Indien Pagoda Complex & Indien of Tuangyi Village - Inle Lake, Myanmar

Sunday November 9, 2025

Today turned out to be one of my favorite days at Inle Lake. We took the boat west of Inle Lake to Indein creek which brought us to our destination in about 2 hours. Indien of Tuangyi Village is the home of the Pa-Oh culture and the Nyaung Ohak pagodas and the main Shwe Inn Thein complex. There was a wedding going on (wedding are generally in the morning in Myanmar) and people just going about their daily lives. It is one of the places the 5-Day Market takes place.

I can tell you that it felt other-worldly and surreal when we encountered the first set of ruins. Crumbling stupas (some from the 12^th – 13^th centuries) overtaken by vines and ornate stucco carvings begging to be seen. (or restored)

Asian Open-billed Stork sitting on the railing outside our villa

in the boat to Indien Pagoda Complex

Asian Open-billed Storks

arrival at the village

 the walkway to the village

walking through the village

decorated for the wedding reception

many homes flood in the monsoon season

From Nyaung Ohak, a long covered stairway climbs the hill with vacant stalls, leading to Shwe Inn Thein Paya, a complex of 1054 weather-beaten zedi (stupas), most constructed in the 17th and 18th centuries. Myint Swe told us that when tourism was at its height, all of those stalls would be full, and you could hardly move there were so many people. Today, only 2 or 3 stalls were open and the kid’s selling scarves were relentless.  He said hundreds of monks once a year lined the way to collect alms. What a sight that must have been.

covered walkway up the hill

The first group of ruined stupas is immediately behind the village, known as Nyaung Ohak which means “group of Banyan trees”.  

peering inside

inside

inside

We could have explored this area much longer, but Myint Swe urged us on as there was much more to see. 

The Indein Pagoda Complex features hundreds of ancient stupas, mixed with newer, restored ones. We spent quite a bit of time here walking amongst the stupas which often leaned in crazy angles and are in crumbling decay and others have been reconstructed and are bright white or gold. We peered into the archways of the ruined stupas and saw wall paintings or Buddha statues. 

back on the covered walkway to the top

arrival at the complex

shrine

I started to feel worse as the day went on. It started a bit at breakfast (though I woke up feeling great) and just felt a bit off. Luckily, there was a bathroom up there and we rested a bit.

The kids followed us from the start to the top trying to sell their scarves. It was time to go back, and I did stop to buy a small round lacquer box that had people and animals in it, She was pleased to make a sale. She also had great carvings of monks with alms but they were too large to consider.  Myint Swe fed a couple of the dogs. He told us stories of his past visits and how they came to expect food when they saw him.

We reached the village and it was a bit livelier than when we first went through. The wedding was over and there were quite a few people just hanging around and doing some shopping.

Myint Swe feeding the dogs

where I bought the little box

back at the village

For lunch we went to a restaurant called Mr. Toe. It was on the other side of the Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda. We were able to see the Royal Barge which comes out once a year for a celebration.

Lunch was good with fried mashed potato balls, sweet and sour chicken and a pork dish. Since I wasn’t feeling great the mashed potato balls were a hit. The guide asked if we missed food from our home country and we said part of travel is experiencing the food. He said when he visited Australia the first thing he did when he got home was to eat rice. He missed rice. (they generally have it at all meals) He also told us that we were only his second tour group in 5 years. He apologized for his English (which was fine) since he said since he wasn’t using it as often, he really studied before doing our tour. You could really tell that he was enjoying seeing sites he hadn’t seen in years. I honestly think some of the stops he added was because he wanted to go.

Myint Swe waiting for our boat - the smaller one on the right

driver getting it closer so our feet don't get wet

boat house

more boat houses

arrival at Restaurant Mr. Toe

a different side of Phaungdaw Oo Pagoda

the Royal Barge

On our way back to the resort we got stuck between 2 islands and the driver got out and pushed them apart. You can stand on the small floating islands.

we were stuck between islands - driver trying to push them away

we're in there tight!

We had a 2-hour break before our last boat ride on the lake where we were to watch the sunset over Minethouk Bridge.  It was raining pretty hard and we chose not to get out to walk on the low bridge. Myint Swe did remark he wasn’t sure how safe the bridge was, and we questioned how well the sunset could be seen from there anyway.

As an alternate we took a short boat ride through a floating village. The rain stopped as we got back to the resort where we watched the lackluster sunset from our villa.

Great Mynas

Asian Open-billed Stork

part of the bridge (the rain kept us from taking more photos)

When we got back, he told us our noon flight now left early and our pickup time was now 5:15 in the morning. Yikes!

At dinner I ordered food but couldn’t eat it I just wasn’t feeling well enough. In the night I got sick as a dog with explosive watery diarrhea, nausea, fever, and chills. Oh joy! So, lots of Pepto, then Imodium.

So, I was pretty much still up when it was time to get up to meet the guide for our flight. I desperately was trying to find my anti-nausea meds but to no avail. ARGH!

Tomorrow, we fly from Inle Lake to Yangon.

lacquer box and family inside

Photo Album Inle Lake https://photos.app.goo.gl/tmqUCUKSeiGT4gSUA