Inle Lake Raft Festival

Among Myanmar’s tourist destinations, Inle Lake remains a relatively unknown destination for Japanese tourists, and the beauty of this mysterious lake remains largely unknown.

Its stunning natural scenery and the unique lifestyles of its ethnic minorities attract visitors from around the world.

Inle Lake is located in the highlands of southern Shan State, 870 meters above sea level, and is cool even in summer. It is 30 kilometers from the state capital, Taunggyi, and approximately an hour’s bus ride away. Inle Lake measures 22.4 kilometers from north to south and 11.9 kilometers from east to west, and is surrounded by mountains, making it a scenic lake.

The lake is home to 80 villages and approximately 90,000 ethnic minorities, who cultivate vegetables, fruits, and flowers on floating islands made of aquatic plants and reeds. These are called floating farms, and the produce is sold and purchased at floating markets.

This is similar to the scenery on the Menam River in Bangkok, Thailand.

Inhabitants of floating villages rely on boats and paddle boats, and the Inta tribe, known for rowing their boats with one foot, is a particularly famous sight. The Padaung tribe, who wear brass rings around their necks, hands, and feet, are also a rare sight worldwide and a delight to visitors.

The traditional Raft Festival, held from September 28th to October 15th, features a large raft shaped like a mythical bird called the “Karaway.” Many Inta men line up their boats and, accompanied by chants, row with one foot, pulling the raft around the floating islands.

During this festival, Inle Lake is bustling with excitement and emotion, as boats belonging to Inle residents and tourists from all over Myanmar come to witness this annual event.

We have planned a special “Raft Festival Tour” for October, as detailed in the attached document.

We hope you will enjoy it.