For your information, following is a brief list of excursions that we offer to our guests (length of time may varies for the programs).
Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda: The most famous religious site on the lake, 800 years old five Buddha statues are located here. The shape and appearance of the Buddha's statues are rather unusual as devotees donated a lot of gold leaves on them. There is a big festival usually in October for 18 days, depending on the Buddhist calendar. It takes 45 minutes drive by the boat to get there from the resort.
Silk Weaving Village (or) Inn Paw Khon Village: The fantastic and fabulous hand-weaving silk patterns are weaved in Inn Paw Khon village. The processes (such as tied and dyed) in detail procedures, the technique and creation of the fascinating design of the silk products can be seen and bought there.
Nam Pan Village: Nam Pan Village locates just before to Silk village. Making of cheroots, workshops of the boat carpenters are the interesting sites in that village. Besides, you will see the location and the style of the houses built on stilts as though we can call it Venice of the East.
Ywa Ma Village (or) Floating Market: Floating market is in Ywa Ma Village; it is one of the five-day markets. There are some places for shopping such as Shan bags, gold and silver wares which are main products of that village.
Main Tauk Village and Forest Monastery: About an hour walk or 20 minutes drive by boat from the resort to get to the village. There is a meditation monastery on the top of the small hill and it is also a center now for young novices. The panoramic view of the lake can be seen from there. It takes 45 minutes walk from the village to the monastery. At lunch time, around 10:30 am, you can see the monks' disciplinal way of having their food. On the way to the monastery you will pass-by a nursery school and orphanage residence.
The Monastery with Trained Cats: The Ngaphe Chaung Monastery situated in Ngaphe Chaung Village is popularly known as the Jumping Cat Monastery. It was built on the instruction of the Nyaung Shwe Saw Bwa Sir Saw Maung in 1843. The monastery has 5 flights of stairs and is an ancient monastery. When you are touring the Inle lake region, you are cordially invited to venerate the ancient Buddha images and observe the unusual jumping skills of the fascinating cats.
Indein Temple Complex : On the western shore of Inle Lake, easily to accessible by boat and a short walk through the village to the covered colonnade walkway to the temple hill. Best seen is in the early morning light as the sun rises above the hills on the eastern shore. Indein village has a 5 day market which travellers can visit and each year the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival comes to Indein Village. The Indein Pagoda Festival is also celebrated every year.
Full day hiking from the Indein temples to the U Daung Mountain Monastery can also be arranged.
Thaung Tho Temple Complex & Monastery: Open recently to travelers. A pleasant journey of 2 hours by boat to the south of Inle Lake from Nyaung Shwe. Set off on a hill along the western side of Inle Lake a short walk to the mound of the temples and a foot path to the adjoining Monastery. Thaung Tho Monastery celebrates on the morning of the Full Moon of Thadingyut when all of the local Pa-O, Intha and Shan villagers come for worship and festival gatherings. Also the Thaung Tho Pagoda Festival is held annually. These two events are especially interesting for travelers who will get a unique chance to meet the local villagers of this area.
Kak Ku Temple Complex : Hidden in the deepest Pa-O region of the Shan Hills, Kak Ku Temple Complex was until recently unknown to most Myanmar people and to the outside world. A unique treasure of over 2000 stupas nobly set on a hill covering about a square kilometer. The site is 26 miles away south of Taunggyi, capital of Shan State. Access from Taunggyi or by 4 Wheel Drive vehicles across the Shan hills from Inle Lake can be arranged sometime. Visiting the 5 day market and festivals of Kak Ku in Full Moon of March are a truly inspiring experience.
Tha Kaung Temple Complex
In late 2003 travel to the very south of the Lake was opened to all foreigners, so it is possible to visit "Tha Kaung Temple" on the eastern shore of the channel leading to Sakar Lake, a beautiful complex with a main pagoda and covered colonnade and several smaller pagodas with unique Buddha statues and paintings. Further around are small stupas many with interesting Buddha images. A visit to Tha Kaung should be combined with a full day excursion to the south of the Lake.
Nyaung Shwe Museum: This small Shan Chief's museum is situated in Nyaung Shwe, 40 minutes drive from hotel to get to the jetty and from there 15 minutes walk or nice to take a trishaw. This building is formerly a Shan Chief's Resident and the Chief has given up his power before the military made a coup and took the Country-power in 1962. He was the first president of the Union of Burma in 1948. Nicely displayed with royal throne, royal Shan families' costumes, the utilities those were used in the official occasions like sedan, divan, chairs, decoration materials and their photos. US$ 2 will be charged as the entrance fees.
