Inlay Lake (Wetland) Sanctuary

The famous Inlay Lake (Wetland) Sanctuary is located among Nyaung Shwe, Pinlaung and Peh Kon Townships of Southern Shan State in the eastern part of Myanmar at an elevation of over 2,950 feet. The Lake covers an area of 642.32 square miles. You can reach there by car, by air or by train depending on your choice of transport. If you go by car, you can drive from Yangon to Nyaung Shwe, that is 430 miles. If you want to fly, you can do it from Yangon to Heho, 335 miles by air, then drive from Heho to Nyaung Shwe, 14 miles by car. If you prefer train, Yangon via Thazi to Shwe Nyaung is 320 miles along the track then drive for 10 miles from Shwe Nyaung to Nyaung Shwe.
Inlay Lake (Wetland) Sanctuary was established in 1985 with the aims to conserve and protect natural vegetation, wetland birds and fresh water fishes in Inlay Sanctuary and to conserve geological features and scenic beauty of mountain areas.
Among the vegetative types growing in the area, Oryza granulate, Dalbergia spinosa, Hypericum prunizolium, Coladium spp, Desmodium oblongum, Enhydra zluctuans, Panicum sarmentosum grow on the natural floating islets. Salix tetrasperma, Ficus spp, Crataexa nurvala, Mitragyna parvizolia, Salmalia malabarica syn, Bombax malabaricum are found in shallow water or on the shores. Moreover, Inlay Lake (Wetland) Sanctuary is home to 37 species of birds, 27 species of wetland birds, 14 species of migratory birds, and 40 species of freshwater fishes, otter and turtle.
At present, the Ministry of Forestry of the Union of Myanmar has been carrying out programmes for the protection of land and wetland birds, conservation of their natural habitat and refuge, and construction of bird watch-towers. By visiting Inlay Lake (Wetland) Sanctuary, you surely can experience the world-renowned wetland ecosystem nearly 3,000 feet above sea level, enjoy the scenic beauty of the Shan plateau, research on various types of birds, study endemic fish species such as Ngapweh (Chaudhuria caudata) and Ngaku-Shinpa (Silurus bumanensis), and marvel at the traditional agriculture practiced by the lake-dwellers.