Five Must-See in Inle Lake, Myanmar

Before you go: since the 2021 military coup, parts of Myanmar have seen armed conflict, and the March 2025 earthquake centred near Mandalay and Sagaing damaged many temples and historic sites. Inle Lake is in Shan State, where fighting has affected some areas. Check your government’s latest travel advisory, and confirm current access to the places in this article with a local guide before you travel.

Inle Lake is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Myanmar after Bagan. It is located in southern Shan State and is famous for its leg-rowing fishermen, who row their boats with one leg wrapped around the oar. But Inle Lake is not only famous for that: it also has very ancient pagodas, floating gardens, five-day rotating markets and more.

Jumping Cat Monastery or Nga Phe Chaung Monastery

Nga Phe Chaung Monastery became famous as the “Jumping Cat Monastery” after travel writers described the monks training cats to jump through hoops. The cats no longer jump, but the monastery is still worth a visit for its collection of ornate thrones and Buddha images, some dating back to the 16th–18th centuries.

Floating Gardens

The floating gardens are important not only for the people of Inle Lake but for the whole country. Why? Because farmers grow tomatoes on them, and tomatoes are essential for Myanmar’s daily curries. Tomatoes from the Inle region are especially in demand in markets across the country.

Read more：Myanmar Travel : 5 Hidden Gems Cannot Be Ignored

Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda

At first glance, they look like golden balls or mushrooms, but they are actually five small Buddha images. Over the years, devotees have pressed so many layers of gold leaf onto them that their original shape has disappeared. Each year the images are carried around the lake on a royal barge during the Phaung Daw Oo festival, usually held in September–October.

Lotus Weaving

The lotus is a sacred flower in Buddhist countries, and in Myanmar many people offer lotus flowers to Buddha images. At Inle Lake, weavers go further: they pull fine fibers out of lotus stems, spin them into thread and weave them into cloth. The work is slow and detailed, which makes lotus fabric rare and special – a visit to a weaving workshop is a highlight of any trip to the lake.

Shwe Indein Pagoda

At Shwe Indein Pagoda you can see a forest of historic stupas – over a thousand of them, some said to date back centuries, others built in the 17th–18th centuries – which is why some people call it a little Bagan. The village of Indein also hosts the rotating five-day market on some days, where you can meet people from the local ethnic groups. It is well worth the boat ride up the creek.

Want to plan your visit with a local? Find a local guide who can confirm which areas are currently safe to visit.

Welcome to Myanmar

Read more：Myanmar Travel Guide：7 Types of Foods for Vegans and Vegetarians