[FearNoFish] Photowalk in Myanmar

[FearNoFish]

Having been inspired by the photos shared by forum members of Myanmar over the past 2 years, I finally embarked on a DIY solo trip in Feb to experience Asia's last frontier after getting "spousal domestic ICA approval". I had some help from Hak Liang as well and would like to thank him for sharing some tips from his trip last year.

Travelling solo for 9 days over 3 places, doing prior research and drafting a rough plan to be tweaked on the go has always been my style of travel allowing for flexibility, focus and a reshoot at any place I wanted.

I started from the north of Myanmar arriving in Mandalay, working myself downwards to Bagan and finally Yangon so I don't have to do a loop back if arriving in Yangon which would take up considerable amount of travel time between destinations. Did not opt to fly between cities on the expensive domestic airlines but took the very nice overnight VVIP coach or minibus that are now available for travel in between cities. This would save travel time and also save the funds for good eats & beers which I am always on the prowl for versus spending for an extra night accommodation.

I did not manage to slot Inle Lake into my itinerary as 9 days is really a stretch to cover 3 places and it would also give me an excuse to go back again next year with a good photo buddy of mine to cover Inle Lake.

Some gears I brought along include the following:
Nikon D810
Nikon 24-85mm F3.5-4.5 VR (used most for general landscape and street)
Nikon 16-35mm F4 VR (great for ultra wide indoor)
Nikon 70-200mm F2.8 VR (least used)
Nikon 1 J5 (great for light gear street shoot after a day of lugging all that camera gear above)
Nikon 1 CX 6.7-13mm
Sirui travel tripod (a MUST for sunrise & sunset)

If anyone might be keen on a rough idea or maybe a custom google map which I prep up as a guide, do feel welcome to ping me.

 

[FearNoFish]

Mandalay

Mandalay was my first stop from Singapore and is probably the only city where foreigners as at Feb 2016 are allowed to rent motorbikes or scooter to get around. That was basically what I did for the 2.5 days I was there scooting solo with the help of Google map on my phone mounted onto the scooter travelling within Mandalay city centre and biking solo as far as Mingun on the other side of the river across a bridge.

As I was travelling solo and did not want to do the usual package taxi tour and be tied down with fixed places or time per place, it made sense to rent the scooter for 12SGD for 24 hrs vs maybe USD40 for the private taxi tour for maybe 12 hrs. Plus I could get up way before sunrise or hang out way after sunset to prowl for local eats and head back anytime I wanted. Of course, this mode of getting around would require one to be of certain comfort level (even if one has a motorbike license though they don't check) or you could share a day tour package with some friends or people you meet or use a motorbike taxi service for the whole day which might be cheaper than a private car charter service.

Here are some photos to share from Mandalay.

The typical sunset silhoutte shot that everyone wants at U Bein Bridge which the weather didn't quite cooperate on the first evening.

To get a gauge of how many people are competing to get onto the boats to do the sunset shot, here is another perspective taken from on the bridge itself.

Young love on the U Bein Bridge. Must be the lead up to Valentine's Day Sunday I was there.

 

[FearNoFish]

As the first day was a bit of a rushed affair after a afternoon arrival to Mandalay, I decided to head out early on the 2nd day of my trip to do sunrise at U Bein bridge instead as there would be a whole lot less tourists and more locals. The bridge faces east west at either ends so you could do both sunrise and sunset if one session doesn't work out for you.

More locals, much much less tourists on U Bein Bridge at sunrise.

Father and son bonding time before the hordes of tourists descend on the bridge closer to 9am.

Daily affair of Monastery to Monastery through crossing the U Bein from one end to the other.

 

[FearNoFish]

Visited the silk factory next which is a short distance from U Bein bridge.

Rode the scooter after a light brunch over to Sagaing Hill and visited Umin Tounzeh, trying a pano take on the long line of buddha statues there.

Came back over to U Bein Bridge for sunset reshoot hoping for better skies after spending the whole afternoon on the other side of the river visiting Saging and Mingun. Did not managed to get onto a boat as I procrastinated too long and no boats were available by the time I finished a refreshing Myanmar beer and had to make do from the shore.

 

[Bingh Liu]

 

[richiemccaw1]

Thanks Simon. Good work with your commentary and photos. Looking forward to more.

 

[FearNoFish]

Thank you for the kind comments. Hope to share more especially on travel experiences other than photos.

Thanks Simon. Good work with your commentary and photos. Looking forward to more.

 

[FearNoFish]

Bagan

Decided to leave Mandalay a half day earlier to dedicate more time for Bagan after talking to some fellow travellers and plus the fact that taking the mini bus (approx S$9) from Mandalay to Bagan would just take about 4hrs thereabouts therefore giving me an extra sunset recce shoot.

I landed in Bagan mid afternoon, checked into the hostel and just cheong for the only few electric bicycles (slower ones) that are available for hire just right outside my hostel. This would be repeated over the next 3 days making sure I pre-booked the electric bicycles (approx S$8 per day) the day before and to get the rental stall to let me have the bike as early as possible like 4+am so I can go "chope" my sunrise place.

Bagan is actually rather flat in terrain and nothing that the electric bicycles cannot handle. Do opt for the faster though slightly more expensive ones as they really do speed clocking easily 40km/h or slightly more on full charge which should last a day of temple hopping between Old and New Bagan towns.

Here are some photos to share from Bagan.

My first recce sunset at the most popular sunset and sunrise spot in Bagan, Shwesandaw Pagoda. You can clearly see why from the hordes of tour buses in the foreground intentionally included to give a gauge what to expect so do come early to chope if you intend to visit this famous pagoda.

I decided to do sunrise at Shwesandaw again the next morning but it was the same in terms of crowds though I arrived early. There are a few other alternative and better spots in my opinion for sunrise and sunset without standing shoulder to shoulder with a thousand others on the same pagoda. Decided to visit the small temple just next to Shwesandaw while the hordes of tourists left for their breakfast.


Love the soft lighting illuminating the face of the statue from the doorway.

Some temple hopping photos at the major ones and street shots.

 

[FearNoFish]

Sunrises and sunsets are absolutely beautiful in Bagan and the dusty environment does give that diffused lighting accentuating the sun itself. IMHO, the key to doing Bagan would be to wake up early chope your place for sunrise, then do a bit of temple hopping before heading back to your accommodation to rest or chill somewhere when it is most hot noon to mid afternoon then back out again for the sunset.

Here are some sunrise shots that I just can't get enough of. And you would quite likely get some balloons floating by if you are shooting sunrises so one has to get up real early and not have too much local beers the night before.

And if you get lucky and am on the right pagoda, you might even be able to shoot close up.

In the 3 days I was up in Bagan, I also managed to do some astrophotography shots attempting to capture star trails and also the milky way.


It was also a good thing that I brought along my 16-35mm where some indoor perspective really needed that wide an angle.

I was also hoping to check with the locals where a particular temple was where there would be a shaft of lighting from the morning sun that shines onto the Buddha statue that I had seen. I did find the temple but was advised by the temple keeper/vendor that the right month to visit to get the shot was in June or July. However, he did offer a "talent" shoot for a reasonable price which I was ok to try out.

Bagan is really an amazing place to shoot some landscapes but there is also a fair bit of street photo opportunity if one goes around looking. The best part about the locals are that they are generally friendly and obliging to have their photo taken. If one has limited time to see Myanmar for about 4-5 days landing in Yangon, I would certainly recommend visiting Bagan from Yangon.

 

[pinholecam]

Great shots!
Appreciate your time to write up on all the info too.

 

[FearNoFish]

Yangon

After a good 3 days in Bagan, I left for Yangon on a VVIP overnight bus (JJ Express) which is very new, free pickup at your hotel, comfortable, with small lcd tv screen to watch a limited selection of movies, blanket, free snack and water. All of that just costs USD22 which allowed me to get some sleep on the bus, maximise my sightseeing time travelling by night and definitely cheaper than by flight.

Reached in Yangon at 6am which would be too late to get to Shwedagon for sunrise after an early check in. Changed my plan and did a good and very cheap and good shan noodle breakfast at 999 Shan Noodle before hopping onto the Circular Train for one full round of 3+hrs instead.

The Yangon Circular Train is truly a must do for any traveller to Yangon and especially so if one intends to see the raw local life offering plenty of opportunities for street photography. Especially so since a full round ride cost just S$0.35 thereabouts.

Here are some of my own takes of the Yangon Circular Train ride I took.

Arrived early to have a look around the Yangon Central Railway Station and I was one of 3 foreigners and photographers on that train that morning.

Waiting for the train to go.

One of many locals who are ok and friendly with their photos being taken.

Picking up a fish for lunch or dinner?

All sorts of activities happening on the train itself. Vendors selling and serving tea, selling snacks, locals bringing up their produce or wares for sale to another train stop etc etc.

 

[Bingh Liu]

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[FearNoFish]

Did my most expensive beer and snack in a atas restaurant plus cafe on the tallest building in the city to get a evening shot of Shwedagon.

There are plenty of street photography opportunities at Shwedagon Pagoda as well as just roaming the streets of Chinatown and Little India itself.


A serious discussion on the secrets of the universe perhaps at Shwedagon.

Deep meditation at the very very golden Botataung Pagoda.

And not forgetting that you can also find interesting subjects to shoot at the nearby jetty as well.

 

[FearNoFish]

Differing burdens of tourists and labourer at Botataung Jetty.

Vendors selling all sorts of things along the washed out old streets of Yangon.

 

[MichaelLee]

thanks sharing, I love this series of photo (except one).
And admire you made the decision to go solo.

keep going, share with us more.

 

[Daoyin]

Thanks for sharing your well thoughtout photos.

 

[WanderLex]

Very nice series! Please post more.

 

[FearNoFish]

thanks sharing, I love this series of photo (except one).
And admire you made the decision to go solo.

keep going, share with us more.

Thank you for the kind comments. I hope to present some realism of the ground and any tips i gather so any of the people who find it useful may plan accordingly. And we have a lot of good and awesome fellow photographers sharing their awesome pics of Myanmar already.

 

[Hosea]

Great Sharing...