The wonderful world of Lake Inle
The size of Lake Inle is best seen from the mountains surrounding the lake. From here flows the rainwater that feeds the lake. If you come closer to the lake, you enter a special ecosystem. The lives of the various population groups here are uniquely adapted to the water.
Join us on a journey of discovery through this water landscape. Along the way you will come across all kinds of boats, laden with passengers, market merchandise, bamboo and whoses. You will sail through a labyrinth of passageways flanked by greenery and reed collars. Idyllic and lively, a visual feast.
Houses of teak and bamboo are built on bamboo stilts. On the shore, but also on floating islands, entire villages have been built. A quarter of the lake surface is covered with floating villages and gardens, where all kinds of fruits and vegetables are grown. The floating islands are fixed with bamboo poles, and they rise and fall along with the water level.
Intha fishermen seek out the open water. They're true balance artists. Standing on the bow of their narrow boat, with one leg around the oar struck, they move the boat forward. In this way, they have better visibility over the surface of the water, and keep their hands free to turn off konic nets. In teams, the fishermen use the oars to hit the water in order to drive the fish to the nets.
The wonder continues when you visit the village of Indein and the Shwe Inn Thein temple. On the hilltop you walk through a forest of long, narrow stupas. Partly decrepit and overgrown they seem to be made by nature itself. What a wonderful world!