3 Day Hike from Kalaw to Inle Lake
Headed to Myanmar? You’ll likely want to consider adding the 3 day hike from Kalaw to Inle Lake to your itinerary. This trek is a pretty easy hike but takes you through some tiny villages and off the beaten path locations to get a solid feel for life in Myanmar.
Trekking Options: 3 Day Hike from Kalaw to Inle Lake
As the 3 day hike from Kalaw to Inle Lake is pretty common, there are dozens of trekking companies to choose from. You can just show up in Kalaw and book a trek for that day, the following day or further down the line. I always recommend doing some research first to find the best rated companies before making a decision.
In my research, I narrowed it down to two great companies online. But, as Myanmar is a little off the beaten path, there were very few to no details provided. Therefore, I went and visited both of them to make a decision on who to book with.
The First Trekking Company: Ever Smile
Ever Smile’s 3 day/2 night trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake takes you through remote villages and provides the options of homestays or sleeping in a monastery. Make sure to clarify what you want when booking! Their 3 day/2 night trek was priced at 40,000 kyat.
They also offer 2 day/1 night treks or day hikes. The 2 day/1 night hikers simply get driven to a closer point and then start their trek. If this is your preference, you might want to ask if you will be joining a group who is doing the 3 day/2 night. We saw this happen, and the new hikers didn’t integrate as well with the others who had already been together one day. Also, verify if it’s a private trek or group – especially if you have a preference.
The Second Tour Company: Sam’s Family or Uncle Sam’s Trekking
Sam’s Family offered the 3 day/2 night trek at 45,000 kyat. They follow a similar route through the villages. Both provided two nights’ accommodation, all meals, and large baggage transport to your destination in Inle Lake within the price.
My Decision on Hiking Company: Ever Smile
Based on what I found, both companies would have been a great experience, but as I had spent more time with Ever Smile and they did a great job of explaining their process, I ultimately decided to go with them, and I could not have been more thrilled with the trek.
My Trekking Group
As a solo traveler, having a good trekking group can make or break the trip. That being said, you have to figure that all of the people doing this have made it to the small town of Kalaw in the middle of Myanmar and want to hike and sleep in less than ideal circumstances. That being said, my group exceeded my expectations. It was made up of 10 people: 3 Dutch, 2 English, 2 Norwegian, 1 Belgian, 1 Maltese, and me. Ranging from backpackers and gap year travelers to the lawyer and banker moving from Hong Kong back to England to the doctor on holiday. Everyone was between 19 and 33.
Day One of the Hike: Setting out into the Unknown
The first day of of the trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake heads out out around 9:00am. We made our way by foot through some remote fields, villages, and water reservoirs. There was quite a bit of up and down hill trekking but nothing too strenuous. We also had a number of tea and snack breaks along the way (included in the low price).
For lunch we arrived at an overlook into the surrounding mountains and were served a traditional Indian meal with flat pancake type things and some vegetables to put inside along with an avocado salad – my favorite – and a number of fruit options. It was delicious and filling while we relaxed with the views around us. This was also a point where we saw other trekking groups as it seems to be the place for lunch.
We continued our trekking through more villages and nature passing farms, oxen, and fields of cabbage, mustard seed, and soooo many red chilis. At around sunset we arrived to our first night’s accommodation, a monastery.
Night One: Staying at a Monastery
Arriving at the monastery at sunset, we were the only group to stay there. We were provided mats and blankets in the main room of the monastery where the young trainee monks also sleep.
There was even a “shower” we could use. It featured an outdoor three cement wall room with a large vat of water and smaller buckets to dump it over yourself. Between the freezing water and air temperature, the lack of privacy, and the fact that we didn’t know we’d encounter showers, it was sparsely used besides to “freshen up”.
Similarly, there were little toilet outhouses with squat toilets which were surprisingly clean. Dinner was served by candlelight including rice and about six to eight different dishes of vegetables and beans to top off the rice. One of the beans looked suspiciously like caterpillars but was pretty delicious.
Post dinner, it was a pretty rapid descent into bed due to the cold, the dark, a lack of things to do, a tiring day and an early morning ahead (6:30am wake up). Before bed though, the monks came in, lit a candle, did their evening… Chants? Prayers? I’m not completely sure what, which was really neat to witness.
It was estimated that we had walked around 20km the first day.
Day Two of Trekking to Inle Lake
An early and cold morning woke us up in time for breakfast. We huddled around the table eating our toast, egg, cake, fruit, tea and coffee. Then we packed up our things, cleaned up our sleeping mats and blankets, and hit the trail.
As soon as the sun was over the horizon it rapidly warmed up and created a lovely day for trekking. We had fewer breaks today as we made a couple brief stops on our four-hour morning hiking. At one point we were stopped by the tourist police to verify we were all registered with the company to trek including passport numbers and visas. Unfortunately, we had one trekker who had not given her passport info due to the trekking company’s owner and our poor guide got cited for it. Make sure to provide all details before the hike!!!
At our second break of the day, we encountered the 2 day/1 night trekkers being dropped off. Eventually, we reached lunch time in a small village and were once again given a number of dishes to try. The food was delicious! The afternoon featured walking along the train tracks for a while and a stop to visit our guide’s father-in-law at the one village, including crashing a one year old’s birthday party.
We were greeted with open arms and led upstairs to the party room decorated with balloons, streamers, and a giant poster of the child. We all sat on the floor opposite the men who were circled up eating and drinking tea. The host, the mother of the one year old, brought us a number of snacks and tea to drink. The hospitality was unbelievable and everyone seemed as intrigued by us as we were by them. After celebrating, we completed our afternoon trekking seeing more chili fields before entering a village for our second night’s stay.
Night Two: Homestay with a Local Family
The second night, we were staying with a family in their large upstairs room. They too had a “shower” with the three walls and a vat of water but their water level was low so we were cautioned to use it sparingly.
The outhouse was a bit away and could be smelled as you approached it. As we had arrived a bit earlier than the previous night, we split a few beers prior to dinner, and then enjoyed another rice based dinner with a number of toppings. After dinner we huddled up around a campfire built-in the middle of the village road. That night I was too cold to really sleep which was less than ideal as a cold early morning came around, and it was time to set out again.
Day Three of Our Trek: Arriving at Inle Lake
Breakfast was delightful at our homestay with pancakes, cookies, cake, and fruit. Apparently sugar for breakfast is a thing here…
The morning started by quickly prepping ourselves for our last half day of trekking. We made a couple of short stops and breaks as we went over a few last hills to where we could see the Inle Lake in front of us. Then, slowly our trek came to an end with lunch featuring rice noodles, next to a canal leading to the lake.
After lunch eight of us decided to take a half day boat sightseeing tour while our English friends departed for their luxury hotel over the water. The boat ride was 7,000 kyat per boat with four people in each boat. More information in the Inle Lake post.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the 3 Day Hike from Kalaw to Inle Lake
Spending three days hiking through remote parts of Myanmar comes with a lot of neat experiences. Of course, not all experiences are great as you might have noticed in my account above. But other experiences are life changing. When else do you get to sleep in a monastery and experience the everyday life of monks?
Here are some key things to know before the trek.
- At night it was freezing! Depending what time of year you go, this might vary, but in winter, it is COLD. Pack accordingly.
- The food was delicious and plentiful. We stopped and snacked a lot. You will not go hungry, unless you are a really picky eater. Then I recommend taking a few snacks for yourself, just in case.
- It was very affordable. It is under $30 USD for a 3 nights/2 days of experiences, accommodations, and food.
- Great glimpse at local life and culture. You get to see the “real Myanmar” and encounter some of the most genuine people.
- The path is a frequently used tourist trek so it’s not as remote as some might hope, but it still offers unique and wonderful local experiences.
- The uphill, downhill, and uneven ground did a serious number on my feet as my shoes are not exactly hiking shoes. Hiking shoes are smart.
- You will cover a total of around 60+ km over three days.
- No electricity for charging anything. The towns you are going through are not the best equipped. Charge your items ahead of time and carry an external battery.
- Frequent but dirty toilets. Take toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Thank me later.
What to Pack for the 3 Day/2 Night Hike from Kalaw to Inle Lake
The trekking companies offer the option to take your “big luggage” to Inle Lake by truck. Let them. You do not need to carry everything with you for this trek. I do however recommend locking your bag, just as a precaution.
So what should you carry? Pack a small day pack with the following:
- Sunscreen
- Tooth brush and tooth paste
- Deodorant
- Camping/Travel Towel
- Change of clothes and extra socks
- Warm clothes
- Trekking shoes and flip-flops
- Entertainment: book, cards, etc.
- Torch/Headlamp
- Toilet paper and hand sanitizer
Plan Your Trip to Myanmar
Headed to Myanmar? Check out my other Myanmar posts to prep for your trip, including destinations like:
- Inle Lake: You’re hiking there – learn more about it!
- Bagan: Temple heaven – do not miss it!
- Mandalay: A charming little town
- Yangon: Formerly Rangoon
Or for practical tips, check out: Budgeting for a Trip to Myanmar: 24 Tips to Know Before You Go
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