The main town near Inle Lake, and the hub for travellers to the area, is the characterful Nyaung Shwe, which has plenty of accommodation and dining options. Generally, the more expensive hotels are on the lake itself, with spectacular views across the water, and the cheaper ones are in Nyaung Shwe – but there are plenty of classy options in the town too.

Higher up in the Shan hills, scenic Kalaw and Pindaya have good accommodation and eating choices – though they are less developed than Nyaung Shwe.

Heho airport is a convenient taxi drive away from all the destinations in this area (plus the Shan state capital Taunggyi, just to the east); it has regular flights from Yangon, Mandalay and other parts of Myanmar.