Inle Lake really is a rich place for photographers. Full colored and traditional markets, warm buddhist monks, beautiful wooden temples and monasteries filled with ancient Buddha images, stupas, stupas and more stupas, gorgeous landscapes and beautiful smiles. In this post I’ll show you what’s left of this amazing region, besides Buddhist monks that will have a future post of their own.

Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS L II
200mm - 1/800s - f/8 - ISO 200

On the east part of the lake, below Ywama, following a narrow winding canal surrounding by thick vegetation one gets to the village of Inthein. Luckily, or not, the day we went there the sky fell on earth and I can say I never caught so much rain in my life. The good thing? No tourists, so basically we had the temples all for ourselves. We were really lucky for a moment when the rain stopped and we were able to walk through the stupas labyrinth and grab some shots.

Canon 5DII, Canon 16-35 f2.8 L II
16mm - 1/320s - f/8 - ISO 100

The blue sky didn’t last long, but the rain can bring another kind of atmosphere to these ancient places.

Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS L II
200mm - 1/400s - f/2.8 - ISO 100

Details can also give an interesting perspective about the culture. In the first image below we can see a couple of deities restored not long ago. In the second image, an ancient figure of Buddha is patiently waiting funding for restoration. What I found out over the trip is that many of the restoration work is financed by Buddhist groups all over the world, from Australia to Singapore, Japan, Germany and even Brazil.

Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS L II
95mm - 1/200s - f/2.8 - ISO 100

Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS L II
123mm - 1/200s - f/2.8 - ISO 400

I want to make a special mention about the Padaung women. Unlike in Thailand they don’t charge you money to photograph, otherwise the images below would not be here. As I understood they kind of work with some stores/factories around the lake as a tourist attraction. The girls were just sit on a bench and the older lady was weaving. Maybe some day I’ll have the chance to see and photograph the “real” Padaung women.

Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS L II
155mm - 1/320s - f/2.8 - ISO 400

Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS L II
200mm - 1/250s - f/2.8 - ISO 400

Some folks get a bit dirtier earning their income as this farmer by the lake shore.

Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS L II, Canon 2.0 TC III
330mm - 1/800s - f/7.1 - ISO 500

Some places have a calm lifestyle and even cats enjoy a relaxing time. Ywama is one of those places where time doesn’t look to mean a lot. Besides that is full of cute kids running and playing around.

Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS L II
200mm - 1/800s - f/4 - ISO 200

Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS L II
160mm - 1/2500s - f/2.8 - ISO 200

Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS L II
200mm - 1/640s - f/2.8 - ISO 200

Back to Nyaung Shwe it’s easy to see the influence of a modern world. Kids don’t around around chasing chicken but instead they play football and canoes are replaced by modified trucks. Got to love burmese engineering =)

Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS L II
88mm - 1/640s - f/2.8 - ISO 800

Canon 5DII, Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS L II
200mm - 1/320s - f/2.8 - ISO 200

Next post will feature Buddhist monks from this region, for me the richest I’ve found in Myanmar.

Sign up the newsletter to receive the blog posts on your email: