Transportation is a funny thing in Myanmar (Burma). Slow, loud and dirty are adjectives you could use to describe most of them, and safety is pretty questionable as well. But the sheer variety available makes for a fascinating combination of new and old methods you should check out for yourself during your next visit to the country.
Read MoreUpdated December 2018
Easily one of the most popular attractions in Myanmar / Burma and famous for epic Bagan sunrises and sunsets.
This guide contains many months of personal, on-the-ground research to help you enjoy the best sunrises, sunsets and adventures in Bagan thanks to the info that I've gathered on many trips between 2013 and 2018.
Read MoreInterested in leveling-up your photography?
I'm back in my adapted home of Chiang Mai (Thailand) and facilitating a workshop on industry leading Adobe Photoshop Lightroom . During this one-day workshop, I'll be going through the process of establishing an efficient workflow to speed up your time working with your images, so you can spend more time capturing them out in the world.
Read MoreUpdated October 2017
Seeing hot-air balloons flying over Bagan is one of the iconic images of Myanmar / Burma. The massive scale of the over 3000 temples on the Bagan plain mean that you can only truly witness the scale of it all from the air, and a slowly floating over is the best way of doing it.
For years, there has been only one company providing the experience. Balloons Over Bagan and their red balloons can be seen in any number of a photo, including a bunch in my house. However, in 2013, Oriental Ballooning began flying their balloons as well, bringing some much needed competition to the space. I've flown with both, and I'll give you my take on them.
Read MoreWhile I'm most known for my travel, landscape, and cultural photography, one of my real passions is creating more abstract images with my camera. I'm looking to create moods, often by "smearing" or "melting" colors. I've been attracted by the more abstract in art and imagery for quite some time, and most of the paintings and artwork I've collected around the world for myself fit the same sort of mold.
Read MoreI recently came back from a backcountry hike in British Columbia, and a curious thing happens when you get away from mobile phone coverage...
We tend to go deeper.
Deeper thoughts. Deeper questions. Deeper conversation.
There were five of us on the 4-day trip, and everyone else was a generation older than I was. After dinner one evening, I posed a question:
If you could, what advice would you give your 33 year old self?
Read MoreUpdated Feb 2014
I'll start by saying that I'm not a huge fan of guidebooks. In the age of the internet and nearly limitless access to information, the printed word is often out of date by the time it's still hot off the presses. For example, the latest Myanmar Lonely Planet (11th ed.) was published in Dec 2011, with much of the research likely done 3-12+ months prior. As of May 2013, the information could be 2+ years out of date.
That said, I've had my Lonely Planet for Myanmar since my first big trip to the country in early 2012, and...
Read MoreUPDATED October 2017
One of the most common questions I get has to do with how to deal with money as a traveler in Myanmar (Burma).
While in the country, you'll use a mix of US dollars and Myanmar kyat. Most hotels, domestic airfares train tickets, and entrance fees will be in USD, while everything else (food, souvenirs, uses etc) will be paid in kyat.
Until very recently (Nov 2012) there were no ATM's in Myanmar due to the economic sanctions...
Read MoreUpdated December 2016
Most people will need to apply in advance for a Visa to travel in Myanmar / Burma (there are very few select circumstances where a visa may be available on arrival). A typical tourist visa, which is what I'll talk about here, is good for 4 weeks (28 days) from arrival.
But that's just a taste!
Fortunately overstaying a visa in Myanmar is a relatively cheap and painless affair. Here's the scoop...
Read More
So the 45th round of Travel Photo Roulette has come to a close. First off, thanks to everyone for entering. All in all, we received 29 entries on the "surreal" theme. It was a tougher-than-usual theme, but there were so many great entries from many different angles on the topic.
Before we get to the winner, I'll count down my top 5:Read More
