It was my first backpacking trip, and I traveled to Myanmar because I had the opportunity to be the accompanying photographer for the Youth Square Volunteer Team. I’m really grateful to Youth Square for giving me this chance.
I’m still in the learning phase, so my compositions might be a bit simple—feel free to offer any advice. If you like my work, you can give me a Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stayatmoment
Before departure, I was full of worries, fearing political instability and poor security. But actually, the people in Myanmar are incredibly friendly, helpful, and always smiling. The only downside is that some drivers might overcharge tourists, so always bargain when choosing transportation.
I spent 21 days in Myanmar, visiting four cities: Yangon, Nyaungshwe, Bagan, and Mandalay. I stayed in a village at the southern end of Inle Lake for two weeks, accompanying a volunteer workcamp as a photographer, so I captured many scenes from lesser-known rural areas. As for must-see spots in Myanmar, the sunrise in Bagan, the scenery of Inle Lake, and the sunset at U Bein Bridge are definitely the top choices.
The cost of living in Myanmar is very low—I only spent a little over 2,000 HKD for the whole week, most of which went to transportation and accommodation. Moreover, several low-cost airlines have now opened direct flights to Myanmar, making future trips even more convenient and significantly cheaper. Traveling between cities by tourist bus is the most grueling option—the schedules are hard to book, the travel times vary greatly, and if you’re prone to motion sickness, it’s even worse.
For this trip, I brought the SONY A7R2, which has 42 million pixels, over 13 stops of dynamic range, usable high ISO, and five-axis image stabilization—making it perfect for landscape photography without any doubts. My lenses included the SEL55F18Z, SEL28F20, Canon’s TS-E 17mm F/4L, and EF 70-200mm F/4 L IS.
In Yangon, I didn’t capture any particularly stunning scenery—just did some street photography (stay tuned for an upcoming feature on street portraits). The next day, I took a tourist bus to Nyaungshwe and then transferred to a boat to reach the workcamp location.
We rode in these long boats. At first, I was really scared of tipping over—after all, I had tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of gear with me, and even though I had insurance, it would’ve been a hassle. But gradually, I got used to it and even started taking crazy amounts of photos on the boat, though remember never to stand up.
Fishermen on Inle Lake.
Noticed cattle being herded along the shore.
An interesting riverside temple.
Near the shore, the lake surface was as still as a mirror in the sky.
In Payataung Village, where there’s no light pollution, you can see the starry sky every night just by looking up. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a shooting star streaking across the sky. Unfortunately, I couldn’t capture that precious moment—it’s enough to keep it in my memory.
By the lakeside, you can even see the shimmering winter Milky Way with the naked eye. I really hope to come back in summer to witness the summer Milky Way.
The golden hour before sunrise, paired with the mirror-like lake surface, creates yet another breathtaking view.
Life in the village follows a regular rhythm—early to bed and early to rise. Waking up means witnessing the dawn break, which is a stark contrast to life in Hong Kong.
Due to the large temperature difference between day and night, when the sun rises, the lake surface is covered in thick morning mist, like a fairyland.
The New Year’s Day sunrise had thick clouds, offering a completely different scene.
Seeing rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds (like “Jesus light”) feels almost commonplace here.
Ox carts in the fields.
After the workcamp ended, I headed to Bagan, where the sunrise is truly stunning—this might be where the nickname “Golden Land” comes from.
I woke up at 5 AM, climbed to the top of a stupa, and many other travelers were already there, quietly waiting for the sun to rise above the horizon.
Just before sunrise, hot air balloons slowly ascended.
The moment the sun rose above the horizon, time seemed to stand still.
The weather that day was perfect—the golden orb met the fiery clouds.
The hot air balloon finally drifted in front of the sun, creating a heartwarming scene.
After the sun fully rose, it’s worth capturing the temple complex bathed in direct sunlight—the lighting is absolutely beautiful.
Temples and hot air balloons in the backlight and mist create a mystical atmosphere.
I didn’t expect to “graduate” from a Bagan sunrise on my very first visit — it was so fulfilling!
In Mandalay, the U Bein Bridge sunset is a must-shoot, but unfortunately, thick clouds and haze ruined the view; the photos barely made the cut.
Reflections again — kind of getting repetitive, XD.
Luckily, the sun suddenly peeked out, so I managed to capture a classic shot.
I was hoping for some fiery clouds, but this is all we got.
On the second day in Mandalay, I hopped on Myanmar’s slow train, heading to the Goteik Viaduct bridge.
Just seeing this century-old suspension bridge was thrilling. The magnificent views from the bridge were breathtaking.
The winding river separated light and shadow.
Looking back at the bridge we passed, it was truly awe-inspiring.
Leaving Myanmar, I felt a bit of reluctance — after all, I’d only seen a small part of it. The world is so vast, do we really have enough time to see it all? I think doing your best to see as much as possible is the way to go.
Postscript: There’s a lot of dust and sand in Myanmar — my lens would get covered every time I took it out. Be sure to take good care of your camera, and be extra careful when changing lenses.
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