After the heat of Mandalay we headed south and east getting tangled up with a huge market at a temple before climbing up to the town of Kalaw at about 1300 metres. Cool and wooded, quite different from Hsipaw. A tourist town even for the better-off Burmese. Booked a two-day trek to Inle Lake. Then walked to a cave full of Buddhas being turned away from two roads by the army but got there in the end. Visited a bamboo Buddha where we were given green tea.
The trek was really good so it's not surprising that it's very popular. Easier terrain than at Hsipaw but longer days, 17km the first and 15km the second, followed by a one-and-a-half hour boat ride along the lake and up to Nyaungshwe.
Decided to miss the obligatory boat tour as we found the boat very noisy, so hired bikes from the hotel and explored the eastern side of the lake, stopping at Maing Thauk for a stroll and a juice before heading further south passing several huge lakeside resorts. Eventually we took over a veranda in a resort which looked closed and had great views.
Next day headed south-west and found a great spot overlooking the lake. Gentle day, our last before heading to Yangon.
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