Motorboat fares at Inle Lake have surged to more than K200,000 per boat during the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival, according to boat operators.

Previously, motorboat fares ranged from K70,000 to K100,000, but during the festival period, prices have risen to between K150,000 and K200,000 per boat.

Hiring a motorboat from the Nyaungshwe jetty to visit the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival at Inle Lake may cost more because of the longer travel distance.

Boat operators said the increase in fuel prices and shortages, which have made fuel increasingly difficult to obtain, have driven up motorboat fares.

“Boat fares were not this high in the past. More than five years ago, the price was below K100,000. In recent years, fares have surged because of fuel shortages, and boats consume a lot of fuel. The rising fares are causing difficulties for passengers,” a local traveller said.

The annual Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival, during which the four revered Buddha images are taken on a ceremonial tour of Inle Lake, is being held from the waxing first day to the third day after the full moon of Thadingyut, from October 12 to 29. During the festival, the images are being conveyed to 21 locations across the Inle region.