Inle Lake is the second largest lake in Myanmar, located inland in the Shan state. Its scenic landscape and unique culture of the people make it one of Myanmar's most popular destinations for tourists.
Inle Lake's unique geography means that it is generally much cooler than other places in Myanmar. Depending on the time of year, the average temperature can vary from 22°C (72°F) in the dry season, to 35°C (95°F) in the hot season. However, keep in mind that the temperatures can drop quite significantly at night and in the mornings.
What to do at Inle Lake
On Inle Lake you can visit the floating vegetable gardens, see the local stilt houses, and witness the leg-rowing skills of the fishermen, which has become the iconic image of Inle lake.
You can also visit the Indein stupa complex, visit the 5-day mobile market which rotates each day between five different villages, or see the Phaung Daw Oo Festival, where there will be hundreds of leg-rowers celebrating the festival.
It is important to take weather into consideration when planning a trip to Inle Lake so you can bring the appropriate attire and plan for suitable activities. Nevertheless, whichever time you decide to visit, we can help you prepare for suitable activities to ensure you enjoy your trip to Inle Lake.
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Excellent planned and executed Myanmar excursion
Asia Highlights and their local Myanmar partner "mAsia" did an excellent job in planning and execution of a one week trip to Myanmar.The various tour guides and drivers had good knowledge and good command over English. More
Gerd, Jan 2018
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Planning our trip
We have spend that last eight months planning a trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Alisa Lia was creative & patient helping us customize our tour to include the sites and adventures we were excited to see. Hard waiting for the trip to start. More
Jamie Danner, Oct 2023
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My experience in Thai
All of this was well organized by the local office. The holiday was wonderful. Our guide, Mr. Longdy( Siem Reap)were exceptional. He shared his extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. Thank you so much .shared their extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. More
kelli, Jul 2023
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Seamless Planning
From the day I submitted an inquiry request, I instantly received a response from Monica asking my preferences for my trip. She has been attentive and responsive to our every needs and we very much appreciate it. Looking forward to our trip in November but many thanks to Monica for making this experience to seamless thus far. More
Sana Samhouri, Jul 2023
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Very professional agency for a memorable trip to Asia
A special thanks to Albee who worked with us and helped to tailor the itinerary to our taste, she was amazing and always available for whatever we needed. The trip would not have been the same without her and her team. Thank you! More
Daniela, Jul 2023
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It was our first time in Cambodia and …
It was our first time in Cambodia and we had a wonderful time. The accommodations, food, and sites were really beautiful. We ended our trip with a relaxing massage. Sam was very accommodating to our needs and knowledgeable. Thank you for the laughter and for being so kind. More
Amy Oakes Moon, Jun 2023
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Our guide Borin - never boring!
Our guide Borin, in Cambodia, was knowledgeable, understanding and thoughtful in every aspect of the plan he put together for our trip to Siem Reap and in its execution. He can read the room, and knew exactly how to pace the tour, when to pause, when to break, and how to prepare us for the maximum benefit. He is extremely kind and caring, and it showed at every turn. He also is a dab hand with the camera, and we have a lot of great pictures to show for it. Kudos to my Asia Highlights coordinator - Cathy Chen, for picking Borin. Borin works with a driver (007) who was also very kind and caring. Whenever we returned to the car, he would have cold towel rolls and chilled water to refresh us. So amazingly considerate. It was an unforgettable experience More
David Muliyil, Jun 2023
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Great visit!
Our guide, Anna, was fantastic! She was highly informative and a delight to spend our days with. Would request her again if we were to return! More
Alejandra M Almonte, Jun 2023
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We've had such a great experience…
We've had such a great experience planning our honeymoon with Alisa at Asia Highlights! We gave her our dream itinerary, thinking that it might be impossible to do all the things we wanted, but Alisa made our dreams a reality! She's gone so far above and beyond to answer ALL of our questions and make little adjustments that will make a huge impact on our experience. More
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Alisa knows how to work fast and please a customer.
Alisa is very helpful and works very fast. I am a very difficult client because Inknow what I want in therm of hotels and comfort. She had a lot of patience with me, and moved a lot the plan of the trip, always following my requests. It was a pleasure organizing my trip with her. I recommend her a lot! Thanks Alisa. Malala from Argentina. More
maria laura artola, Jun 2023
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Trip-of-a-lifetime
In addition, I want to specifically mention the guides provided in certain locations. Rum, in Siem Reap, made the most memorable experience possible. His positivity was contagious - even when it felt like 1000 degrees and we were tired. He brought it all to life, and created a couple days of Ankor Wat, etc. that we will never forget! He heard my daughter's request for specific Cambodian food, and changed our itinerary to go to a village and eat at a locally known shop. He brought the dessert she asked about to us in the car! Overall, he and his driver "Lucky" were a reason to go to Siem Reap. In addition, the other guides (minus one which was switched out immediately) were stupendous. Mon in Bangkok was friendly and provided a great day there; Eak in Chiang Mai gave us a world-class food-tour and day touring the city and its surrounding temples with lots of laughs; Tommy in Hanoi kept us from getting killed in the traffic and gave a stupendous food and architecture/history tour - so very friendly and funny; the fishing village tour in Hoi An, as well as the side-car tour in Saigon, were both unforgettable! Thank you Sharon, and Asia Highlights. Would definitely use again for future trips! More
Teri Simpson, Apr 2023
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Cambodia and Vietnam adventure!
Our guide in Cambodia, Meas Darapolaith (Pol), was absolutely amazing. He was knowledgeable, friendly and so helpful. His English was excellent and he shared important insights about history and the magnificent sites we visited. We highly recommend him! More
Jennifer Roth Krieger, Apr 2023
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My daughter and I wanted to discover SE…
My daughter and I wanted to discover SE Asia. Being the first in that region, we wanted to use a tour service company. We ended up using Asia Highlights. From the beginning we were impressed with their services. We left home with of mind because all the pre-travel arrangements were taking care and communicate to us efficiently. All our questions were answered promptly. Once in the countries, we were welcome by our excellent tour guides. Everything was taking care for us. We did not have one issue. They selected the right tours guides for us, they were highly knowledgeable and so much attentive to our needs. We had Dhat in Vietnam and Borin in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I highly recommend Asia Highlights. I came back home so much rested, and with plenty of wonderful pictures and memories. I will definitely use Asia Highlights again for my next trip to Asia. More
Isabelle Dessaux, Apr 2023
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Fabulous tour and guide in Cambodia
We have been touring Cambodia, guided by Borin ( and driver 007) for the last 2 days. What a fabulous experience! Borin has been a wonderful guide, the best so far in Southeast Asia, explaining the history and culture of Cambodia through his tours of the temples in and around Angkor, as well as the Landmine museum. He has answered all our questions, made sure we were comfortable, and that we have had great food. 007 made sure we always had enough water and cool towels for our face/neck.We highly recommend Borin as a tour guide for Cambodia!! More
Monica, Mar 2023
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Best Travel Service for Asia Travel
Alisa Liu was in charge of making the arrangements and she helped us from the start to make all of the arrangements and also helped us when we had questions and requested some adjustments. Her service is of the highest professional level. We are 100% confident that our trip will be perfect. We’re also 100% confident that, if anything comes up during our trip, that Alisa will be there to guide us through and take care of us. We won’t even consider using another agency for travel around Asia and we would like to have Alisa work for us again. More
Leo Pospichal, Mar 2023
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Tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand
The tour guides and drivers were another high point. All were very good, friendly, knowledgeable and spoke English well. There were two that I want to call out for their excellence. Chan Sovannarith in Siem Reap was our guide in Cambodia. He really made the experience special. His knowledge, willingness to answer all my questions, helpfulness and general attitude made him fun to be around. In order to praise the second exceptional guide I have to explain about an unfortunate occurrence that I had. I'm normally a very active senior, but after leaving Cambodia for Laos I was suddenly struck by the most intense back pain I've ever experienced, couldn't even roll over in bed (turned out to be sciatica). The guide, Mr. Sonophet, really went the extra mile. He went with my traveling companion and bought a back brace and medications for me. When that didn't help much he took me to a clinic where I was seen by a doctor, given a shot and pain meds. He hand-made a walking stick for me that I'm still using! He made it possible for me to somewhat participate in the activities, i.e. a bed on the boat down the river. When it was time to move on to Bangkok he got me a wheelchair at the airport. I can't thank him enough for these kindnesses! This problem lasted for the remainder of the trip, through Bangkok and Phuket and these guides were also very helpful getting wheelchairs, etc. It was a terrible disappointment to have this wonderful trip disrupted, but it would have been SO much worse without the great help that I received from the guides and my poor travel companion! More
Deb M, Mar 2023
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In good hands with Sam
Sam Ol took very good care of us - lots of information, listened to and answered all our questions, was passionate about the places we visited and about his people and country. He was kind, had a great sense of humor, and made sure we felt safe and comfortable at all times. He helped us to fall in love with Cambodia in 3 short days. More
Carol Jones, Feb 2023
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Best tour guide in Cambodia
When we first arrived at the airport in Siem Riep it was so nice to be greeted by Mr Sam Ol. We instantly fell at home when we saw his friendly smile. We were impressed by his great English and knowledge of the temples. On the tour to the temples Sam took care of us every step of the way. He took awesome pictures of us. It felt like we were on a tour given by our brother who is also a professional photographer. Also, we appreciate his humor as well as the fact he had an answer for every question we had. I give Sam 5 stars, best tour guide ever :) More
Len S, Feb 2023
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Mr. Sam
Mr. Sam our guide in Cambodia, he and the driver out standing service they went above and beyond touring, my wife so amazed beautiful country, we're planning back here near the futures. Thank Mr. Sam,We'll feedback the whole trip next week when we be home in US More
Pho Lover, Feb 2023
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Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand
We are still in the middle of our trip, but we are just finishing up our time in Cambodia and our guide, Borin, has been AMAZING!!! He has truly made our time here unforgettable and I plan on referring all of my friends and family to come visit this beautiful country! Thank you, Borin, for everything you did to make our trip so fantastic! More
Danielle Blount, Feb 2023
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Best time to visit Inle Lake
The best time to visit is the dry season as the temperature is slightly cooler, with little rain. In terms of average temperature, the variation within the year is not great, but you can expect a significant temperature drop in the mornings and evenings.
The Cool/Dry Season – November to February
The dry season is the coolest time of year with average temperatures of around 22 - 33°C (72 – 91°F), and very little rain, especially in January and February. This weather is good for outdoor activities. While the day temperature is relatively warm, it can get quite chilly in the evenings and mornings.
During this season, you can visit the 5-day market where you can observe the indigenous lifestyle of the Myanmar people, or visit the picturesque Indein Pagoda Complex, or you can also take a boat and enjoy the Inle lake scene.
Phaung Daw Oo Festival
You can also witness the Phaung Daw Oo Festival, which is a religious festival where they ceremonially row images of Buddha around the lake on colorful boats. The date for this festival varies each year, depending on the lunar calendar, but it is usually in October, and celebrated over a period of three weeks.
The highlight of this festival is the rowing competition, where you can see hundreds of leg-rowers. It is a sight not to be missed.
What to bring: Outdoor clothing, warm clothing such as thick jacket, sweater, and windbreaker (as it does get windy especially in February), sunscreen, mosquito repellent.
The Hot Season – March to May
In the hot season, it seldom rains, and the average temperature is about 24 - 35°C (75 - 95°F), with strong sunlight and some rain. Be sure to prepare sunscreen for protection against the sunlight.
Being in the Inle lake region means that the hot season is not as hot as if you are in other parts of Myanmar like Bagan. This means that generally you can still do most outdoor activities even during the hot season, especially activities on the Inle Lake.
On the Inle Lake you can observe the unique fishing method of the locals, or visit their floating gardens. Not only do the locals live on the lake, in houses on stilts, but they also cultivate farmland on the lake itself.
Myanmar New Year
If you are around the region between 13th to 16th April, you can also join in the Thingyan celebration, which is the Water Festival, and then culminate in the New Year Celebration on 17th April.
During the festival, people splash water on each other. Traditionally, the idea behind this is to wash away sins and bad luck. This festive atmosphere is a great opportunity for you to interact with the locals!
What to bring: Outdoor clothing, windbreaker, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, thin sweater for mornings and evenings.
The Rainy Season – May to October
In the rainy season, it rains frequently and heavily, along with some strong winds. The temperature is cooler, with an average temperature between 23 and 33°C (73 - 91°F). The rain also brings humidity.
There are obvious reasons why rainy season is not usually the traveler's first choice of time to visit. Firstly, you cannot do as many of the outdoor activities as you would like, such as cycling or trekking. The ground tends to be muddier and the sky murkier as well.
Less Crowded
Nevertheless, there are other considerations why you might come during the rainy season, and there are positive sides to the rainy season too. Rainy season is the low season for Myanmar, which means you can expect fewer tourists.
If you prefer fewer crowds, you might enjoy the rainy season better. The temperature is slightly cooler than during the hot and dry season too. So, if you have an aversion to heat, the rainy season can be a better alternative.
What to bring: Outdoor clothing, warm clothing such as thick jacket, sweater, and windbreaker, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, rain jacket, umbrella.
Visit Myanmar with Asia Highlights
Please feel free to talk to one of our travel advisers for more ideas or suggestions. Our advisers will provide expert insights for better planning, based on their experience and knowledge.
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