Out of Norm Travels

Myanmar recently reintroduced itself to the world after it held its  first general election in 2010 following the release of politician and human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi and the lifting of  EU sanctions  in 2012. I was fortunate to have visited this beautiful country with world renowned national geographic photographer, Michael Yamashita and Jock Montgomery of Compass Rose expeditions in early 2014.  Of the many locations visited during this whirlwind 10 days photography experience,  Bagan   stood out as a must visit location.    Bagan (Burmese: ပုဂံ; formerly Pagan) is an ancient city located in the Mandalay Region of Burma (Myanmar). It was the former capital of the Kingdom of Pagan in the 9th to 13th century. There remains over 2200 temples, monasteries, stupas and monuments and pagodas day. Info taken from  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagan . It houses the highest density of Buddhist architecture in the world and ...

For those up for a trip up north of Thailand, the most famous, largest and connected of its cities will be Chiangmai or Chiang Mai or Chieng mai . It is also regarded as  the unofficial capital of Northern Thailand, second in importance only to Bangkok.   A must see temple when you are on your first trip to this location will be  Wat Phra That Doi Suthep  (Thai:  วัดพระธาตุดอยสุ เทพ ). Easily accessible by car or van around 15km from the city centre, you have a choice of taking the cable car or climbing some 300 steps to reach the temple grounds which is a Theravada Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. The temple dates from 1383 and is located at  Doi Suthep  mountain which is a sacred site to many  Thai s. During important festivals like Loy Kratong, you will see many Thais making a pilgrimage to this temple to release thousands of paper lanterns into the sky in the month of November to...

Borobudur Temple  is one of the most well-known Buddhist UNESCO heritage site in the world - it dates back to 8th century. Other than Great Wall of China ( that was completed earlier in June ), this is also on my "must-see" places.  Borobudur itself has 6  platforms topped by three circular platforms. Walking around the thousands of relief panels & Buddha statutes, I am both  marveled  and humbled by the breath-taking view of the magnificent and s pectacular  monument. I can only imagine and wonder how long it took for craftsmen long gone to build such a beautiful piece of artwork . It is with effort that you climb up the structure and  definitely  one to be undertaken when you go to Borobudur although w alking and climbing can b e quite hot by late morning/early afternoon. Plenty of water & an unhurried mind is required to take in its full beauty.    Another  UNESCO World Heritage site of  Prambanan Temples ...