Perfect oasis with an exceptional staff

“How to begin? There are six bungalows which sit over the southern part of Inle Lake. Your time spent here will not only give you memories you’ll always remember, but the money is going back into the area to preserve and help it thrive. Inle Heritage is not-for-profit, and they have a vocational training center on site to teach students from around the country about hospitality.

It takes about 2 hours from the airport. Roughly an hour by car, another by longboat. I would recommend staying here instead of the northern part of the lake because you’re closer to all of the sightseeing. Don’t worry about the hour boat ride, because you’re sightseeing along the way! Make sure to keep your camera out so you’re able to catch some of the fishermen on your journey south. Take a big breath of the air too, it’s the freshest you’ll ever smell.

Once you arrive, there are 6 bungalows. It’s also connected to a restaurant which makes the best food we’ve honestly ever eaten. We fell in love with Burmese food in Yangon and Bagan, but couldn’t believe it could get even better in the Shan State. A lot of tour guides will stop to eat at the restaurant since they have fresh, clean, and of course delicious food.

The bungalow is perfect. The inside is clean, simple, and very relaxing. There are so many windows that bring in the freshest breeze all throughout the day. The view from the back is breathtaking and peaceful. I never read that Inle Lake was surrounded by such beautiful mountains, but the views everywhere are unreal and go on as far as the eye can see! The room is spacious, calm, and quiet at night. It’s such a treat to come back from dinner to have turn down service with hot water bottles at the foot of the bed. It’s so cozy! The bathroom area is also very spacious. The shower is big and the water pressure is wonderful.

Breakfast was included, and they do not disappoint. You get so much delicious food, even if you’re full you keep eating because you wonder if you’ll ever have a breakfast this good again! Having it brought to your bungalow was something we looked forward to every morning. This was arranged the evening before so you can just wake up to an incredible meal. By the way, the organic food is grown and picked just outside your bungalow! You can’t get any more fresh than that.

Also, we are both vegan, so they went above and beyond to accommodate our diet. We always love eating local authentic food when we travel vs. western, so being able to enjoy everything the other guests would also enjoy was perfect! I can’t stress enough how their food was the best we’ve ever eaten in our entire lives!

There is also a Burmese cat preservation on site as well. This is a wonderful cause since it’s re-introducing Burmese cats back into Myanmar. All of the cats are well cared for and are such a treat to visit while staying.

Please make sure to stop by the gift shop. There are a ton of great gift ideas – especially cat themed. The money helps local artisans, and disadvantaged people in the area. They are constantly working directly with these people to get new items into the shop and help create a business for those less fortunate. Anything extra goes back into the Burmese cat preservation.

My Husband and I originally booked 2 nights here for the middle of January 2016. The location and staff blew us away so much that we decided to change our flight and added an additional night. Thant Zin helped us call to cancel our previous flight, found us a new one and booked it for us as well. We couldn’t believe how simple she made it, and how happy she was to help. She honestly made our entire stay one we will always remember. We really appreciate all that she did for us, and so happy that we left as friends!

We were continually blown away by the top notch service. Still, after 3 nights we wish we would have stayed much longer. What we loved the most about visiting Myanmar were the people, and everyone there proved it time and time again. Their kindness and willingness to help is above anything we’ve ever experienced. Every little detail was perfect. We felt like they were our family, not staff, during our entire stay.

Having stayed at many boutique and top hotels, even a few that have made the TripAdvisor list of best in the world, this topped them all. If only I could put into words the feeling Thahara Inle Heritage gave us. I’m hoping this review will shed light on such a beautiful place.

Stayed January 2016, traveled as a couple”