Inle Lake, Shwe Inn Tain Pagoda (Myanmar59, Inle Lake)
Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, also known as Burma, is a sovereign state in the region of Southeast Asia. The British took over the administration of Myanmar after three Anglo-Burmese Wars in the 19th century and the country became a British colony. Myanmar was granted independence in 1948.
Inle Lake is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of 116 km2, and one of the highest at an elevation of 880 m. In June 2015, it became Myanmar's first designated place of World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Inle Lake is a major tourist attraction, and this has led to some development of tourist infrastructure. Many small and large privately owned hotels and tour operations have arisen during the past few years.
The quaint village of Indein on the western side of the lake is accessed by a winding river that is too shallow to use late in the dry season. Nyaung Oak (Under the shade of Banyan trees) Monastery has a nice, old moldering complex of shrines and stupa at the bottom of the hill. At the top is Shwe Indein reached by a long stairway with over 400 wooden columns. From the hillside there are great views across the lake to the hill in the east.