Page 245 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

KALAW AND AROUND INLE LAKE AND THE EAST 243

TREKKING TO INLE LAKE AND AROUND KALAW
If there’s one must-do activity in eastern Myanmar, it’s the multi-day trek from Kalaw to Inle
Lake, offering a memorable combination of striking scenery and a glimpse into some of
Myanmar’s minority cultures, all in one. While it’s quite possible to walk from the lake to Kalaw,
few people do it this way – heading from west to east, it’s downhill most of the way, and you
get the lake as a reward at the end.
ARRANGING A TRIP
Numerous tour operators in Kalaw (see opposite) arrange Inle treks, providing a guide, 6
super-simple village accommodation, and three meals per full day. Your main choice will be
whether to plump for a two- or three-day trip; the two-day trek is essentially the three-day
trek minus the first day, which you’ll cover by taxi instead. Some operators have four-day
options, though three is enough for most travellers. The walk is long but pretty easy, so all
you need is decent footwear – in the dry season, it’s just about possible to make the trek in
flip-flops. Also useful are a hat, sunblock and mosquito repellent (the area was malaria-free
at the time of writing, but better safe than sorry). A torch and a towel also come in handy.
Prices vary depending upon how many there are in your group; agencies will usually be
able to lump you in with others. Rates vary quite widely – anything from $20 to $30 per
person per day. Always check if quoted prices include the boat ride across the lake (around
$15 for the whole boat), transfer of baggage from Kalaw to Inle (around $4) and the Inle
entrance fee ($10). You’ll also need to factor in the cost of a taxi (around $15 per vehicle)
if you’re doing the two-day option.
THE WALK
Those on three-day treks will spend their first day on a semicircular route around town.
This contains the only real forest on the trail, a small section that’s only ever tricky after rain.
Once through this, you’ll emerge into a swathe of tea plantations, and weave from village to
village along country trails – Pa-O and Danu people are most numerous in this area. The
second day (or the first, if you’re on a two-day trip) is mostly flat, with more villages and
plenty of agricultural activity: rice, chilli, sesame and potato are among the crops grown in
these parts. The final day sees the big drop down into Inle, with water buffalo tramping along
the dusty trails and the lake itself visible for some of the walk.
OTHER OPTIONS AROUND KALAW
The increasing numbers of people tramping from Kalaw to Inle has prompted some operators
to investigate alternative routes around Kalaw in an effort to escape the crowds. The two- or
three-day trek to Pindaya is becoming increasingly popular, while there are also some
rewarding day-treks around Kalaw (usually going for around $20 per person). In addition, a
growing number of operators are now offering cycling trips around Kalaw, down to Inle Lake or
Pindaya, or even further afield, while some also offer combined cycling-plus-trekking tours.
If you fancy a little taster of the countryside around Kalaw before signing up for a trek, try
walking uphill to the west of town, past the Pine Breeze hotel; turn right at the junction, then left
to wrap around the pagoda on a dirt path. A mere fifteen minutes from Kalaw, you’re already in
the countryside, with easy paths leading to small villages and across the hills beyond.

smallish but clean and comfortable rooms (those upstairs Honey Pine Zatila St T081 50728, Whoneypinehotel
are brighter, and at the same price), plus good Western and .blogspot.com. One of the better lower mid-range options
in town, with neat, clean, pine-panelled fan rooms
Myanmar-style breakfasts. $25
Golden Lily Natsin Rd T081 50108, Eaungharri equipped with fridge, kettle and flatscreen TV (although
@gmail.com. Long-running backpacker favourite with a rooms downstairs can be a bit dark). Superior rooms ($10
mixed bag of rooms. Budget doubles with shared bath – extra) come with a/c and bathtub. $35
essentially a couple of beds jammed into a small and Morning Glory Inn 16 East Circular Rd T081 50847,
shabby wooden box – are unquestionably cheap but not at Wmorninggloryinnkalaw.com. Set around a dinky half-
all cheerful. The wood-panelled en-suite rooms ($18) are timbered colonial house (in whose neat little dining room
gloomy but otherwise much nicer, opening out onto a you’ll eat your breakfast), with accommodation in red-and-
grand balcony with sweeping hill views. $11 white chalets dotted around the extensive gardens shelving