We reluctantly left Bagan today and made our way by car across the plains and then through the Shan Mountains to the town of Nyaung Shwe.
We stayed at a very nice colonial-style hotel, about a 15-minute drive from town and the jetty that provides access to the canal leading to Inle Lake.
As has been the case so far in Myanmar, the staff were over-the-top friendly and helpful. Within five minutes of checking in, we had our next day planned: touring the lake, villages, monasteries and ancient pagodas dotted around the second-largest lake in Myanmar.
The Shan Mountains rise around the lake to heights of 2,000 metres, providing a beautiful contrast to the views across the water.
Tomorrow we’ll leave the hotel early and spend the day on the lake, enjoying all that the area has to offer.
Before departing Bagan, we made a plan and arranged transportation for our next five days of exploring Shan State. The map below shows our intended route.
