Fishermen who spend their days paddling with their feet inthe open water do not find loud motorboats too annoying yet many touristscomplain on these totally not ecologically friendly means of transportation.
Local enthusiasts voting for more sustainable tourism areputting efforts to change the practice by introducing traditional canoes notpowered by engines. These canoes are operated by local people, mostly women,dressed in traditional attire. They also act as tour guides making touristsacquainted with local way of life, showing them traditional homes and bringingthem to home-based factories. While in general the program of such canoe toursdoes not differ much from the usual motorboat tours program and includes floatingpagodas and monasteries, it still offers a deeper insight into the localculture with more time spent in Pauck Par village.
While usual Inle Lake canoes are about 60 cm deep and justunder 6 metres long, for tourist purposes bigger modified versions are used toallow boats to accommodate more than a couple of tourists.
Traditional Canoe Tours Offer Sustainable Alternative to Motorboats
News in Asia
Inle Lake, Myanmar’s star tourist attraction in Shan State, becomes more and more overcrowded with motorboats taking tourists on a ride around the lake and ruining the idyllic atmosphere on the lake.