The creek
A winding boat ride.
Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jakub Hałun — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gerd Eichmann — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Indein Pagodas are a large group of Buddhist stupas on a hill above the village of Indein, on the west shore of Inle Lake in Shan State. You reach them by boat along a narrow, winding creek from the lake, lined with fields and bamboo. The group holds hundreds of stupas. Some are old brick ones, partly fallen and covered in grass and trees, while others have been restored and painted gold and white. Most date from recent centuries, and the site is still a living place that local people visit. From the village you climb a long covered walkway of white pillars running up the hill between stalls. At the top you walk among closely packed stupas, with leaning red ruins beside shining new spires, and glimpses of the lake and hills between them. Many visitors find the ruined side of the group the most beautiful. Nyaungshwe is about 25 km away in a straight line, and the boat trip takes about an hour. Visitors usually come as part of a full-day lake tour. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to this area, so read the current advice before you plan.
A winding boat ride.
Brick and grass.
White pillars up the hill.
Indein village, west shore of Inle Lake, Shan State, Myanmar
By boat from Nyaungshwe or anywhere on the lake.
An hour covers the climb and a walk among the stupas.