MYANMAR PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR 10D

Mingalabar – Warm welcome to Myanmar!

Mingalabar! Welcome to Myanmar. Arrival to Yangon international airport with morning flight. Transfer to your hotel. On the way to downtown we pay homage at exiled Indian emperors tomb. There is still considerable community of his subjects descendants that live in the area.

We will explore the bustling downtown of Rangoon on foot and capture the street life of the city and contrasts of new modern and crumbling old. Late afternoon we move to lively market street where local pilgrims buy their offerings for Shwedagon pagoda. A visit to Yangon would not be complete without a visit to its magnificent 100m tall golden pagoda towering over the city on Singuttara hill. Shwedagon has a magical feel around the main stupa there are many smaller temples, people meditating and praying. The stupa is believed to contain buddhas hair relics and is one the most popular Buddhist pilgrimage sites of the world.

Airport transfer and morning flight to Bagan (1hr). On arrival morning photography session capturing some of temples. When the day light gets very bright we move indoors to discover murals of Bagan and the architecture and see what techniques are used for traditional arts of Bagan. Late afternoon temples and sunset shoot. Return back to hotel after dusk. Evening dinner with cultural performance in a local restaurant.

Bagan sunrise photoshoot, temples and balloons. We will find a great spot to frame temples and balloons this morning. You have the option to take additional excursion of hot air ballooning.  We will return to hotel for breakfast around 9am and check out and continue with a drive to Mandalay 3hrs.  En-route we stop at Paleik village at snake pagoda where burmese pythons are worshipped, there are beautiful ruins a short walk away and small factories producing burmese longyis.  In Mandalay visit the Mahamuni buddha covered in tons of leaf gold applied by endless stream of pilgrims.  Next visit Kuthodaw, also known as the worlds largest book and the only surviving teak palace building. We end the day with a visit to a monastery to observe novices gathering for evening prayer.

Sunrise photoshoot by the Ubein bridge, 1.2km long teak bridge build from old palace teak pillars spanning a lake. Light breakfast and visit near by monastery where hundreds of monks line up for daily breakfast. From Amarapura we continue Sagaing crossing the Irrawaddy river. Sagaing is one of the most important  monastic centres in Myanmar. We will visit Sagaing hill for panoramic views over the river and temple dotted hills. We can take a walk here or drive to a monastery to meet monks or nuns and have a portrait session. In the afternoon we take a walk around main bazaar of Mandalay which is a liveliest place in the city.

Morning departure for Ywagan. Crossing over a mountain range we will reach Ywagan, a small village where some of the countrys premier coffee is produced. Coffee break and a cuppa at the Genius coffee headquarter where beans are roasted packaged and shipped. Lunch at local restaurant. On the way to Pindaya we will make a stop at a mysterious blue pond. Pindaya is often called the Tuscany of Myanmar. There is no wine growing here but the landscape is beautiful rolling hills and often covered in diffferent colours depending on the season and crops that are cultivated.  Pindaya town is small and situated on the foot of majestic limestone mountain range. Late afternoon visit to Pindaya cave housing thousands of buddha images of all sizes.

On a market day we will visit a local market where Pao and Taung Yoe tribe ladies frequent wearing their traditional dress, black tunic and bright orange or pink turban. Visit a local village near Pindaya.  We drive to Inle Lake a beautiful oasis nestled between two mountain ranges. On the way we stop by a scenic  temple with oval windows a perfect spot for monk photos. Afternoon boat excursion photograph Inn Thar fishermen with a unique leg rowing style and area with floating gardens.

Drive back to Yangon and some visits on the way, stop by a spirit tree where new cars are blessed, visit WWII memorial last resting place of fallen allied soldiers. Afternoon time for some more Yangon photography or free time for souvenir shopping.

Evening farewell dinner.

Breakfast at hotel. Free time until your transfer to airport to catch your onward flight.