We were headed for different destinations – Bagan and Inle Lake. Somehow, we enjoyed our time together (though we only met for a mere few hours) and decided to spend the next few days travelling together.

Eventually, we settled on Inle Lake. The bus journey from Mandalay to Inle Lake took 8 hours and led us through many scenic routes.

I had planned to stay in Nyaung Shwe but since there were two of us now, we decided to splurge a little on our two-night stay.

This turned out to be the best decision ever. Myanmar Treasure Resort was a pretty far ride from town – about 30 mins away, but it was right on Inle Lake.

The whole time we were there, we only saw 5-6 other guests though it was a huge compound!

That evening, we took a trip down to town to stock up on supplies – beer, Coke, isotonic drinks, water, chips, instant noodles.

The next day, after a hearty breakfast, we went on a private boat tour. It was way cheaper going with the boat operator we met at the bus station than the resort.

Our boat tour cruised through the Floating Gardens, and we made our way to the silversmith workshop, local market, silk weaving factory and the cheroot factory.

We started a little later and missed the one-legged fishermen. Still, the ride along Inle Lake was breathtaking.

Evening was spent in the hotel, as we watched the sun dip into the horizon.

There wasn’t much to do since we were staying so far away from the city centre. But the serenity and the experience of staying on a house on stilts was interesting. We had nothing, but real conversations. It felt good to be away from the hustle and bustle, and to slow down after all the intense travelling.

Thank you, Inle Lake.

Love,

Olivia L.