Best Budget Backpacker Guide for Trekking Kalaw to Inle Lake

This trek is truly like no other trek you will ever do.  A big part of what makes it special is the intensely unique culture you encounter throughout the journey.  Not only is it like going back in time, but back in time in a world where all the men and women wear colourful Longyi’s, every village is full of brightly adorned monks and adorable children that can’t help but run towards you in fascination.  The simple and beautiful life of the Myanmese country folk is captivating and inspiring, there are so many little things you just have to go see for yourself.  It could sadly become a victim of its growing popularity, so do whilst you can.

Best Budget Backpacker Guide Trekking Kalaw to Inle Lake 

Kalaw to Inle lake or Inle lake to Kalaw ???

This has become the big question bounding around so we looked into all the options for you and to help you make your decision have made an info-tastic write up on choosing the trek  HERE >>>

Just going straight to Inle Lake ?

If you plan to head to Inle Lake without trekking there, there is still lots to do! We have put together a great blog on Things to do and see around Inle Lake >>>  Best Budget Backpacker Guide Trekking Kalaw to Inle Lake

Where to start and how to book

The best place to book your trek is in the sweet little town of Kalaw, south east of the popular city of Mandalay. You can book as late as the morning you wish to set off on the walk.  This is great if you’re on a tight time frame and rolling off a night bus at around 06.00 in the morning.  If you do this you need to be booked on by around 07.00, ready to leave at 08.00.  This is a top budget tip as can shop around to see who already has a bigger and therefore cheaper group to join.

There are many places offering very similar deals and they are all more or less on two small streets in the centre. We found that the prices depend strongly on group size. In high season, if you join to make a group of 6, most places charge 40,000 Kyat (34 USD / 22 GBP) per person for a 3 day 2 night trek including guide, accomodation, food, the boat ride and transferring your bags Inle lake. It is best to know where you’re going as the default place is often an overpriced guest house on the outskirts of town.  Check out the Best Budget Accommodation in Inle to find and book a place. >>> 

If there are less of you, it can cost up to 60,000 Kyat (51 USD / 32 GBP) per person including all the same stuff for the 3 day 2 night trek. You shouldn’t pay much more than this.

You can also do a 2 day trek including the same stuff but they take taxi you to a starting point closer to Inle Lake. They charge around 30,000 Kayt (25 USD / 16 GBP) each depending on the group size.

Sam’s Trekking at the bottom of the hill in Kalaw keep consistently give low prices all year round.  Ever Smile offers the same low prices and if you go see her in person, she might even drop it down a bit more.  We paid 38,000 Kayt each for the full and epic 3 days 2 night tour.

Other costs

In addition to the cost of a guided tour outlined above, every foreigner now has to pay a fee of 12500 Kayt (11 USD / 6 GBP) to enter the Inle Lake area.  You have to pay this in local currency (They won’t take dollars!) and it goes to government.  No one checks your ticket afterwards, but there’s no way round it on the way in! Grrrr!!

You also need to buy water each day, perhaps 3 bottles per person. The 1 litre bottles tend to cost around 400/500 Kayt ( 0.5 USD / 0.3 GBP)

You can also buy sweet drinks, snacks and electrolytes along the way, but with the way.

  Best Budget Backpacker Guide Trekking Kalaw to Inle Lake

How far is it and how long does it take?

Depending on the route your guide takes, you are likely to trek anything up to 70km on the 3 day 2 night trek. You pretty much get up around sunrise have breakfast and trek till sunset with a few little breaks along the way. SO, yeah you feel pretty exhausted and ridiculously happy with yourself by the end of it!

You can also do a 2 day 1 night trek if you’re short on time.  They simply drive you part way and let you trek from there.  If you can, do the full 3 days, as you do see so much more; trekking through the higher hills and down the railway tracks were just stunning and you can only do this on the first day of the 3 day trek. 

How fit do you need to be?

Pretty fit!  The trek tends to be on undulating paths, roads and muddy flat fields.  There are a few uphill sections, but it’s certainly not as intense as mountain trekking (Or at least, I honestly didn’t think it to be) There is no one section that is terrifyingly challenging, the challenge is more in that the days are long.  If you keep yourself pretty fit in general you should be fine.

Washing, Sleeping, Eating

Staying clean is fun!  As you may have guessed from the photo it is a scoop and pour system, with delightfully freezing cold water to perk you up!

Each night you stay in a basic room in someone’s house in one of the villages.  It tends to be a mattress on the floor with a thick blanket.  Most place don’t have mosquito nets, so if you have your own, perhaps bring it.  We chose to just spray up when it was bedtime, but if you find you are all to often the one to provide a feeding frenzy for the little blighters, you may want to take your own net and string.

You will not go hungry on these treks as they feed you well three times a day. 

There are also random little local shops along the way where you can buy snacks, water, sweet drinks and electrolytes.  

What happens to your backpacks?

They get taken to your guesthouse of choice in Inle Lake or to their default guesthouse.  Don’t go for the default, check out our super duper budget accommodation blog for Inle Lake (aka Nyaung Shwe) and book in advance. Gypsy Inn is your best option as it’s very close to where the boats docks, the guide companies in Kalaw tend to know it and it’s a good standard.  It is one of the cheapest in the area, but to see the cheapest and get a few more options check out the Best Budget Accommodation in Inle Lake HERE >>>

What to bring

It can get VERY wet and muddy!

• A good pair of walking shoes or comfortable trainers as it is quite a challenging trek.  Some like to take flipflops for the evenings and bathrooms.
• Trek in light shorts and a t-shirt as you will sweat! Perhaps take 2-3 t-shirts 1 pair of shorts, 1 long pair of trousers of leggings.  Don’t scrimp on pants and socks, take a fresh pair for each day.  In wet season perhaps take an extra pair.  As you are high up, it does get chilly at night, so also bring a warm layer for the evening. 
• You do need long pants or a longyi skirt for in the villages, as the folks are very modest.  Some say you should trek in long trousers for the sake of modesty, but our guide assured us that as long as you cover your legs in the villages it’s fine.
• A waterproof jacket or if you don’t have one, a giant hello kitty poncho from Kalaw is always a good idea as you can get sudden showers, especially in wet season.
• A torch is super handy as there will most likely be very limited electricity where you stay.
• Take a mosquito net and string if you have them. (See the washing,sleeping and eating section above)
• Insect spray and sunscreen.
• You may wish to bring soap and a towel as there are kind of places to wash along the way
• YOUR CAMERA! 

A photo journey…

Everyone’s journey is their own and it will have its own highlights, check our ours HERE >>>

DON’T FORGET

You must book a place for your bags to go and for you to stay in Inle Lake. We did a lot of firsthand reseatch to write Best Budget Accommodation in Inle Lake which will have costs, standards and contact details for cheap end rooms.  If you prefer somewthing a bit nicer, book through Agoda and prettty please use this link for Inle Lake as we get a tiny bit of commision at no extra cost to you, which helps us to keep writing useful stuff that hopefully really does help you.

If you want to stay in Kalaw, the town you typically start the trek in, then you will definitely want to check out the Best Budget Accommodation in Kalaw. Or, again, if your prefer Agoda, please use this link to book your stay in kalaw. 

Other Places you’re likely to stay

We have written blogs on local little guesthouse you can find on route for each place:

Bagan>>       Mandalay>>     Hpa An>>    Hsipaw>>      Pyin U Lwin>>     Myawaddy>>

OR

if you prefer to get organised and book everything in advance, this should be uber helpful:

Book you room in Yangon HERE (Explore the golden cities temples)

Book your room in Nyaung U (Bagan) HERE (A base for exploring famous temples)

Book your room for Mandalay HERE (Walk the beautiful U Bein Bridge)

Book your room in Pyin oo Lwin HERE (Explore stunning waterfalls)

Book your room in Hsipaw HERE (For beautiful hill tribe trekking)

Book your room in Hpa An HERE (For climbing Mt. Zwegabin)

First Time in Myanmar ?? 

Myanmar is changing rapidly, so up-to-date blogs (like this one, ahem!) will be a great source.  But If it’s you’re first time visiting Myanmar you will probably want to grab a travel guide too. I always think you don’t need more than a ‘Rough Guide‘ as it is about making it your own adventure! They have a pretty cheap kindle copy as well as the actual book. 

Always More

For more amazing trekking ideas, check out THE BEST TREKS IN MYANMAR >>>

Please SHARE this with anyone you know who might be going to South East Asia any time soon… 

Best Budget Backpacker Guide Trekking Kalaw to Inle Lake