This was published 8 years ago
Novotel Inle Myat Min review, Inle Lake: Myanmar's 'floating' lake-side hotel
By Catherine Marshall
Novotel Inle Myat Min, Myanmar.
THE PLACE
Novotel Inle Myat Min, Myanmar
THE LOCATION
A room at Novotel Inle Myat Min, Myanmar.
It was slim pickings for tourists to Myanmar's Inle Lake just a couple of years ago, with few accommodation options to choose from. But rapid development and an inflow of tourists has changed all that, with hotels, resorts and budget lodges now mushrooming all along the lake's eastern rim and in the nearby gateway town of Nyaungshwe. Set in the country's central-east, the lake is a drawcard for travellers keen to witness the daily unfolding of Myanmar life: the Intha people still live on and around this body of water, taking both their sustenance and their livelihood from it.
THE SPACE
The elevated reception area is set just off the main road that leads from Nyaungshwe. It's a portal, of sorts, into a new world: mountains and a jumble of crops are left behind and an expansive view opens up of villas dropping away towards the lake basin. Most of the communal areas cluster around the upper levels – the swimming pool, Pool Bar, spa and Terrace Restaurant, where guests take most meals. Junior suites are set back from the lake while the hotel's stilted villas (including two presidential villas) are located on the water and connected by broad walkways. The aptly-named Sunset Bar and Restaurant sits right beside the jetty; perfect sunsets are delivered here, to be imbibed along with classic cocktails.
A view of the lake from the restaurant at Novotel Inle Myat Min, Myanmar.
THE ROOM
I'm staying in an air-conditioned villa facing the lake (though without a direct lake view). It's a warm and roomy space: wooden floors and accents, a living room dotted with Burmese lacquerware and art, a balcony and a positively capacious, mosquito-netted bed. The bathroom, with its freestanding bathtub, separate rain shower and toilet, is almost large enough to get lost in. Wi-Fi – though understandably temperamental in this still-developing country – is free of charge.
THE FOOD
Novotel Inle Myat Min, Myanmar.
The cuisine at the Terrace Restaurant is described as "international" (think salmon roulade, beef tenderloin, panna cotta), which doesn't tickle my when-in-Rome fancy. But the delicious and uniquely Burmese mohinga soup is served at breakfast, and at dinner I eat off a Shan set menu: Inle-style whole stuffed fish, stir-fried watercress, fried banana with honey. Lunch is taken at Bamboo Forest Restaurant near Indein village; the fried noodles, Burmese curry and ginger salad are worthy of the long boat ride there.
STEPPING OUT
This lake will keep visitors busy for days: floating markets, silk weaving factories, the Inthar Heritage House where Burmese cats (once extinct in their homeland) are now bred, and the crumbling, haunting Indein pagoda, constructed between the 14th and 16th centuries. Boat and guide hire can be arranged by the hotel.
THE VERDICT
Clustered around the lake's shallows and with its stilted villas and Sunset Bar and Restaurant, Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min appears to be floating. It feels at once both compact and expansive – a design element which reinforces the sense of majesty evoked by this special place.
ESSENTIALS
Mine Thauk Village, Nyaungshwe, Inle Lake. Rooms start from around $156 a night. Phone +95 9 251 041 570, see novotel.com
HIGHLIGHT
Traditional Burmese massage at the hotel's spa.
LOWLIGHT
A tricky-to-operate coffee machine in my villa.
Catherine Marshall was a guest of Novotel Inle Lake Myat Min, Qantas and Jetstar Asia.
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