A trip filled with culinary experiences from top to bottom, this Myanmar tour takes you on a tasty journey of discovery through the delights of the Shan State cooking and specialties of Inle Lake and its environs. Enjoy the delights of Shan prepared tofu, a famous dish of the region, partake in lunch with an Inthar family in their stilted house on the lake and be amazed by the agricultural methods of the area that produce delightfully flavorsome crops. Your gastronomic adventure ends at the Red Mountain Estate shows how French grapes are grown and has impressive views of the Shan Hills and lake below. A superb tour to introduce Inle lake and those customs unique to its location.
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Day 1: Inle Lake Arrival L
Your guide will greet you at your hotel this morning to embark on your Inle Lake day trip. Board your private motorboat (on board are cushioned wooden chairs, lifejackets, umbrellas for sun and wind protection, and blankets in the winter months)
We’ll start with a visit to the morning market, which rotates locations on a 5-day basis. (note: there are no markets on full moon or dark moon days) This daily market attracts people from all over the lake’s shores who gather to buy and sell their wares- if you are lucky you may see Pa-Oh, Inthar and Shan people in their traditional outfits. Wander amid the stalls where your guide will explain the local produce and goods for sale.
Then continue across the lake, passing through villages with stilted houses and floating gardens built up from strips of water hyacinth and mud and anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles. You will also see the leg‐rowing fishermen who steer their boats with incredible balance.
Continue to Khaung Daing village on the lake’s western shores. This village is famous for its traditional Shan tofu – fried crackers and folded, triangular tofu treats. We’ll be able to watch (and perhaps participate!) as they sift the soy beans, boil them, mash them into balls then form tofu cakes to dry in the sun. This is a fabulous taste of local life on Inle Lake.
Then we travel by boat to an Inthar family’s house where you will join them in preparing lunch. Using local produce, herbs and freshly caught fish, prepare a feast of traditional dishes handed down from generation to generation of Inthar families. Sit down in the dining room around a large wooden table, local-style, to enjoy your delicious lunch.
Overnight on Inle Lake
Day 2: Inle Lake - Nyuang Shwe B/L
This morning we head to Nyuang Shwe and take a town tour by trishaw. Begin with a visit to the side canal where boats piled high with tomatoes and other produce from the lake are being unloaded to be distributed up country. Continue to the morning market which is bustling in the early morning as the locals and people from the neighbouring village descend from the hills to buy and sell their fresh produce. In addition to vegetables and fruits, flowers, traditional snacks, tea and noodles are for sale.
We then will stop at a nearby tea shop to sample a cup of famous sweet tea with a fried local donut, samosa or other snacks. The tea shop is located on a busy street corner near the market- perfect for people watching.
We’ll then continue around the town by trishaw, passing local houses, monasteries and shops as we make our way to the ‘tomato house’. Our final stop of the morning is Red Mountain Estate, one of Myanmar’s best wineries. Take a short guided tour of the property and the fields (where French grapes are being grown and harvested by the Pa-Oh people) and enjoy the views of the Shan Hills and Inle Lake below. Sit down for lunch and a wine tasting, giving you a chance to sample the delicious variants grown at Red Mountain and dine on a set menu of local cuisines.
From Red Mountain we will journey along the lake’s eastern shore. The road is lined with farms growing crops such as sugar cane, corn and vegetables. We’ll stop to the see the processing of molasses and other activies in the fields and villages. We’ll continue to Maing Thauk village where our boat will be waiting.
Overnight on Inle Lake
Day 3: Inle Lake - Nyuang Shwe Departure B
After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the Heho Airport for your departure flight.
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