lonely-planet-myanmar-burma-11-edition

184EASTERN MYANMAR INLE LAKEK.K.O. Internet (Map p 178 ; Yone Gyi Rd; perhr K1500; h7am-10.30pm) International emailaccounts can be accessed via proxy servers atthis small cafe.Lin Internet (Map p 178 ; Kann Nar Rd; per hrK1000; h7am-10pm) Close to the boat jetty,above the Mini Mart, with decent connections.8Getting There & AwayBy far the easiest way to reach the Inle Lake regionis to fl y. Most long-distance road transportstarts or fi nishes in Taunggyi – to reach Nyaungshwe,you’ll have to change at the junction townof Shwenyaung on the highway between Taunggyiand Heho.AirThe main airport for the Inle region is at Heho,25.5 miles northwest of Nyaungshwe on the wayto Kalaw – see p 174 for fl ight details. There are nooffi cial airline offi ces in Nyaungshwe, but hotelsand private travel agents can make bookings.Taxis waiting at the airport charge K25,000to Nyaungshwe (one hour); a cheaper but lessconvenient option is to hike the near mile to Hwy4 and wait for a pick-up truck or bus bound forTaunggyi (K2000, 1½ hours); ask to be let off atShwenyaung, from where you can change forNyaungshwe. You may face a long wait.Bus & Pick-up TrucksAny bus travelling from Mandalay (see p 221 ) orYangon (see p 70 ) to Taunggyi can drop you atShwenyaung for the full Taunggyi fare.To Yangon, overnight buses originating inTaunggyi reach Shwenyaung at 3pm (K14,000,16 to 20 hours). Similarly, the Mandalay-boundbus arrives at Shwenyaung at 6pm (K10,000,12 hours) and the bus to Nyaung U (Bagan) ataround 5am (K10,000, eight hours). Hotels andtravel agents in Nyaungshwe can book seats onthese buses but be sure to be at the junction inShwenyaung early so you don’t miss your bus.To reach Kalaw (K3000, four hours), Thazi(K5000, six hours) or Meiktila (K7000, sevenhours), you must fi rst take a pick-up or taxi toShwenyaung. Once you reach the Hwy 4 junction,you can fl ag down local buses and pick-upsheading west.From Nyaungshwe, pick-ups run to Shwenyaung(K500, 30 minutes) and Taunggyi (K1000, onehour) from 7am to 5pm. The pick-up stand (Mapp178 ; off Yone Gyi Rd) is west of the market butpick-ups also stop near the bridge north of MingalaMarket, although they’re often full by then.TaxiThe easiest way to fi nd a taxi in Nyaungshwe isto ask at your hotel or, failing that, call Ko KyawKyaw Oo (%209 367); charter taxi fares includeShwenyaung (K10,000), Heho (K15,000),Taunggyi (K25,000) and Kalaw (K40,000), andtaxis have room for three or four passengers.Motorcycle taxis at the stand (Map p 178 ; MainRd) near the market can transfer you to Shwenyaungfor K3000.TrainThe train rumbling through the hills from Shwenyaungto Thazi is slow but the scenery en routeis stunning. From Shwenyaung, the single dailydeparture leaves at 10am arriving in Kalaw afterthree hours ($3) and reaching Thazi at leastanother six hours later ($5).For train times from Thazi see p 167 .8Getting AroundDirt tracks run through the marshes in all directionsfrom Nyaungshwe – several shops on YoneGyi Rd and Phaung Daw Pyan Rd rent out clunkyChinese bicycles for K1000 per day.Motorcycle taxis at the stand (Map p 178 ; MainRd) near the market can take you to Kaung Dainghot springs for K5000 return.The Lake%081Almost every visitor to Nyaungshwe takes aboat trip on Inle Lake. But the lake is so largeand the villages so spread out that Inle neverfeels too crowded. The exception is when thetraditional five-day market rotation comes toYwama or Inthein; every tour boat and souvenirvendor in the Inle region heads straightfor the market and tourists jostle for spacewith tribal people trying to do their weeklyshopping.1SightsIntheinVILLAGEa='"tim'West of Ywama, a narrow, foliage-cloakedcanal winds through the reeds to the lakesidevillage of Inthein (Indein). As the channelleaves the reed beds, the jungle growsdenser and denser on either side, before thevillage appears suddenly among the vegetation.The Apocalypse Now ambience evaporatessomewhat when you see the waitingtourist boats and souvenir stalls, but nomatter – the pagodas on the hilltop are stillincredibly atmospheric despite the crowds.The first group of ruined stupas is immediatelybehind the village. Known as NyaungOhak, the crumbling stupas are choked ingreenery but you can still discern some ornatestucco carvings of animals, deva and chinthe.