Instagram travel photography competition Myanmar cover

Wanderlust Instagrammy Awards: Myanmar in 30 Amazing Pictures

 
As a child of the Facebook generation who only let Twitter into her life reluctantly, I resisted Instagram for a long time…and immediately got hooked as soon as I gave in to the photo-sharing app! The travel pictures I see on it every day are like porn to my wanderlust and a constant source of inspiration, so I’ve decided to share the best of them with you!

With each installment, the Wanderlust Instagrammy Awards will showcase the best of a different country through my choice of photos submitted to Instagram #inwonderlands.

This week, I am taking you to MYANMAR, a country I spent one month touring this February. Myanmar (ex-Burma) was only reopened to tourism a couple years ago. As a result, it offers the audacious traveler a different experience from its South-East Asian neighbours: travel in this mysterious land is rawer, more challenging, but also perhaps more authentic.

If you don’t mind long bus rides, wifi black holes, and basic curries, you will be rewarded with largely untouched scenery, majestic pagodas, colonial architecture, a lot of boat trips, and the smiles of some of the world’s friendliest people.

But a picture speaks a thousand words, so here’s the visual evidence!

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Yangon city life

1. The streets of Yangon: a happy mess of cables, signs, cars, and people!

Yangon city street, Myanmar

2. Quieter by night…

Streets of Yangon, Myanmar by night

3. The majestic colonial architecture vies with colourful dilapidated buildings

Colourful run-down house in Yangon, Myanmar

4. Bang in the centre: Sule Pagoda

Sule Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar

Some landmarks

5. The star of Myanmar: all-round golden Shwedagon Pagoda

Myanmar Yangon Shwedagon Pagoda

6. The magically-balanced, sacred Golden Rock

Golden Rock, Myanmar

7. U Bein Bridge, the world’s longest teak wood bridge, in Amarapura (near Mandalay)

U Bein Bridge, Amarapura, Myanmar

Temples of Bagan

8. Sunrise over the plain of temples, overseen by hot-air balloons

Bagan temples and hot-air balloons at sunrise

9. Just one of over 2,200 temples and pagodas

Bagan temple, Myanmar

10. Close-up in the morning light

Close-up on Bagan temple, Myanmar

Rural life

11. Trekking encounters, part 1: locals enjoying the sunset

Rural scene in Myanmar countryside

12. Trekking encounters, part 2: follow the tracks!

Myanmar rural encounter during trek

13. Trekking encounters, part 3: returning from work in the fields of Kalaw

Myanmar rural scene near Kalaw

14. Ox carts are still in use in Bagan

Myanmar Bagan ox cart

15. Kayan tribe ‘long-neck’ woman weaving Burmese cloth

Myanmar long neck Kayan tribe woman at work

Monk life

16. Monk graduation ceremony in Nyaungshwe

Young monks waiting to graduate in Myanmar

17. At 10am, the monks of Amarapura line up for their only meal of the day

Myanmar monk life

18. Cool man!

Cool monks in Myanmar

19. Not so proud: punished in the corner!

Monk punished in corner of temple during prayer, Myanmar

Market scenes

20. Greens or greens?

Myanmar Mandalay market scene

21. Nice colour coordination! The ladies wear thanaka on their faces, a natural cosmetic serving both as make-up and sunscreen

Market scene in Myanmar

22. Chatting away at one of the five floating markets around Inle Lake

Floating market at Inle Lake, Myanmar

23. Bagfuls of dried fish: just imagine the smell!

Woman selling dried fish at Mandalay market, Maynmar

Lake life on Inle Lake

24. Fisherman at sunrise…

Inle Lake fisherman at sunrise, Myanmar

25. …and running child at sunset

Sunset Inle Lake Myanmar

26. Fishing scene 1

Inle Lake fishing scene, Myanmar

27. Fishing scene 2

Lone fisherman on Inle Lake, Myanmar

28. Fishing scene 3

Myanmar Inle Lake fisherman in action

29. Children boating home

Myanmar Inle Lake children boating home

30. A parking jam!

Myanmar Inle Lake parked boats

Bonus photo: favourite shot of mine!

Someone’s home on Inle Lake

Inle Lake home, Myanmar

Thank you to @keenantravels, @juneangel, @globetrotteramz, @little_nikki43, @breathingtravel of Breathing Travel, @stokistokhorst, @naqvisaify of Saify Naqvi, @actoftraveling of Act of Traveling, @joe_cox, @seintheworld of Photos of S&E, @por_el_mundo_adelante of Por El Mundo Adelante, @maryaway, and @photoamz96 for sharing their pictures! If you like their work, check out their accounts on Instagram and follow their adventures on their websites.

The next Wanderlust Instagrammy Awards will mix things up a bit with a change of continent by taking us to Bolivia. Tag your best Instagram pictures #inwonderlands for a chance to be featured!
 
 
Do these pictures make you want to go to Myanmar? Which one is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below!

Are you on Instagram? Find me at @camwonderlands.

If you would like to follow the rest of my adventures, consider also subscribing to the blog to receive all updates by email, and connecting with Camille in Wonderlands on Facebook, where I regularly post snapshots and musings that haven’t made it onto the site.
 
 

Camille

Hey, I'm Camille! I quit my life to travel the world in 2013 – and I haven’t stopped since! I have visited 40+ countries as a location-independent travel/lifestyle writer and digital marketer. I like hammocks, scooters, eating, and scaring my mother trying adventure sports! I was chosen as a top travel influencer by Influence.co, and have co-founded Helipad Marketing to help travel & lifestyle brands soar with killer online marketing.

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26 thoughts on “Wanderlust Instagrammy Awards: Myanmar in 30 Amazing Pictures”

  1. Une légère préférence pour la traversée à vélo du pont de bois et pour la série des pêcheurs sur le lac Inle. Mais les 31 photos sont toutes plus belles les unes que les autres. Et la toute dernière, la maison de pêcheurs sur le lac, est magnifique aussi. Bravo à tous…

  2. What a fab idea Camille. You (and all of the lovely featured Instagrammers) have succeeded in making me DESPERATE to visit the country. Like you, I practically grew up on Facebook… it’s taken a little time to come around to embracing what other social media platforms can offer, but the images and sense of community found on Instagram is seriously addictive. Followed you on there btw & look forward to following your adventures!

    Gabby
    Gabby recently posted…DOORSTEP ADVENTURES: HIKING THE 7 SISTERS ON ENGLAND’S SOUTH DOWNSMy Profile

    1. Thank you Gabby, it’s great to hear you found the photos enticing! Myanmar is one of those places that reinvigorate your love of travel if you’ve become a bit jaded. It sounds like we’re pretty similar in our command of social media (or lack thereof) – I’m still not really sure what to make of Twitter to be honest..!
      Camille recently posted…Feeling Like Indie in AyutthayaMy Profile

  3. This is such a great idea for a post. Myanmar is such an amazing country and we can’t wait to get back there soon (we’re planning on crossing over around the 20th as soon as our Thai visas are finished.) I’m SOO excited to cycle through it 🙂

    Ah and your post reminded me that I need a new phone. Instagram just doesn’t work on my crappy phone I bought in China. 🙁
    Laura @ Bottled Air recently posted…Visa Run! (part 1) Hitchhiking to Bangkok (+VIDEO)My Profile

    1. Wow, cycling through Myanmar sounds like an amazing challenge! I’m looking forward to following your adventures there 🙂 Haha, you should definitely get a new phone and start using Instagram, I got really into it once I finally embraced it… but in the meantime, you can just check back on here – I’m going to make this a regular series with a different country every time!
      Camille recently posted…Wanderlust Instagrammy Awards: Malaysia in 20 Amazing PicturesMy Profile

  4. I love the rural and lake shots. I’ve never been to Myanmar but your photos vaguely remind me of Vietnam. On that trip we saw mostly city life though, only visiting a couple small villages. These shots inspire me to get out into the country the next time I visit this part of the world. You mentioned “basic curries” … Did you have the opportunity to sample anything truly different or exotic? I am an adventure eater and am always looking for the unique dining experience.
    Cherri Megasko recently posted…Touring Turkey – The Sultanhani Caravanserai, AksarayMy Profile

    1. Thanks Cherri! I agree, I think Myanmar is a little similar to Vietnam or Cambodia in some respects…although it has its own very distinct culture and atmosphere. Most of the main sights are outside the cities so you kind of have to get out into the countryside! Hahaha yes, I did see about your adventure eating habits. Ummm, the Burmese seem to be a bit less adventurous than their South-East Asian neighbours when it comes to the range of animals/insects etc they eat…but they do have one national dish, tea leaf salad – not particularly crazy but very unique and delicious! I got addicted!
      Camille recently posted…Wanderlust Instagrammy Awards: Bolivia in 30 Amazing PicturesMy Profile

  5. Your post brings back such wonderful memories of our recent visit to Myanmar! For us, clip-clopping around Bagan’s 3,000+ ancient pagodas in a horse-cart was a highlight. The red-robed monks always caught our attention – especially barefooted monks chatting away on their cell phones. So we’d have to say the pic of the monks in their sunglasses is our favorite of your posted photos…
    Sand In My Suitcase recently posted…Ooh La La! Going French for the day with Ponant CruisesMy Profile

  6. Ok, now you’ve done it. I have to go photograph Myanmar sooner rather than later. Not too hard since we have relocated to Kuala Lumpur. The country looks so unspoiled and natural. Thanks for you post.

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