“We came to Inle Princess from another resort on the other side of the lake for a special birthday dinner organised by our agent. We were due to eat on the private island but unfortunately it was raining very heavily, so we ate in the wine cellar instead.
I can’t compare the wine cellar to the island as I never saw the island BUT the wine cellar was sooooooo gorgeous, I wasn’t sad at all that we were moved. When we walked in, they’d decked it out with rose petals and candles in lotus pads. The table was made of a long canoe and the ceiling had this incredible painting of life on Inle on it. It was honestly the most beautiful wine cellar I’ve ever seen. They put some traditional music on and we had a waiter attending to our every need.
We were then treated to a bottle of champagne and a six course feast. We started with home made breads and chutneys, then had a crispy pancake with herbs. The fish course was eel caught in the lake which we were dubious about but my goodness, it was delicious! Next came a cheese pastry with loads of yummy melted cheese in it. The main course was a selection of three meats plus a huge shrimp served with cauliflower gnocchi. The chef then came out to bring us desert herself, which was a trio of three homemade mouses served on a mini canoe. It was so pretty. She told us a bit about the food we’d eaten. Then to my surprise in burst ten or eleven resort staff, complete with a guitar and a chocolate cake, and sang happy birthday to me. They presented me with a lovely hand written card and a birthday present.
As if this wasn’t all enough, they then gave us homemade biscuits and the most amazing herbal tea. By this point I was stuffed and the cake had to come back with us in a box!
All in all Inle Princess made this birthday very memorable for me and I wasn’t expecting something so lavish. I would highly recommend them for a special occasion and for a unique dining private experience in the wine cellar!”

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Secret Retreats is a curated community of independent boutique hotel, villas, yachts and river boats keen to share their Asian Homes with travelers, sustainably and responsibly.
Conservation of the environment, culture and traditions of Asia is of paramount importance to all in Secret Retreats.
A community of like-minded hospitality professionals, we offer our guests authentic travel experiences that go beyond typical offerings to unveil the essence of Asia. Supporting the Asia based hoteliers and hospitality professionals and providing incredible holidays in Asia and tailor-made Asia travel itineraries direct to public ad travel agents.
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