Beautiful Light in Bagan

For visitors to Myanmar, Bagan is a definite stop in the itinerary. For visitors who are avid photographers, Bagan is a dream stop in the itinerary. And for me, the best stop for landscape photography!

Bagan is an ancient city on a site containing over 2000 temples, pagodas and stupas. During its heyday as the capital of the Kingdom then (11-13th century), there were as many as over 10,000 temples etc. Now, while majority seems to be in a state of ruins, many have been restored and maintained. For those interested in the historic and cultural aspects of Myanmar, the temples provide fascinating glimpses into Buddhism in this part of Asia.

What captivated me however, is the golden light during sunrise and sunset. Cast onto the dusty and misty plains, and dotted with the spires of the pagodas and temples, the scene is stupendous. There are a couple of ways to tour the sites. Most backpackers would hire bicycles to visit the attractions. You could also hire a car or a horsecart for the whole day. For photographers who want to catch the sunrises and sunsets (yes you should!), the latter is recommended. Especially if you want to take the sunsets from some temples that are off-the-beaten-path. The roads there are bad, and after sunset, it would be completely dark and cycling at those conditions are certainly not recommended. In fact, some horsecart drivers were also reluctant to go to some of the further temples for sunsets. Remember to check with your drivers! The most common site for sunset viewing is probably Shwesandaw but I went to Pyathada (which is more remote). For those who have a little more budget, you could also have sunrise viewing and photography atop the hot-air balloons! I would imagine the scene would be absolutely fabulous!

And even back in Nyaung U town, the morning light provided wonderful ambience to the local market. Go between 7.30am - 8.30am, and with the tree foliage around the market area and the dusty air, the resultant light rays add plenty of opportunities for good composition!

As mentioned earlier, Bagan is one of Myanmar's top attractions. So there are plenty of options to get to Bagan, from buses and rail, to air and boat! And there are 3 areas for acommodation options - Old Bagan, New Bagan, and Nyaung U. The latter is where most of the budget options are. Whichever the options, Bagan is my favourite sunrise/sunset location in Myanmar!

Kyoto

Kyoto, a well-known city in Japan, is an extremely popular tourist destination. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, it contains many historic monuments like shrines and temples. In fact, its shrines and temples is one of the major attraction for tourists, esp during autumn, where the old temples amidst the autumn foliage makes for a really pretty picture!


Kyoto also retains quite abit of its old architecture in parts of the city. In some parts, you could imagine yourelf as walking in imperial Japan! Some of the old houses have been converted to guesthouses, which I felt was a much better accommodation option than hotels. Wooden sliding doors, quaint furnishings, delightful small gardens, it really makes you feel you are IN japan!!

Of course, if you have a chance, do stay in a ryokan. As a "japanese inn", a ryokan stay typically includes dinner & breakfast, and served in your room. For me, a ryokan stay completes a true authentic Japanese experience!! However, nowadays, there are many "modern" ryokans - hotels that emulate the traditional ryokan experience. Still worth to check out if you can't live without hotel amenities...




The other main attraction that no visitor to Kyoto should miss out is the Gion district. Here, you'll have the chance to catch a glimpse of geishas or maikos still dorned in their traditional clothings, going about their business. Of course, you could also opt to go for one of the geisha performances that's being arrange in various places like theatres and even restuarants. Or if you visit Kyoto during one of its festivals, then you can easily see many Japanese wearing their kimonos in the streets. The Japanese women love to wear their kimonos when the occasion calls for it!


Kyoto has lots of other attractions, which can be easily found in guidebooks or on the net. As it is a popular tourist destination, plan and book ahead is recommended if you visiting during the peak periods!

Angkor Wat

Cambodia was not very high in my list of places to go, but everyone has rave reviews of Angkor Wat. So much so that, I thought to myself, I had to go see. With Jetstar's promo tix at a little over S$200 including taxes, why not pop over for a look? Esp now is the "low season", I thought I could avoid the super crowd that those same rave reviews were also talking about....


It is low season for a reason. It is HOT and wet. Not particularly enticing for a holiday. But what I read is that the rains come only in the early mornings or late afternoons and only in short bursts. That sounded not too bad, and moreover, sometimes the rain do bring dramatic lightings. As for the heat, well, that was the killer......


I had only 3 days in Cambodia/Siem Reap, and decided to do a one-day "crash course" on Angkor Park. Coupled with the July heat, it was tiring as hell, and erm, hot as hell. But the worse was yet to come. As I joined many others into the compounds for sunset, and as the glorious golden sun rays fall onto Angkor Wat....... and its scaffolding, I can only curse my luck. I don't know how long this restoration works on Angkor Wat has been going on, but it certainly spoiled my picture perfect moment (and shot). Ah well, off-peak indeed.


I visited 5 temples in all, Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm, Banteay Srei and Preah Khan. These are recommendations from Tales of Asia website as well as from some friends. They are all great recommendations, and my favourite is Preah Khan, which gave me the most sense of mystery. However, my advise and recommendation is to get the 3 day pass, and enjoy a slow tour of the temples by only visiting them in the morning hours and the late afternoon hours. Between 10+am to 3+pm, do yourself a favour and enjoy some cold beer somewhere cooling :)



Still, I'm impressed with Angkor Wat (minus the scaffolding) and would have to agree with those whom I have talked to and recommended it to me. Cambodia is worth a re-visit...