Sanctum Inle Resort
Four room categories and six treatment rooms beside Inle Lake's still water
Designed around arches and cloisters that borrow from Myanmar's monastic architecture, Sanctum Inle Resort was built as a quiet counterpoint to the water and mountains around it. The property sits near Maing Thauk village, on the eastern shore of Inle Lake in Shan State, where fishermen still work traditional nets at dusk. Rooms come in four categories. The Abbey Suite spans two storeys with two balconies and a separate living room, while the Family Deluxe covers 150 square metres with two bedrooms and a dressing room. Teak floors run through every room, alongside writing desks and minibars stocked with local tea and coffee. The spa occupies six treatment rooms across two floors, each fitted with air conditioning and its own shower, and treatments range from Traditional Myanmar massage to hot stone work using bamboo canes. A pool looks out over the lake. From here, staff arrange boat trips to the ruined royal town of Sagar, to the stilted village of Indein, and to Pindaya's cave pagodas by car. You can watch the sunset over the Shan mountains from a private boat, timed for the light fishermen use to cast their nets. It is a compact base for exploring water and hills that otherwise see few visitors.