Inle Lake

This 45-square-mile lake is rich in history, culture, flora, fauna and more. Traveling with a guide, begin your exploration by watching local fishermen hard at work, balancing on one leg on the bow of their teak canoe, with the other leg wrapped around the wooden oar while both hands work with the fishing net. Float by and weave through stilted villages, and take in the floating and hanging gardens. Pass by water-bound temples and monasteries where the Buddhist chanting glides across the water and can be heard from far away. Visit local artisans to learn about traditional handicrafts such as cigar making, boat making, paper making and weaving silk and lotus. You can also visit the workshops of silversmiths and goldsmiths, as well as important religious sites like Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda, the holiest religious site in southern Shan State, or Indein, also known as "Little Angkor Wat" for its overgrown pagoda ruins.