Inle Lake

Note: if you want to start planning your trip to Inle Lake, read this article for a bunch of practical tips.

Myanmar is incredible. Â I spent most of my time in two places, Inle Lake and Bagan. Â Go to Inle Lake for its people, and Bagan for its history.

The locals at Inle Lake were the friendliest, most welcoming people I have ever met. Â Never before had I seen so many genuine, straight-from-the-heart smiles in such a short amount of time. Â For reasons beyond my cynical mind, people here were always happy to see me, always joyful in the present moment.

Here, I danced to pop music on the side of a dirt road with a random motorbike-riding stranger.

Here, I saw a teenage girl lure a pig with a bucket of slop, reach down, pick up the pig around its belly, squirt the pig into its pen through a small opening, then turn around and give me a bright smile.

Here, 5 guys who spoke zero English stopped their World War II-era truck on a muddy path, turned off the engine, patiently studied a map with me, and told me (with hand gestures) how to get back to town before nightfall.

Below are some of my favorite pictures from Inle Lake. Â Please visit if you have the chance, and remember to smile warmly and say hello (min-ga-la-ba) to everyone you see. Â If you do, I guarantee you’ll have a wonderful time.