The Place
It is stretching it to call this a ‘resort’. Built on stilts in the southern part of Inle Lake, the place can only be reached by boat. About 30 simple but comfortable rooms, with air-conditioning, mini bars and private balconies, and resembling the local houses inhabited by fishermen and market gardeners, are linked by wooden walkways to a pleasant restaurant serving mainly Chinese and Burmese food ~ simple but good.
The owner is a local woman who has shown great flair in building this rustic and charming place to stay. She also owns a nearby restaurant. There is a swimming pool (the only one on the lake) which is a boon after a hot morning looking at temples, wonderful local markets populated by the hill tribe people in colourful tribal clothes, and watching the life of the lake which has not changed for hundreds of years. The only drawback is the noise of the engines of the boats run by locals on their day-to-day business – but you get that anywhere on the lake, and peace and quiet rules once more as you sit on your veranda and watch the sun set over the mountains. There do not seem to be large groups using this hotel, a big plus.