London based freelance photographer Maxine Bulloch recently travelled to the mysterious and controversial South East Asian country formally known as Burma. The decade long tourism boycott that persuaded many potential visitors to steer clear of the country has been lifted and now the country is no longer shrouded in secrecy. Here are Maxine’s highlights of time-warped, colourful Myanmar…
Myanmar is a place I’ve been wanting to explore for many years. It has a magical pull to me, and I was not disappointed when I made it over to this beautiful country last month. The people are extraordinarily friendly, humble, kind and welcoming despite the poverty that they mostly live in; the colours are bright and bold. The cities are busy, polluted and structurally chaotic, whilst the countryside has the freshest air you’d imagine, with much of the land given over to farming products like rice, potatoes, garlic and chilli. My favourite time there was spending days in the country areas walking across red soil. The number of golden pagodas dedicated to Buddhism across the country is quite staggering – you won’t go more than five minutes on the bus without seeing one, and there are a large number of monks and nuns.
Of course it’s important to educate yourself on the political situation before you go there so you can make the right choices and support local businesses. Many places in the country are still closed up to tourism so you won’t see everything. By chatting (or making hand motions even) I ended up being taken to places I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. I even saw my first wild water buffaloes and spent an afternoon with wild monkeys too! The people of Myanmar have a special place in my heart and I hope to go back soon to discover more.
All words and photos by Maxine Bulloch. Maxine is based in London, England and works in PR during the day. She loves exploring the world during her spare time and hopes to one day have a map filled with little ‘I’ve had adventures here’ markers. See more photos and read about Maxine’s travels in Myanmar on her photography website/blog: www.maxinebulloch.com/blog
13 Comments
Anita @ No Particular Place To Go
1 June, 2014 at 2:26 pmWe hope to visit Myanmar within the next year or two and your amazing photos just whetted my appetite. My favorite picture was of two people paddling down the stream with the mountains in the background. What an incredibly beautiful and complex country.
agnesstramp
31 May, 2014 at 2:34 amSeriously, the first picture of little monks took my breath away! They look so serious, but innocent at the same time… Stunning photo!
Maxine
3 June, 2014 at 7:05 pmHi Agness, thank you for the kind words!
Emma
30 May, 2014 at 9:22 pmWow what beautiful photos and so colourful!
Maxine
3 June, 2014 at 7:06 pmHi Emma, thank you very much. It is a very colourful country! I have taken all the black clothes out of my wardrobe since I got back!
Scott
30 May, 2014 at 8:51 pmGreat set of photos! Would love to visit one day!
Maxine
3 June, 2014 at 7:07 pmThanks Scott! Let me know if you do make it over there!
Tiana in Florence
30 May, 2014 at 2:08 pmLovely guest post filled with wonderful colors and authentic photos. Myanmar would be an incredible place to visit! Sometimes it’s hard to travel really far when I want to explore more here in Italy, mainly the pasta and wine are keep me from leaving. Hope to see this one day in person, not just via photos 🙂
Maxine
3 June, 2014 at 7:08 pmHi Tiana, I definitely think it’s important to explore the countries you’re drawn to. I wonder how I would get on in countries that aren’t top of my list…it would probably be magical!
Katie
30 May, 2014 at 1:35 pmLovely photos from Maxine! Hopefully one day I’ll make to Myanmar. Kudos for pointing out that people should research and make the good choices to support the local economy!
Maxine
3 June, 2014 at 7:10 pmThank you Katie. I think it’s very important for everyone who goes there to thoroughly research so the country keeps its magic but also its authenticity.
Dean
30 May, 2014 at 12:43 pmI have got to get myself to Myanmar. What a beautiful country! Great pics 🙂
Maxine
3 June, 2014 at 7:10 pmThanks Dean! Let me know if you make it there!