Myanmar Travel Photography Adventure | Cairns Travel & Landscape Photographer

Hot air balloon floating over the mist shrouded temples of Bagan at dawn

It is always nice to get back to your photographic roots… and for me that’s always been about travel photography. At the start of the year I had a chance to revisit Myanmar (Burma), one of the first countries I traveled to after picking up a camera almost 15 years ago. My memories were of a mysterious, fascinating and at times frustrating land seemingly stuck 20-30 years behind the modern world. While on my return visit I found Myanmar’s development slowly catching up with it’s Asian neighbours, it’s people and landscapes remain as inspiring and enigmatic as always. Here’s a small selection of images from two weeks in the capital Yangon, Kyaikhtiyo’s Golden Rock, Inle Lake, Mandalay and the temple-strewn plains of Bagan…

: Portrait of a young girl at a roadside tea shop, Yangon

: Trishaw driver in front of colonial architecture in the capital, Yangon

: Young monks on the morning alms round through the streets of Yangon

: Buddhist monk and nun exploring the gilded maze inside Botataung Pagoda, Yangon

: Roadside book stall in downtown Yangon

: Vintage local buses speed around Sule Pagoda in central Yangon

: Quirky daily life in Yangon – dozing cat & eggs in a shopfront

: Pilgrim in prayer at the foot of the giant seated Buddha at Ngahtatgyi Paya, Yangon

: Monks walking along boardwalk at Kandawgyi Lake with the Karaweik in background, Yangon

: The golden stupa of Shwedagon Paya and surrounding pavilions, illuminated at twilight, Yangon

: Workers rest amongst the Buddha statues of a shrine at Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon

: Pilgrims paying tribute at one of the planetary post at the foot of the golden stupa at Shwedagon Paya, Yangon

: One of the many shrines decorated with mosaics and Buddha images at Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon

: Pilgrims circulate around the golden stupa of Shwedagon Paya at twilight, Yangon

: Families visiting Myanmar’s most revered shrine – Shwedagon Paya in Yangon

: Women in prayer, paying tribute at the holy shrine of Shwedagon Paya, Yangon

: Many things travel by head… in a market in downtown Yangon

: Monks peer up to the golden rock pagoda of Mt Kyaikhtiyo, revered as a sacred Buddhist site

: The Buddhist pilgrimage site of Golden Rock, sitting atop Mt Kyaikhtiyo at twilight

: Pilgrims praying and apply gold leaf to the balancing golden rock of Mt Kyaikhtiyo

: Woman carrying firewood by head, Kyaikhtiyo

: Woman with faced caked with thanaka carrying snacks and sweets by head in Kyaikhtiyo

: Portrait of an ethnic Pa-O woman smoking a cheroot at Inthein, Inle Lake

: Portrait of an ethnic Pa-O woman at the Ywama market, Inle Lake

: Portrait of an ethnic Pa-O man smoking a cheroot Ywama market, Inle Lake

: Colourful parasol for sale in the Ywama market, Inle Lake

: Burmese woven hats and other handicrafts at the Ywama market, Inle Lake

: Traditional Burmese marionette – a popular souvenir – at Ywama market, Inle Lake

: Woman laying dry flowers into a traditional parasol, Inle Lake

: Woman arranging thread for weaving on a traditional loom, Inle Lake

: Inle Lake fisherman with traditional net and leg rowing technique at sunset

: Inle Lake fishermen with traditional nets and leg rowing technique

: Locals walk along the teak footbridge at dawn at Maing Thauk on Inle Lake

: Local women paddling their canoe through the waterways of a floating village, Inle Lake

: Traditional leg rower paddling his canoe through the waters of Inle Lake at Maing Thauk

: Monks crossing U Bein’s Bridge on Lake Taungthaman at sunrise, Amarapura

: The teak pylons of U Bein’s Bridge (world’s longest teak footbridge) reflected in the waters of Taungthaman Lake, Amarapura

: Burmese fisherman casting a wide from a boat on Lake Taungthaman at Amarapura, Mandalay

: Monks line up for a communal meal at Maha Ganayon Monastery at Amarapura, Mandalay

: Young girls cycling along a quiet road at Inwa, near Mandalay

: Young monk studying by window light at Bagaya Kyaung (Bagaya Monastery), Mandalay

: Kids playing chinlone (cane football) in front of Maha Aungmye Bonzan (royal temple) at Inwa, Mandalay

: Portrait of a Burmese boy riding atop his water buffalo cart, Mandalay

: Caretaker coaxing a Burmese python back to it’s shrine at the Snake Pagoda at Paleik, near Mandalay

: Young girl riding past ruined Buddhist temple at Paleik, near Mandalay

: Traditional Burmese meal of curries and condiments

: Monk climbing the steps of the whitewashed Hsinbyume Paya at Mingun, Mandalay

: Young monk playing at the foot of the unfinished Mingun Paya, Mandalay

: Monks are dwarfed by the crumbling entrance to Mingun Paya, Mandalay

: The ornate interior of Kyauktawgyi Paya, lined with colurful glass mosaics, Mandalay

: Buddhist nun walking past the giant Chinthe (Buddhist temple guardians) at the foot of Mandalay Hill

: Gold pounders in action, flattening slivers of gold to create gold leaf, Mandalay

: Stone carvers at work creating Buddhist statues, Mandalay

: Seated Buddhas and colourful glass mosaics at Umin Thounzeh on Sagaing Hill, Mandalay

: Boat traveling through the morning mist on the Ayeyarwardy River, near Mandalay

: Light painting at the ancient temple of Ananda Pahto in Bagan

: Pilgrims at the foot of the revered Shwezigon Paya at dusk, in Nyaung U, Bagan

: Visitors peer up at a giant standing Buddha, gilded and carved from teak, in Ananda Pahto, Bagan

: Young monks shaded by parasols on the steps of Sulamani Pahto, Bagan

: View through doorway to giant Buddha enclosed with Htilominlo Pahto in Bagan

: Shwesandaw Paya illuminated at twilight with star filled sky beyond, Bagan

: The riverside temple of Lawkananda Paya, Bagan

: Hot air balloons float over the temples of Bagan at sunrise

: Burmese men in traditional longyi playing the game of chinlone (cane-ball), Bagan

: Sunrise hot air balloon ride over the temple plains of Bagan

: Sulamani Pahto (temple) viewed from the basket of a hot air balloon, Bagan

: Hot air balloon floating over the temples of Bagan at dawn

: Tourists watching the sunset from atop Buledi temple in Bagan

: Tourists watching the sun set over the plains of Bagan from atop Pyathada Paya

: Hot air balloons float over the temples of Bagan at sunrise

: Young boy dressed in silks for the Shinbyu novitiation ceremony, where he is ordained as a novice Buddhist monk, Bagan

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