In recent years, Inle Lake has been gaining ground as one of those go-to destinations in Southeast Asia — particularly for people who prefer chilling and seeing a quieter side of life in Asia.
Here’s a place we found for optimum chill vibes.
Viewpoint offers a POV (pardon the obvious play on words!) on rural life. The resort is placed at the edge of a lake, with calm stilt houses that espouse a way of life not often seen these days.
The resort still caters to today’s life, however. Stilt rooms offer large flat screen TVs with DVD players and wifi, making the stay itself comfortable and modern.
Instead of city sounds, wake up to the sound of buffalo in the nearby rice paddies or tractors on the closest road. Locals say that those sounds are part and parcel of the Inle-area experience however and should simply be enjoyed.
A canal guides guests via the lake on one side while the other side overlooks the paddies. Featuring just 21 rooms with private balconies on each, the resort has a private jetty for arrivals, departures, and day trips, as well as an orchid garden featuring local varieties of the water-friendly flower.
The stilt suites are crafted of local Shan State limestone and rice straw and no concrete is used, in keeping with local tradition. Minimal electricity is also employed by the rooms, with the mini bar and “fridge” kept cold with clay jar and ice pack “technology.”
Rooms are decorated with handcrafted Shan State antiques, meaning that no two are exactly alike.
For outings off the resort: There’s trekking, mountain biking, lunch on the lake, or horseback riding with local guides available for booking through site staff. Cooking classes, and trips to local cultural sites and pagodas, are also available.
By the time you leave, you’ll be loads chiller than when you arrived.
FIND IT:
Viewpoint Ecolodge
Taik Nan Bridge, Nyaung Shwe
Rooms start at US$65 per night in low season
Inle Lake, Myanmar
