hh253

Hi,

I am an appasionate photographer and experienced traveller (nearly 100 countirs visited). I plan to visit Myanmar end December and beginning January for two weeks.
Normally I am not a friend of tours and tourist crowds, but I got a proposal for a private tour, which seems very similar to all the others, Bagan, Mandalay, Golden Rock, Inle lake, Kalaw trekking.
I have the doubt for two points
Golden Rock - is it worth to see or it is onlt touristic
Kalaw trekking - I was suggested three days and two night in monastery. Is it too long?
What can you do are there other options?
I like to take mainly photos of people.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hh253/collections/
Many thanks for all suggestions

Heinz

pattyroth

Heinz, you will love Myanmar for the people photography. Make sure your private tour gives you lots of flexibility to linger and wander as you encounter tribal people around Inle Lake, for example. We didn't go to Golden Rock or Kalaw, so can't advise there, but may for a second trip. Your photos are lovely. Lots of people on this forum are photographers, so it always helps to look at their photos to see which places you are drawn to. Check Hanuman's, Kathie's, Jules, ..... Mine: www.pattyroth.com or www.pbase.com/pattyroth

Kathie

Frankly, I think you are trying to cram too much into two weeks. Choose carefully what you want to do/see/experience on this trip. Tours set up by agencies - even private tours - often have the disadvantage of moving you too fast through the country. Tour companies for some reason think people want more places to feel they are getting their money's worth.

Burma is a place where you want to move slowly. Transport takes time as the infrastructure is not good. Remember that if you stay two nights in a place, you will have only one day there.

There are lots of excellent travel agencies in Yangon that will customize a trip for you - you choose what you want to see , if/when you want a guide/transport, etc.

Do you have the Lonely Planet guidebook? It's the only reasonably current guide. If you read that, you'll see that there are a great many options of things to see and do in Burma.

For a first trip, with just two weeks, people generally visit the "big 4" Bagan, Mandalay (mostly for the ancient cities outside of Mandalay), Bagan and Yangon.

Use the drop down menu above to choose Burma and you'll see a list of recent posts on Burma. There have been a number of recent trip reports. I have a trip report from 2009 - if you click on my name you can find it.

Hanuman

Just to add to the above - since you're going in January I would recommend you do a balloon ride over Bagan. Good photo ops as well.

pattyroth

I think Kathie meant Inle Lake--and you don't want to miss it or the villages surrounding it.

Kathie

Oops - you are quite right, Patyt, I list Bagan twice and omitted Inle. If you want to photofraph people, Inle Lake is a must. And do go to Sankar, the southern part of the lake.

svetulka

I've been to the Golden Rock in April and in my opinion it is not so touristic place. In fact it is a very holy place where a lot of local people from the whole country go for pilgrimage, and they spend there usually 2-3 days. It is very, very atmospheric, especially at sunset and in the evenings. I would recommend (if you go there) to stay overnight - you will have time to feel the place and enjoy the meeting with different people, whole families.

hh253

thanks for all suggestions. Kathie and Patty do you suggest to go to the villages near Inle lake by car or make a trekking with overnight stays in monsteries? Patty compliments for your photo site. Look really forward to see Myanmar.
Heinx

pattyroth

You will see tribal people at the markets around the lake. Indein for one. Great photo ops! And thanks (re photos). I think you will love Myanmar and the people.

gmoz

Heinz We did a one day trek at Kalaw and while it was well run, well planned and the guide was excellent however the scenery was not as good as other treks we have done eg Sapa in Vietnam. As the others have said two weeks isnt much time so it may be best to concentrate on the main 4 sites as Kathi has listed, you will find plenty to photograph in those places.
We havent been to Golden Rock so I cant comment on that place. If you are getting quotes from travel agencies try a quote from Shan Yoma as well, we were very happy with their services.

Kathie

Heinz, I'm glad you had a chance to look at Patty's photos, you can look at ours at www.marlandc.com/Burma/index.html

Maybe Jules and Hanuman can post their photo links too. As a photographer, I'm sure there is nothing quite like looking at photos to give you inspiration as to where to go.

At Inle, you'll see lots of tribal peoples, as Patty mentioned. I especially recommend a full day trip to the southern part of the lake, Sankar. You'll have to get a permit and a Pa-O guide.

If you love trekking, do a trek, but otherwise, you're better off using that time to spend more days in each place.

Hanuman

Strictly amateurish family style photographs but a few from the balloon ride that I mentioned:
http://khun-pook.smugmug.com/photos/...lbumKey=5jSCfF

hh253

thanks Hanuman e Kathie for the photos. Hanuman I noted you did many photos without people. Does that mean, that there have been few tourists or you waited for the right moment. The balloon ride seems interesting. Very nice the morning fog. Still working on the itinery. Somebody has be to the north and saw the Padaung tribe?

Hanuman

Heinz,

I remember that there were not that many people when we visited and we toured the country independently or not on a group tour. I traveled with wife and daughter so I did not have the luxury to wait for the lights to be right!

We did go during the new year so the weather/fog etc should be the same for you in January.

Kathie

In relation to other places in SE Asia, there are relatively few tourists in Burma.

Large areas of the north of Burma are off limits to travelers. But you likely will see a couple of Paduang women at Inle, unfortunately as a sort of "human zoo" exhibit.

hh253

thanks Kathie, I can immagine what happens with the tourist crowds and the Padaung women. For a photographer it is a nightmare.
Anyone has an idea about Loikaw and the Padaung villages?
Is it possible to visit them?
Thanks

Heinz