I have the same dilema about places to visit, I only have about 7 nights/8 days. Burma seems my number 1 but is very hard to get to from the US. So I narrowed it down to a trip from SpiceRoads from Bangkok to Angkor Wat
This is the itinerary:
1. Bangkok - Soi Dao
2. Soi Dao - Pailin
3- Pailin - Battmbang
4. Siem Reap
5. Angkor
6. Angkor
7. Siem Reap country side.

This is a bike trip for most of it, could you please critize it if you are familiar with some of these places (I think everyone loves Angkor) ?

I haven't booked and I must say I am still thinking about Burma. If we do Burma, we probably won't do biking, but here are some of my questions:

Do you need a guide tour the entire time while in Burma ? (the price may be better, sorry if I am asking something already discussed)
Kathie, I liked your experience and enjoyed reading about your trip. Would you mind sharing your itinerary.

Here is the itinerary I got:
1. Arrival Yangon
2. Yangon / Mandalay
3. Mandalay / Bagan
4. Bagan/Heho-Inle Lake
5. Inle lAKE
6. Inle Heho/ Yangon
7. Yangon departure

It seems that the prices are higher because it includes guides. I am thinking on skipping the guides based on the comments. Or even thinking if we can do the entire trip our own and just ask Santa Maria to help with the arrangements.

Please give your thoughts, suggestions.

If Burma is where you want to go, then go. You do not need a guided tour. We used guides only at Bagan (our wonderful horsecart driver, MinThu)and for brief times entering Pa-O lands near Inle. Otherwise, we used no guides. We asked Santa Maria to book flights and accommodations and car and driver (no guide) for a couple of places.

I have two trip reports,
2009 covering Yangon/Inle/Bagan/Yangon and
2011 Mandalay/Bagan/Yangon/Mrauk U/Yangon

If you have a mere 7 days, skip Mandalay and visit Bagan and Inle, save one day at the end for Yangon if you have time.

So
Day 1: arrive in Yangon on the morning flight, fly immediately to HeHo, three nights at Inle Lake
Day 4: fly HeHo to Bagan, 3 nights in Bagan
Day 7: Fly Bagan to Yangon, overnight Yangon or fly out.

It is no harder to get from the US to Burma than it is to get from the US to Cambodia. The trip to Cambodia you outline, you spend four days getting to Angkor and just two days at Angkor. If you are mostly interested in cycling, then it might be the right trip for you. If you are more interested in the temples of Angkor, then fly in and out of Siem Reap (via Bangkok) and cycle around the many dozens of temples in the area.

PS you can cycle around the temples at Bagan, but we preferred to tour the traditional way in a horsecart.

Your comments are helpful.
I plan during my trip in Burma to drive from Bagan to Inle Lake. I don't want to take a flight and I would appreciate if you know a place to stay during 1 night between the two places?