Half-Day Tour To Explore Inle Lake Like A Local

Your tour will start at 07:30am. Your guide will pick you up at your hotel in Nyaung Shwe or on Inle Lake and discover Inle Lake like a local! Gain a deeper insight into the life of the Inthar people, the native residents of the lake, during this half day Inle Lake experience.

The private wooden motorboat has everything required for an enjoyable journey- cushioned wooden chairs, life jackets, umbrellas (for sun and wind protection) and blankets in the winter months.

Start with a visit to the morning market, which rotates locations on a 5-day basis. (Note: there are no markets on full moon or dark moon days) This daily market attracts people from all over the lake’s shores to buy and sell their wares and is a great chance to meet with the locals. There are often colourfully-clad vendors from the Pa-Oh, Shan and Intha ethnic groups, showcasing the diversity of Inle’s residents.

Continue to Khaung Daing village on the lake’s western shores. This village is famous for its traditional Shan tofu – fried tofu crackers and folded, triangular tofu treats. Watch (and perhaps participate!) as they sift the soy beans, boil them, mash them into balls, and then form them into tofu cakes, drying in the sun. Walk onwards to the village monastery for a tea break and snacks. This is a fabulous taste of local life on Inle Lake.

Return to the water and venture through the maze of canals that act as ‘streets’ for the lake’s residents. Stop at a boat-making workshop and see how the lake’s iconic boats are made. At the end of this half day Inle Lake tour, return to the hotel armed with a deeper appreciation of life on the lake.