Balloons Over Buddhas
Every morning in Bagan, hot air balloons lift off near the Irrawaddy river and slowly drift over the numerous temples and pagodas. They grant tourists a unique way to view the scenic valley, but perhaps even better, they provide a great photo opportunity for those who stay on the ground.
In the wake of recent earthquakes and to preserve the structures, Bagan has banned climbing on almost all of its temples. Tourists used to flock to the large Sulamuni Temple for iconic views of the sunrise. As this is no longer possible, finding viewpoints above the tree canopy are limited. Fortunately, there are still two smaller temples that remain open for sunrise and sunset viewing. Space is limited, so you have to arrive early, but witnessing the morning ritual is worth the early wake-up call.
My guide and I arrived here in the darkness. Using a flashlight, we climbed the narrow, internal staircase until we reached the upper balcony. There were already 6-8 people there when we arrived, but a space looking towards the golden Ananda temple was still available. I quickly set up my gear and then waited patiently for the show to start.
As the sun appeared, the haze took on a pleasing glow and the first glimpse of a balloon could be seen in the distance. Soon there were dozens of balloons dotting the sky and approaching our location. The procession lasted about an hour during which I alternated between taking photos and quietly observing the exhibition. After the color and balloons faded, I spent another 20 minutes enjoying the panoramic view on the other side of the temple. A memorable morning in an extraordinary place.
Silhouetted Skyline
Most tourists in Bagan spend their days visiting the largest temples…walking around the impressive structures and exploring the insides of those open to the public. As amazing as it is to experience these temples up close, it pales in comparison to finding a spot where you can look out over the entire valley and appreciate the sheer number of them. If you happen to get a colorful sky at sunset or sunrise, the experience can be magical.
It was hazy and cloudless on our first day in Bagan. Given the conditions, I did not expect a colorful sunset. I was completely wrong…
We were facing the sun, and the light was harsh. Surprisingly, we started to see a glow developing in the haze in the distance...not high in the sky, but below the sun and just above the ground. I planned on a wide angle photo of the valley, but I quickly grabbed my longest telephoto lens to zoom in on the silhouetted skyline. The light was intense, but dropping the exposure setting to -2 protected the highlights and still left some of the detail in the foreground. The glow lasted for about 10 minutes until the sun fell behind the mountain in the distance.
This is the first photo I took in Bagan and I ended up taking several hundred more as the light softened. I encourage you to also check out a previous post, Peaceful Paya, to see how the warm golden glow was replaced with cooler pink hues high in the sky on the same evening.
Even without clouds, I found this sunset to be spectacular. Perhaps we were just lucky, but since watching the sunset is heavily promoted as a must-do when visiting, I suspect sunsets frequently surprise in Bagan.
Peaceful Paya
Visting Bagan, Myanmar in December 2017 was an incredible experience. The plains near the ancient city are filled with over 2,200 Buddhist monuments (pagodas, stupas, monasteries, etc) of varying shapes and sizes.
Between the 9th & 13th centuries, Bagan was the flourishing capital of the Pagan Kingdom and over 10,000 monuments were built here. Sadly, after repeated Mongol invasions and numerous earthquakes, only a fraction of the monuments survived. Still, with over 2,000 remaining, a view across the plains is a mesmerizing sight.
This was taken on our first night in Bagan. We arrived only an hour before sunset and did not have time to venture out into the plains. Fortunately, there was this beautiful small pagoda (Paya, in Burmese) very close to our hotel. From this spot, you could see numerous temples in the background and it turned out to be a great place to watch the sunset. As the sun disappeared behind the mountain in the distance, the sky softened and the lights around the pagoda illuminated. A perfect, peaceful first night in Bagan.
