SEA2014: Day 12-15: Inlay Lake Chilling

 Hanging out with lakeside views, wine tasting and a good book.

On the night bus from Bagan to Inlay Lake, I met an english guy who had done a project in Bangladesh and was now travelling through South-East Asia. We got along quite well and when we arrived at 3.15AM in Inlay, we decided to get to the same hostel. With $8/night, Hostel Joy was the cheapest hostel I had during this trip but it was a good place and the staff was very friendly.

Day 1: Inlay Lake

After having a few hours of rest, we decided to take a day-tour around the famous lake and visit the towns and people living on and around Inlay Lake. With just the two of us, and our boat man who barely spoke english, we ended up having a great day on the water and were quite tired and sun burned when we got back by the end of the afternoon. A chinese guy, who had been staying in Joy Hostel for a week already, knew a great spot to witness the sunset and the three of us headed back into the Nyaungschwe surroundings to enjoy it. Later on, we went for dinner in a small local restaurant and here we met a spanish guy, who our chinese friend had met in Yangon before. This spanish guy had been travelling around Asia for the past nineteen months, getting money along the way by doing clown tricks and giving massages. Weird guy if you ask me, but he was living life to the fullest that’s for sure. After some beers, we decided to head to bed.

Inle Lake is truly beautiful

Day 2: Chilling with a good book

My second day in Inlay Lake, I decided to do nothing at all. I had been travelling for two straight weeks, and sightseeing every day and was kind of fed up with it. So while my english friend left for Mandalay, I ended up reading a good book in town, switching from bar to bar during the day. Lovely feeling to relax and have nothing to do at all during holidays… I even found a small restaurant where they made the best pancakes I had had in a while for a meer 1000Kyat, $1. Great me-times indeed.

Day 3: Winetasting with a view

On my third day in Inlay, I rented a bike and went for a ride along the hills around the lake. As there was not much to see in the beginning, I was kind of disappointed but then I discovered a local winery, managed by a French: Red Mountain Estate. While getting to its entrance, I met three Israeli and we started chatting. We shared a tour around the winery together and then enjoyed a winetasting. Four tasting glasses for 2000Kyat, around $2, was not bad. However, to be honest the wines were not that good but the view on the other hand was amazing. The four of us enjoyed the magnificient view and hang out there for a while before heading back to town. We had a late lunch together and then they headed to Bagan by bus. I sure hope they had a great time over there! For dinner, I went back to the same restaurant as the two days before and enjoyed the awesome shannoodle soup together with an Indian bread.

Winetasting with a view

Day 4: Preparing the last of SEA2014

My last day in Inlay, I was running from one travel agent to the other in order to find the best way to Yangon and Chaunghtha Beach, where I would spend the weekend with Wim. It took me a long time, and a lot of patience, to get organized but in the end I managed to book my JJ Express night bus to Yangon for $20. I had lunch at the same restaurant again, they actually already knew what I was going to get as I was getting the same thing for four days in a row now. I can’t help it, I just love their shannoodle soup! By the end of the day, well after sunset (which is at 18:15 in Myanmar. Always.), I got picked up by a taxi to get to the bus station from where I departed to Yangon. I did manage to finish my book during this day too, which meant I finished a 483page book in less than 72 hours, including one day of non-reading as I was biking. Yes, I am proud about this achievement!

Enjoy the Inlay pictures, it’s truly a beautiful and must-see area of Myanmar where kind locals are mixed with annoying locals working as guides who try to get you in their boat in any possible way and at any possible moment of the day.

More about Inlay: Myanmar Travel Information

safe travels_

Tomato plants on the lake

Enjoying and getting sun burned

UK represented at Inle

Red Mountain Estate - View from the winery