Inle Lake region
is an area with a strange lifestyle. People in the region live at houses
built on the edge of the lake. The lake is 2900 ft. above sea level, and
14 miles long from north to south and 7 miles wide east to west. Inle
Lake, natural and unpolluted, is famous for its scenic beauty and the
unique leg-rowing of the Inthas, the native lake dwellers. Highlights of
Inle: Ywama, the largest village on the Inle Lake; Phaung-daw U Pagoda;
Mine Thauk Market, a large and bustling market; Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery,
an attractive wooden monastery where monks have taught a few of the many
cats living with them to jump through hoops;Silk Weaving.
Kalaw is another hill station, located 1400 meters above sea-level.
Many of the Tudor-style houses and English gardens of colonial days
remain. Kalaw is situated 70 km west of Taunggyi.
Taunggyi, over 1430 meters above sea-level, is the capital of Shan
State. It is a hill station, cool and pleasant all the year round. The
market, on every fifth day, is crowded with ethnic minorities in their
traditional dresses. The journey from Taunggyi down to Inlay Lake area
takes about an hour.
Pindaya about 45 km drive from Kalaw, well known for its extensive
limestone caves. The caves are set deep in the hillsides and there stands
at the entrance, a 15 meter high Shwe U Min Pagoda. There are some 8000
Buddha images and interesting stalagmites.
Mwetaw Kekku Historic Pagoda is 26 miles from Taunggyi about an
hour drive by car. Kekku is one of the oldest and most fascinating
archaeological and cultural sites in Myanmar. The Kekku pagoda complex has
an aggregation of more than 2800 ancient pagodas dating back at least to
Bagan Era (1044-1287 AD).
