
From the smoldering hot plains of
Bagan, reaching the cool hills of Kalaw (7 hour bus, 11,000 Kyats, booked through Bagan Beauty guesthouse leaving at 8:00 am) was like a breath of fresh air. We settled in
Honey Pine Hotel (20,000 Kyats including breakfast, no fan/AC- no need!) and set out to organize a trek to Inle Lake. There are several travel agencies in town offering similar packages but we booked with Sam's Trekking who you can find in
Sam's Family Restaurant, who were the most organized and professional and also gave us the cheapest deal. They also seemed the most popular in town so you'll have a better chance of finding people to trek with.