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Hiking from Kalaw to Inle Lake is a popular activity for tourists visiting Myanmar. This guide will cover everything you need to know about the 3 day Kalaw to Inle Lake trek!
When I began planning my trip to Myanmar, one of the pieces of advice that I kept hearing time and again was to book a mountain village trek. There are a few different options to choose from, however I ultimately decided to do the Kalaw to Inle Lake trek over the course of three days! It was truly one of the highlights of my trip to Myanmar, an already amazing adventure in itself! Follow along below for tips for planning your own village mountain trek experience!
A Guide to a 3 Day Kalaw to Inle Lake Trek
The Basics for the Kalaw to Inle Lake Trek
Route: Kalaw to Inle Lake (Nyaung Shwe)
Cost: 40,000 Kyat ($31 USD)
Length: 63 Kilometers (39 miles) over 2 nights, 3 days
What’s Included? Typically the Kalaw to Inle Lake trek tours include 8 meals, snacks/tea breaks throughout, two nights accommodation, one hour boat ride to Inle Lake, and an awesome local guide.
What’s NOT Included? Water, beer, additional snacks, 12,000 kyat entrance fee into Inle Lake region, tip for your amazing guide
Where to Book? There are plenty of trekking companies that offer the trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake, however I personally recommend booking through Ever Smile. I had both a professional and very pleasant experience booking through this company. Our trekking guide, Mary, was the absolute best. Not to mention, the food that we got served each night at the home stays was the best I had during my two weeks in Myanmar.
While the trek covers a decent number of kilometers (or miles), the terrain itself is relatively flat. During the dry season the trek shouldn’t be too challenging. However, during the rainy season, you will experience very muddy conditions, which makes the journey much more difficult. That being said, it is still important that you pack enough water each day!
What to Pack for the Kalaw to Inle Lake Trek
- Clean, dry clothes for each day of the trek
- Proper hiking boots and socks (this is particularly important during the rainy season where you need more stability in the muddy conditions). I did the entire trek in Nike running shoes. While this is definitely possible, I would recommend proper hiking boots if possible.
- Toilet paper, wipes, hand sanitizer (prepare yourself for some next level squat toilets)
- First Aid Kit (bandaids, disinfectant, mosquito repellent, sunscreen)
- Snacks – despite the large meals I often found myself hungry throughout the trek
- Rain Protection – ponchos, waterproof covers.. make sure you’re prepared so that you don’t ruin your stuff
What to Expect on the Kalaw to Inle Lake Trek
The trek will take you through a ton of diverse areas. You will have the chance to trek through rice and corn fields, jungle and mountainous terrain, and along railroad tracks. Additionally, you will be walking through local villages and communities, a highlight for many. This trek provides an amazing opportunity to see local village life in Myanmar, as well as an opportunity to taste their amazing cuisine. Throughout my time in Myanmar I was constantly amazed by how kind and generous the locals were, and the individuals that we met along this trek were no exception!
In the evenings we stayed in local home stays. While perfectly comfortable, it is important to note that all of the individuals on the trek will be staying on mats in an open room. Each night dinner was cooked by the homestay families and I never ceased to be amazed by how incredible the food was! If anything, do the trek for the food haha!
Overall, the trek is both a challenging and rewarding experience that should not be excluded from your Myanmar itinerary!
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Taylor is a NYC-based solo traveler and travel blogger. Taylor shares travel tips and itineraries from the 70 countries she’s visited around the world.
Hey girl! Great post and I commend you on making that trek! Me and my husband got way too lazy to do anything physical when we were in Myanmar, but it looks like we missed out on Kalaw! Wished we didn’t cut it out of our itinerary!
I love seeing rice fields and local communities in Asia. 🙂 Would love to see Myanmar, when it’s more peaceful.
I would love to visit Myanmar and this trek seems like an amazing experience! Thank you for your practical tips on how to book it and what to bring, very useful for someone like me who doesn’t have so much experience with more days trek 🙂
Wow this looks amazing! Photos are incredible too! Would love to do this one day :]