Photographs of Myanmar

It’s April 2020 and the world is a troubled place. Much is in lock down because of the virus sweeping the globe. We cannot leave our homes except for essentials and an hour of exercise a day. Face to face client contact is impossible and travel is out of the question. Time to revisit the photography archive!

One of the great journeys was a trip to Myanmar (Burma) in 2010. Some of the images shot there have been viewed with new eyes and feature in this post.

I travelled alone but arranged drivers and guides to four key stops – Yangon (Rangoon), Mrauk U, Bagan and Mandalay. Solo travel allowed me to control my schedule and meet people – much harder to do in a group.

My adventure started in Yangon, home to the golden Shwedagon Pagoda, surely the most opulent temple complex in the world. A short flight and a half day boat ride brought me to the amazing Mrauk U, with hundreds of temples a walk away in the surrounding hills. I’ll never forget the warmth of my welcome in my hotel where I was the only foreigner.

Next stop Bagan, and its 10,000 temples. I always try to meet a local photographer when travelling. Here the wonderful Tay, my companion for three days, taught me so much about the country and I’ll always remember our time together. Finally, Mandalay, the golden sunrises over the palace and fort and the jumping off point for Sagaing and Ava.

I visited Myanmar to photograph the architecture and cultural sites. But I was also drawn to the warmth of the people - the monks at the ancient monuments or others just going about their daily lives. At the ports, the farms, bamboo markets and the logging bay everyone would smile, none more so than the rickshaw drivers of Sittwe.

I was fortunate to make this wonderful journey in the pre instagram era before tourists began to saturate world locations. Happy memories rekindled.

This post features nine images from a large collection. To find out more please get in touch.

Bamboo Market

Countryside, Mrauk U

Kaladan River

Monastery, Ava

Dawn at Mrauk U

Reclining Buddha, Yangon

Stupa, Bagan

Sula Pagoda, Yangon

Village Life, Bagan