The road turns to the East after about 10 kilometers south of Kalaw, near two unmarked villages. We trekked between some agricultural terraces here, making the trail a little hard to follow. Locals working hard in the fields happily pointed us in the right direction.
After crossing a busy car road, we reached La Maing. We had some difficulty finding a homestay because there is no signage in front of the buildings. We learned later there are only three homestays in the village that take in trekkers.
Again, the locals were more than happy to point us towards where a homestay was, and eventually a local child was volunteered to show us to the home.
My advice is to ask EVERY local you see whether they know of a place to stay, and they’ll help you find a place!
It took us 4 hours to trek 13 km from Kalaw to La Maing on Day 1.
Love the picture of Homestay 2, and the story about sleeping with the cows below you.
This sounds like such a beautiful adventure! I think it’s interesting that the homestays are first come first served!
Wow! The Kalaw to Inle Lake Trek in Myanmar looks like an incredible adventure! I tend to prefer unguided trips as well, so this is such a great resource. I loved seeing all of the food photos as well! 🙂
Wow, this is an amazing experience! The food actually looks really tasty, that fresh avocado and the variety of food they served you at the homestays looks great. I had never heard about hiking in Myanmar before but this looks like a great way to experience some of the culture there. I really like your photo of the field of hot peppers, it’s something I’ve never seen before.
Oh my goodness, what an adventure. Your tip to download two versions of a map so you can use them offline is so smart. Wifi isn’t always super reliable, especially when you’re off the beaten path! Also that homestay breakfast looks 100%!
An unguided trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake Trek in Myanmar looks like an amazing experience! Not sure it’s one to do with kids but I love the idea of the independence!
Wow, this all looks fantastic! The walk, the accommodation and those breakfasts all look fantastic! I didn’t know people bitch about food in Myanmar. Everything you have posted looks tasty.
It’s interesting how the countryside looks so green from afar, but when you get close it looks very dusty. I guess it must turn into a muddy mess in the rainy season.
p.s. I use maps me all the time, but i didn’t realize you could use it to plan walks like that! That is so useful!!
Oh, wow, I can’t imagine just asking around town for a family to stay with! I suppose they are used to it though, lol! I think I would do a guided trek – $85 with a private chef doesn’t sound too expensive!
What a unique experience to trek through that area and sleep with local families! I am very jealous of this experience.
I’m definitely going to save this post for later, just because it inspired me to go to Maynnar. I mean I wanted to go before, but this seems like a must.
Amazing trek! Love the fact that traveling by foot in nature you get to share the house with the locals. Thanks for sharing this Kalaw to Inle Lake trek in Myanmar.
Hi Erika what great information, loved Reading your blog. We consider going next year in July, you think it’s possible to do the trek (weather circumstances)? Thanks, Evy
Hi Evy, thanks for stopping by!
July in Myanmar is its rainy season, so if you want to trek in July everything will be green and beautiful, but you will get very muddy and wet! I would bring lots of rain gear, but the trek should still be do-able