Inle Lake, Myanmar
While Inle Lake undoubtedly has a beautiful natural setting, the real draw for travellers here is the hive of industry amongst the 70,000 Intha people who live here, in the bamboo stilt huts and lakeside villages surrounding the freshwater shores.
Most Intha – which translates literally as ‘the sons of the lake’ – are Buddhist and support themselves through agriculture and fishing. These lakeside communities are well known for their tradition of rowing boats using an oar strapped to one leg. It’s thought that this style of oarsmanship – traditionally the preserve of men – arose because the tall grass and reeds around the lake made it impossible to see when sitting down in a boat. It also keeps their hands free to cast nets.
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THINGS TO DO AT INLE LAKE
Craft workshops
Land-based markets
As there are so many villages around Lake Inle, villagers have introduced a five day rotation system to ensure its famous floating market is of benefit to everyone. The floating market has become very popular, especially with tourists, and provides much needed financial resources.However, on dry land, practically every village also has its own open market. These permanent markets sell meat, fruit, fish and vegetables as well as locally produced clothes and hand crafted souvenirs. They also offer a much more authentic alternative to the floating market on Lake Inle which, unfortunately, has become something of a tourist trap.
Visiting a land-based market is really worth the extra effort. Not only will you be wandering around and browsing with local customers, but sellers will really value your presence and be genuinely happy and proud that you bought something from them.
Roll your own
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