Trekking Loikaw & Inle Lake Tour – 5 Days

Mingalabar! Arrive at Loikaw Airport, Burma Travel guide and driver will welcome you. Spend the day with fun insights into local life and culture in Hta Nee La Leh, Kayah community. You are greeted by members of Hta Nee La Leh’s community tourism club which has been organized by International Trade Center, Kayah. Visit by an Ox Cart ride the Kayhtoebo site and Hunting Shrine, to learn about local beliefs and spiritual life. Later, you will visit two homes. First, you visit a local musician’s house, listen to traditional Instruments and try your hand playing them. Then, you visit another house to learn about traditional Kayah dress.

In the evening before the sunset time, visit to the Thirimingala Pagoda (Taung Kwe Zedi) in the center of town. The climb up (over various steep steps) is worthwhile for a great view over the city.

Meal: N/A

Accommodation: Hotel in Loikaw

In the morning, drive about 45 minutes towards the Kayan (Padaung) villages of Pan Pet. Padaung women, sometimes known as ‘giraffe women’ or ‘long-necked women’, traditionally wear a great many brass rings around their necks and ankles, starting from the age of six or seven, and added each year. The original purpose was to repel prospective kidnappers. Today only elderly women still wear these rings, as the younger generation no longer follows the tradition.

On arrival, you are welcomed in a local home where you will enjoy a hot drink and a simple, local snack. After this, travel to Pemsong hamlet and enjoy a moderately challenging trek, through lush, shady, forest. After a short climb (30-40 minutes), enjoy over 3 hours of continual, great views. On route, local guides will show guests various edible plants and herbal medicines which are used by community members in their ‘jungle larder.’ A highlight of the trip is arriving at the original settlement of Pan Pet, perched on a mountain top, where evidence of past habitation is visible. This is considered one of the first Kayan settlements of Kayah state. Also enjoy a pack lunch or jungle picnic. The trek ends in Rang Ku hamlet, where you can meet the famous Kayan people (popularly known as Long Neck Karen), who are a symbol of Kayah state. Enjoy learning a few words of Kayan language and interacting with these fun-loving and artistic people. There are opportunities to buy local handicrafts.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Loikaw

Late morning, take a nice drive heading north to kalaw. This is the great opportunity to see the countryside and the land of Myanmar. The 5-hour drive passing the villages, rice terraces, corn farm and mountains and you could stop along the way to meet and talk with local.  Lunch en route at some local restaurant. Upon arrival, you visit Shwe Yaunghwe Kyaung. It is probably the most photographed monastery in Nyaung Shwe and the unique oval windows in the ancient style, created a perfect frame for portraits of the novices. Continue to Inle Lake, check in at hotel and relax.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodations: Hotel in Inle Lake.

Being the 2nd largest freshwater lake of Myanmar, Inle Lake measures about 70 square kilometres. There are an estimated 70,000 people living in more than 200 villages on or around the lake. To get a real sense of the lake’s expanse, you will take a longboat cruise navigating pass floating gardens and stilt houses, observe the “one-leg rowing technique” of the Intha fisherman with incredible balance. It’s indispensable to immerse yourselves in the magnificent view of peaceful lake and cascading mountains.

Journey by boat to the local 5-day market which is rotating between 5 different lakeside villages over 5-day period. The market is a unique culture; people all around the lake and mountains come here to exchange not only their daily products but also the indigenous cultures.

Continue to the most outstanding sites, including: Phaungdawoo Pagoda, the holiest one of Inle Lake with five 800-year-old golden Buddha images. In the afternoon, you continue to Ngaphechaung monastery, the biggest and oldest one over Inle Lake. Here you observe the unique architecture, remarkable collection of Buddha images (But it’s best known for the ‘jumping cats’. In the past, they were trained to jump through hoops in the air). From here, you proceed to Nam Pan village; cigar house, cotton and lotus weaving factory of Intha people.

The boat then heads towards Indein village. Upon arrival, take an easy walk through verdant bamboo groves to the hilltop of more than 1000 ruined stupas embracing the Shwe Indein pagoda in the middle. All were constructed during the 17th and 18th centuries. You then visit small communities that live along the lake. Wrap up the fruitful day trip with fantastic sunset over the beautiful lake.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel in Inle Lake

Breakfast at hotel and free at leisure until transfer to Heho airport. Get ready for your onward flight. Thanks for traveling time with us.

Meals: Breakfast.

Accommodations: N/A