Engaging Cambodia

Myanmar (Burma) Myanmar

Myanmar…The Golden Land. It’s not often a country can live up to the hype that Myanmar is getting just now, but trust us, it certainly deserves it - especially if it’s an amazing photographic experience you are after.

A warm and engaging country full of active, highly decorative or golden temples, countless images of Buddha, amazing historic sites, bucolic landscapes, beautiful rivers and lakes, bustling towns and cities, monks, nuns, diverse and interesting minority tribes.

In keeping with all our other photography tours, this tour is designed to make sure you see all the highlights at the right time of day. Every day will be full of so many photo opportuni- ties it will be very hard to go home without a magnificent set of Friendly monk in Bagan. images. The tour includes a workshop to help you get started but the emphasis will always be on being out and about taking great photos. Nathan will always be at hand for advice and tips and with the help of a local guide open doors that allow you to get closer to and more involved with the local people.

We are sure that you will leave Myanmar with a great portfolio and a yearning to go back with us again sometime soon.

1 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Highlights

The real strength of Myanmar is that it is full of endless pho- tography highlights but we have also gone out our way to make sure the itinerary leaves time to meet people and engage with the local way of life as it is lived out in the markets, towns, vil- lages, countryside, homes and temples.

{ Ayerwaddy riverside { Mandalay { Ava and its pagodas { U Bein bridge { Sagaing { Monwya and its Buddhas { Ayerwaddy river trip { Bagan and it temples { Balloon flight over Bagan at dawn (Both seasonal and optional) Famous acrobatic fisherman of Inle lake. { Kalaw { Trek through Shan state { Indein { Inle Lake { Biking around Nyaung Shwe { Yangon streets { Circular train { Shwedagon Pagoda

2 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Engage

Building on his years of experience in Cambodia Nathan felt that Myanmar was the perfect place in which to offer tours that benefit from his teaching style. Indeed many who have booked the Myanmar tour are, ‘returnees’; i.e. past participants of his Cambodia tours.

Way beyond just camera technique, Nathan has always believed that his photography tours should really open up a country to Young girl wearing traditional thanaka makeup. it’s participants by presenting opportunities to engage with local people. Rather than being a barrier between ‘us’ and ‘them’ he believes that the camera should be used as a ‘key’ to open ‘doors’ to new and exciting travel experiences. Constantly going out of his way to meet everyday people doing everyday things most participants believe they could not of experienced the country as a tourist in any better way - even the occasional non-photographer.

3 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Itinerary

Day 1 Mandalay The tour will start in Mandalay with an early afternoon briefing where all guests can introduce themselves and get to know each other. What better way to start a tour in Myanmar than a visit to the iconic Ubein bridge where we will capture monks and locals carrying their wares atop their heads against the setting sun from a boat on the lake below.

Day 2 Mandalay In the morning we tour the historic site of Inwa (Ava) by horse and cart. This ancient capital is now mainly farmland, orchards and palm fringed paddy fields strewn with ruined pagodas and teak monasteries. In the afternoon we cross the Ayerwaddy river to Sagaing where we visit Monk and Nun schools for great portrait opportunities. We finish with a look at the vibrant market in Mandalay. Monks on Ubein bridge. Day 3 Monywa We set off early to drive to Monywa. The early start allows us plenty of time to stop at markets, villages and the paddy fields on the way. We reach the hotel in time for lunch and a dip in the pool before setting off in, the slightly cooler, late afternoon to Thanboddhay Paya, home to over 500,000 Buddhas and Bodhi Tataung which has a 423ft standing Buddha amongst 1000’s of others.

4 www.nathanhortonphotography.com 7 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Day 4 Bagan In the morning we head south and cross the Chidwin river and drive to the Phowintaung Caves. The caves hide a myriad of Buddhas, all different, dating from the 14th to 18th century. We lunch in Pakokou after which we will board a small boat for the two-hour ride down the Ayerwaddy river to Bagan. After checking-in to the hotel, we head off to the temples for the famous sunset over Bagan, fitting in an interesting local village on the way.

Day 5 Bagan Up again very early, to get ahead of the crowds, we take you to a prime spot to view the spectacular sunrise over Bagan. After returning to the hotel for breakfast we provide push/ electric bikes for you to go off and explore this endless site by yourselves. You will probably want to enjoy the swimming pool at the hottest part of the day. Those who do not want to cycle can hire a horse and cart or taxi. Balloons over Bagan.

Day 6 Kalaw There is an option to take a balloon ride at dawn which offers those interested a unique opportunity to see the Kingdom as never seen before (by arrangement and inc supplementary fee). Midday allows Nathan plenty of time to help you out with a post production workshop and individual image review. Late afternoon we drive to Kalaw, an old hill station.

6 www.nathanhortonphotography.com 9 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Day 7 Trek After breakfast we drive to Baw Ning Gone village to start our trek. The bus will take our luggage and any guests who want to opt out of the trek directly to a hotel in Nyaung Shwe. The trekkers set off from Baw Ning Gone village, for a two and a half hour walk, arriving at Kone Hla village in time for lunch. After lunch and a couple of hours rest we walk for 3 hours to Pattu Pauk village visiting two villages enroute to Htee Thein village for the last 30 min walk. We stay overnight at Htee Thein monastery or at a local home if available.

Day 8 Indein Starting early in the morning we depart from Htee Thein and after 5 hours walk we arrive at Indein for lunch. On the way we visit four villages of the Inthar and Pao races and cheroot leaf plantations. Indein village is a photographic highlight in that it has ancient pagodas as far as the eye can see. We travel by boat to stay overnight in a stilted hotel on the lake. Typical trekking scene.

Day 9 Nyaung Shwe In the morning we board a boat on the main lake and have arranged for special permits to take us further south and away from the tourist traps to visit two off the beaten track lake side minority villages. After lunch we head north to see the famous one leg rowing fishermen at sunset before we arrive at Nyaung Shwe.

8 www.nathanhortonphotography.com 11 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Day 10 Nyaung Shwe You have a free day to explore the area around Nyaung Shwe by bicycle or foot. This busy town has a lot to offer in itself but using the bike makes the local countryside all the more acces- sible and we will make sure you don’t miss the very photogenic oval shaped window pagoda. There are natural hot water spa and massage facilities for tired and weary limbs after the trek.

Day 11 Yangon We take the early morning flight to Yangon. We have lunch in the Indian quarter and then set out to explore the streets of central Yangon taking in the faded colonial architecture and the modern hustle and bustle of the city. Don’t worry we could not let you leave Yangon without a late afternoon visit to the glittering Shwedagon Pagoda. Late afternoon in Shwedagon Pagoda. Day 12 Circular Train We board the circular slow train which takes you through all manner of Yangon suburbs and makes for an interesting behind the scenes insight into daily life in the capital. We then make our way to airport in good time for our flights home.

Please Note: Itinerary days may be subject to changes or variations.

10 www.nathanhortonphotography.com 13 www.nathanhortonphotography.com About Nathan

Nathan Horton has been a professional photographer for 23 years after graduating with a BA Hons in Film, Photography and Video Arts. He has sold work as an artist, worked as an advertising photographer for some of the worlds biggest brands includ- ing Nokia and Lux and as an editorial photographer for some of London’s premier magazine titles including Elle, The Times Travel section and Food and Travel magazine.

Nathan has travelled extensively in Asia for over 25 years and has made Asia his home since 2006. After many years of experience he has managed to fine tune some very successful itineraries that deliver in-depth Photography Tours throughout Southeast Asia. His tours have been highly praised in Trip Advisor, National Geographic Traveller and the Weekend Guardian for exploring Asian culture in deeper, richer and more ethical ways than most.

Nathan’s Mission “After living, working and teaching photography in Asia for over 6 years, I have a unique in-depth knowledge of the countries I visit. I have extensively researched my itineraries and pride myself that my tours don’t just drive straight past fabulous photo opportunities but remain flexible enough to make random stops. We often find ourselves pulling up when we see local people harvesting rice, catching fish, climbing coconut trees etc. What makes my tours different is that I consider it my job to help you engage with the country and its people in a much more natural, friendly way than you might ever have imagined”.

12 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Tuition

This tour is for mixed ability photographers wanting to expand their knowledge of travel photography and will help both novice and experienced photographers alike, capture very special images. Pa O hill tribe ladies.

Most of the teaching is done on location. Nathan constantly works alongside you, to help you understand particular technical challenges, give you artistic inspiration and most importantly lead by example in approaching local people. Time is also put aside to help you develop your post production skills so that you can subtly enhance your pictures thus producing a stunning portfolio of the tour and your future travels.

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The Group

In Myanmar we will never run a tour with more than 8 photog- raphers. A group of this size is ideal for Nathan and his regular local guide to give everyone the individual attention they need and deserve. Young boy steers water buffalo cart through shallow waters near Ubein bridge.

This intimate group size forms a stimulating environment where participants can share their experiences with like minded people and more often than not leave as good friends. Whether you are a single traveller or come with a partner you will find being in a group of people who have a common interest a great way to get the best out of your trip. No more worrying about keeping people waiting whilst you get your best shot!

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Past participants say it all:

I have done two trips with Nathan, one in February 2012 around Cambodia, and another in April 2013 to Burma. Both exceeded expectations in every respect: well organised, didn’t have to worry about transport or accommodations. We somehow arrived at the important places for photography at the right time of day, and often without any, or too many other tourists. Given special mention National Geographic Traveler 2010 Nathan’s guidance shows the fact that he has been living in Listed as a top ten photography holiday around the world UK Guardian Newspaper Travel Section Sept 2011 Phnom Penh for several years and is able to get the best out Described as ‘comprehensive’ Lonely Planet 2012 of the South East Asian environment. I learnt so much, being Highly recommended Luxe Guide Cambodia and Laos 2012 pushed beyond my comfort zone, but in a very pleasant way. Top marks! Don’t hesitate, have a cool experience and try something new. On top of the scheduled locations there was always something extra happening.... Alison Ryde, Trip Advisor review May, 2013

“Nathan is awesome. Don’t hesitate. My girlfriend and I just did the 4 day Angkor Wat tour. What can I say? All expecta- Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2012/2013 tions blown away. If you are considering doing something with Trip Advisor Over 95% 5 Star Reviews - In the top 10% of world wide businesses Nathan, don’t hesitate. Book it. Four of my most precious travel days ever.” Jon Bauer, Trip Advisor review March 12, 2012

“I booked a tour with Nathan based solely on the reviews here on Trip Advisor - and then wondered how it could possibly live up to the hype. All I can say after completing the tour is that it does - it more than does.” Trip Advisor review 2012

“A great experience of the “Real Cambodia”’Based on Nathans beautiful portfolio I had high hopes for the trip and the images and experiences on the trip actually exceeded my expectations.” Flemming Bo Jensen 2011 Professional photographer

16 www.nathanhortonphotography.com 19 www.nathanhortonphotography.com How to book

Please fill in the booking form on the website.(Click on website lower right page). We will respond within one working day. Once you have enquired and we confirm availability we will reserve Monk school. you a place on the tour which will appear on the Calendar on the website.

We will then send you an invoice for the deposit (40% of the tour cost). Your place on the tour is fully confirmed once the deposit payment has been received. At the moment we can only accept overseas payment via Swift Code. Full details of how to pay will appear on the invoice.

18 www.nathanhortonphotography.com What to bring

Your best camera, be it a DSLR or an advanced compact with some manual controls. Your lens(es) should at least cover a medium zoom range. If you have them, a wide angle lens ( in temples) and a longer telephoto lens ( for boat trips) would obviously be useful but rarely essential. A fast standard lens (50mm) with a good aperture (f1.8 or f1.4) is another good option.

{ A polarising filter. { A tripod. Mandaly market spice seller. { Plenty of memory cards and a spare battery. { A laptop, although not essential, is very useful for backing up the day’s shoot and reviewing what you have taken. We also recommend a portable external hard drive - just in case! { A rain cover for your camera and another one for yourself are recommended and are essential in the rainy season.

19 www.nathanhortonphotography.com 22 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Dates and Prices The Small Print

Dates: Inclusions: Payment and Cancellations: 2013 (12 Days) { All teaching and workshops. 50% deposit must be made at the time of confirmation. Full 25th October - 5th November SOLD OUT { Photographic guidance. payment (the other 50%) of services is due 60 days prior to 25th November - 6th December SOLD OUT { English speaking local guide. the tour start date. Cancellation of services less than 60 days 2014 (12 Days) { Two domestic flights. prior to tour date will result in the deposit being retained but 3rd February - 14th February SOLD OUT { All accommodation, in carefully chosen mid range hotels. transferable to another tour date (minus any real costs lost). 5th April - 15th April { Breakfast when included with hotel. 3rd November - 14th November { All transport (AC bus, boats and bicycles). Insurance: 24th November - 5th December { Free water. Please understand that Nathan Horton is not an above the line { All entrance and zone fees. tour operator. Nathan Horton runs a guided Photography Tour Prices: with the help of a Yangon licensed tour company registered $3500 per person. Exclusions: with the Ministry of Local Planning and Economic Development. $500 single person supplement. { International travel to and from Myanmar. Your safety is always put first but all participation is at your own { Any kind of Insurance. risk and you should not sign up without accepting that Nathan { Drinks or meals other than hotel breakfast. Horton can accept no liability for either damage to equipment { Tips for local drivers and guides. or injury. Securing your own insurance is always considered a necessity of participation on this tour.

Accommodation: The accommodation included on the tour is in well researched, safe, clean and comfortable mid standard hotels. On the trek you will stay either in a village house or a monastery.

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