Inle Lake, Myanmar

After breakfast we transferred to the domestic airport for our one hour, ten minute private charter flight to remote Inle Lake. Then we rode on buses to our resort.

Inle Lake is home to the floating gardens, stilt houses, and markets of the Intha people.

We had a wonderful welcome when we arrived at the Resort. There were musical performers and stunning costumed dancers awaiting our arrival. We have a giant room here with a lovely balcony overlooking the tropical grounds. We enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch at the resort before setting off sight seeing.

We boarded small skiffs for our the 25 minute trip over to visit Nga Phe Chaung Monastery. It is a wooden monastery built on teakwood stilts over the lake at the end of the 1850s. It is the biggest and oldest monastery on Inle Lake. Aside from its collection of Buddhas the monastery is known for one of its monks teaching a few of the many cats living with them to jump through hoops. We saw several cats strolling about and were able to pet a few of them. They were very thin. We also saw several litters of tiny kittens.

On the boat ride over we were able to observe the local fishermen balancing on their skiffs fishing with cages. It is the most interesting and challenging fishing I’ve ever seen and certainly requires a lot of balance and patience.

Thrilled that there is a gorgeous pool here and I got in time for a swim this evening before dinner.

We had lectures this evening by Greg and Spencer Wells.

Aureum Resort & Spa, Inle Lake