Welcome to Inle Lake, whose calm waters are the life-blood for many ethnic minority communities. They live in stilt houses along the lake's shallow fringes and surrounding areas. You’ll begin this Short Break in the main township of Nyaungshwe, which lies a few kilometres north of Inle Lake. You’ll meet your guide and fellow travellers (if any) at 8:30 am at Paradise Hotel. From here you’ll begin your trek into the surrounding villages. You’ll hike for around 1 hour up a small hillock to Htat Eain village, which houses a well-known cave temple of the same name. This extensive limestone cave features beautiful stupas and Buddha statues, some sitting in deep contemplation in its pitch black depths, others watching over the countryside from a carved out ledge. Leaving the still and quiet of the cave, trek another 45 minutes to...

Rise early again this morning (you may wish to rise even earlier yourself to catch a stunning Inle Lake sunrise), meeting at the hotel at 8:30 am and heading down to a nearby jetty. Here you’ll board a boat and sail onto the lake, seeing local life, exploring the floating gardens, and catching a glimpse of the local Intha fishermen who are famous for their unique 'leg-rowing' technique. The Intha leg-rowers navigate their long, narrow craft by standing on the stern with one leg and wrapping the other around the oar. This unique style evolved because the reeds that cover the lake and the floating plants make it difficult to see above them while sitting. You’ll also visit some nearby floating villages, looking out for a wide array of birdlife – including egrets, cranes, ducks, storks and various birds of prey – along the way....