 meters, standing close together like serial artificial hills on the ground. The main color of those ones is gold and red brick. However, there were many accident temples destroyed over time because they built up for so long time ago. Finally, you should not miss grabbing for yourself a lot of wonderful photos right here when the sun goes down.
2. Get around some Local Handicraft Villages
In your Inle Lake tour, we highly recommend you to spend a small amount of time to visit some handicraft villages to have an insight into unique local traditions such as lotus weaving village, silverware village, cigar village… Besides, a visit to meet the Kayan people – long neck people is also worth to pay in an Inle Lake day tour. They are talented weavers in the field of making the most beautiful lotus fabric by handcraft without machines.
3. Visit Floating Gardens & Fishing Villages
The floating vegetable garden is the first thing that hits your eyes when coming to the lake. Undoubtedly, it is the top thing to see on every Inle Lake tour. Floating gardens in Inle Lake are the brilliant creation of the Intha made on the surface of the water. The farmers on the lake create the unique garden by hyacinth roots and seaweed. The top is the mud, using thousands of bamboo sticks to keep the garden on the lake and not drifting away. The floating gardens are home to a bunch of chilies, cucumber, peanut, tomato, etc. And even flower gardens is one of the special creation of the resident here. A boat trip in your Inle Lake tour package will allow you to discover the home of the country’s tomato production and learn about these exceptional farming methods.
Together with the unique floating garden, the iconic leg-rowing fishermen are must-see attraction in an Inle Lake tour. Take this opportunity to save the most iconic image of leg-rowers at the fancy twilight moment. Most of the fishermen are men. Specifically, those fishermen use one leg to stand on the nose of the boat and another leg to hold a pole. They use two arms for netting and fishing. If you want to join in this experience in your Inle Lake day tour, just ask the Intha guide you how to do.
4. Visit Red Mountain Estate Vineyards & Winery
Along with the breathtaking experience on a boat tour around Inle Lake, an Inle Lake day tour will take you to the hidden gem high up on the Red Mountain. For many travelers, Red Mountain Winery is likely the final destination to complete their memorable Inle Lake tour. It not only attracts tourists by the wine but also the spectacular view to admire the sunset. Besides the wine, you can also taste some cheese and bread in your Inle Lake day tour upon your request. The feeling of nibbling your wine while waiting for the majestic sunset will truly blow your heart away.
Images that date back 800 years
The five more than 800-year-old pictures of the Buddha are preserved on a pedestal in the middle of an elaborate shrine.
The images have been covered in so much gold leaf that they no longer resemble Buddha images and appear to be a solid mass of gold. Buddhist devotees visit the monastery every day to pay their respects to the statues and add more gold leaf, which is only permitted to be done by men.
Alaungsithu, the 12th-century king of the Bagan kingdom, is thought to have introduced the statues to the Inle Lake region. The King was a devoted Buddhist who traveled much throughout his dominion and commissioned the construction of numerous Buddhist monuments across his Kingdom, the most impressive one being the Thatbyinnyu temple in Bagan.
Inle Lake Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Gold Leaf Buddhas
Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival
The Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival is one of the biggest Buddhist events in Myanmar, taking place in and around the stilted villages of Inle Lake. The event is held in September and October according to the Western calendar, from the first day of the waxing moon until the third day following the full moon of Thadingyut.
Four of the five venerated Buddha images are carried around the lake for more than 20 days as part of the festivities aboard a lavish, gilded barge propelled by hundreds of rowers in traditional long boats. The odd way the locals hauling the barge row with their legs is meant to increase endurance. Rowing competitions are place throughout the festival, which makes for an amazing visual spectacle.
A photo at Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda
At this festival, pilgrims travel from all over the nation to pay respect to the four Buddha images and earn merit while taking in the joyous atmosphere of the occasion. These images have been so heavily covered in gold leaf throughout the years that it is difficult to identify them. While the event is going on, the enigmatic fifth Buddha figure is left to “protect” their original resting place in the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda. Be sure to ask your guide what the significance of the fifth image is!
Since the celebration has no set path, the procession’s sequence may vary at the last minute. Your tour guide will take you to the best spots throughout your time in Inle Lake so you may participate in the festivities.
Every year in September and October, the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival is held from the first day of the waxing moon until the third day after the full moon of Thadingyut (the seventh month of the traditional Burmese calendar). The festivals for this year are listed below, along with their dates, times, and activities. Although they are occasionally subject to change, we’ll make sure you don’t miss anything.
Phaung Daw Oo festival
How to get to Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda
Near the West end of Inle Lake’s bottom is where you may find the pagoda. The quickest means of transportation is a boat. Visit the port and make direct arrangements with the driver, or make one at the hotel or travel agency. Make sure you and the driver can agree on the trip’s cost, length, and rest stops.
Opening hours
The monastery is open every day from 8 am to 6 pm.
It can get very crowded during the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda festival and significant Buddhist holidays.
Entrance fee
Free entry is offered.
Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda – A great destination in Myanmar
If you visit Myanmar one day, let’s see Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda. It won’t let you down!