3 weeks in March... India, Laos or Myanmar?

[maciekda]

I have 3 weeks vacation in March, I live in the UK

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I am thinking about going India, but I am considering also Myanmar

or Laos...

it is going to be a photo trip - taking pictures of life, people,

not much natural scenery... I have been to India before (Delhi,

Rajasthan, Agra)

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however I am having a problem with planning the itinerary in India.

what to visit having 3 weeks? I have been already to Rajasthan and

Agra. I was thinking about south India, but flights to Chennai or

Bangalore are quite more expensive...

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so, is it worth to go to India having 3 weeks? (and not going to

Rajasthan) I mean are there any sensible itineraries around Delhi

(maybe Varanasi and..?) or Mumbai which I could do within 3 weeks?

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the option I am considering at the moment is flying to Mumbay and

making a 3-week long circle around...

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another idea is Laos or Myanmar, is it a better idea for photography?

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any thoughts?

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thanks

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Maciek

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<a href="http://www.pbase.com/maciekda">www.pbase.com/maciekda</a>

[seanmoran]

Hello Maciek,

 

I have recently returned from three weeks in Karachi and Lahore and can highly recommend these cities (particularly Karachi) as places to do street photography. The fact that there are virtually no other tourists there means that the locals are not fed up with having cameras pointed at them: they will often volunteer to be photographed and even give you free samples of whatever they are selling. You would be regarded as an honoured guest - particularly if you wear a shalwar kameez (approx. 4GBP) and learn a couple of Urdu phrases. Even when I was mistaken for an American (I am slighly overweight) there was no problem.

 

Friendly, decent, photogenic people (at least the ones I met).

 

Just a suggestion.

 

Good luck

 

Sean.

 

PS Don't read the UK Foreign Office or US State Department web-sites too creulously or you will not even contemplate a trip to Karachi.

 

PPS If you do decide to go, I can recommend hotels, barbers, taxi drivers etc.

[seanmoran]

... sorry, should be "credulously" - now you really will mistake me for an American. (Just kidding, US cousins)

 

Sean.

[nevilleb]

Why not <a href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/presentation?presentation_id=275135">Goa</a>? I've only covered north in central Goa in this presentation, there are a few more great beaches in the south of the state.

[steve george]

Three weeks will get you to some great places in India. Fly to Delhi - you can easily get to Agra, Jaipur etc to cover the main sights, and stop off at lots of interesting less visited places on the way. I'd also highly recommend a trip to Varanasi - a great place.

[ivan_verschoote1]

For photography India is hard to beat - especially if you like to take pictures of people.

Rajastan is obvious but getting touristy, same with Agra and Varanasi. Goa is a joke, the

so-called Backpacker community has destroyed the place culturally. But India is enormous

- go wherever you like where tourism hasn't set deep impact yet : (to name a few) Orissa,

Sikkim, West-Bengal (Calcutta), Tamil Nadu...

Try to fly direct to the city you want (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or Kolkata): it saves a lot of

money on (expensive) domestic flights. Otherwise taking the train in 1st class is a good

option also.

Myanmar is on equal terms regarding people photography: very authentic throughout the

whole country. People like their photo taken (as in India); However, flights to Myanmar

tend

to be pricey.

Laos was a bit of disappointment regarding purely photographing people. India and

Myanmar are in another league.

[amit_gangrade]

3 weeks photography vacation in India would be idle. You can travel through lot of contrasting places that should satisfy ur snapping hunger. As you have already been to Delhi and Agra, starting frm Mumbai is a good idea. You might then consider Ajanta/Ellora caves b4 going down in the south. Kerela is an exotic location with fabulous back waters. Southern India has many religious cities, Rameshwaram, Kanya Kumari. In the east you can include Puri,Konark,Calcutta,North Eastern States(Assam,Sikkim) in your itinerary. Also Taj has been opened for public viewing during night(it wasnt earlier), so a Portrait of Taj with full moon in the back might interest you.

If militants and terrorism dont frighten you much, then consider visiting Kashmir. Things have improved greatly in the last year and large number of domestic travellers are travelling there. Though avoid going to very interior places.

You have been to India b4, you must know it well that domastic travel in not very comfortable. Better that you plan things well in advance and get tickets booked(it can get real crowdy in trains at times).

Also air travel has become considerably cheaper in the last 2 years due to increasing competition. Apex(21 days advance booking) fares between Delhi--Mumbai can be as low as 40$. Many new air routes between smaller cities have been added. One particular low budget airline http://www.airdeccan.net/ is remarkably cheap.

So enjoy ur vacations where even you go. I wish you a great trip and experience.

 

Sincerely,

Amit

[maciekda]

thank you for all the suggestion.

at this moment I am considering going to South India, I have found a quite cheap flight to Cochin in Kerala. I could make a small loop around the South, visiting Cochin - Mysore - Bangalore - Chennai - Pondicherry - Trichy - Kanyakumari - Cochin, sth like that, a nice circle, relatively short journeys between cities. I am sure it would be interesting. I would be backpacking, no flights between cities, buses or trains only.

 

another option is Mumbai and surroundings, but I can't find many big attractions not very far from Mumbai...

 

I have never been to Myanmar and it sounds very tempting too, I love SE Asia... but it is a big country, I am not a big fan of long journeys between cities (Rangoon - Mandalay), airtickets are more expensive, anti-malaria pills...

 

I have few more days to make up my mind ;) and what is my main interest is people photography

[bonsignore_ezio]

I've been to Myanmar for 3 weeks last year, and it was a truly fascinating tour as regards both the places and the people - as well as a truly infuriating one when you see how the Burmese, who have been described as "the gentler oppressed nation of earth", are put down by their own so-called government. The fascination is due mostly to the fact that this is still a country populated by deeply religious people, who use their Buddism to go through life with a smile no matter what. It is impossible to escape the perception that the people around you, while suffering under a stupid dictatorship and deprivation are basically content, and at peace with themselves and the world. Besides, the ruins of Pagan are something absolutely unbelievable.

It is however true that internal flights are expensive. Trains are cheaper but of course take much longer, and buses takes UNBELIEAVABLY longer due to the very primitive road network. Also, I have some reservations about doing this as a backpacking trip without a minimum of previous preparation. The country is absolutely safe and there are no significant traveling restriction (apart for the northern regions in the Golden Triangle, of course), but knowledge of English is still very limited, particularly in the countryside and you might end up facing serious difficulties for the most simple of things. Anyway, given that you have already done India I would stand to my suggestion to try Myanmar. While there certainly is much more to see and do in India, Myanmar would be a completely different experience.

[maciekda]

thanks for all the suggestions, I'd love to see Myanmar, but I have made up my mind and I think it will be my next trip..

This time I am be going to India, I will fly to Cochin and then go south towards the southern tip of India, then go up - Madurai and some cities in Tamil Nadu, then go back to Cochin.

starting on the 5th of March, 3 weeks. Wish me luck :)

[peter_weimann1]

I was in Myanmar and it was a great trip. Nice people and really lots of photo ops.

Look at my folder "Die Zeitreise" to get a glimpse of what to expect:

http://peter-weimann-nature-photography.meinatelier.de

Greetings

Peter

[j123]

Hi Maciej,

 

I as well would definitely recommend a trip to Burma... I haven't been to India but spend some time in Laos and I found, by far, Burma the most exting country around south east asia... Amazing country, home of an amazing population where tourists are so rare (compare to the rest os the region) that true encounters are possible...

[julien_bec]

Myanmar, Myanmar, and Myanmar. Go there before armadas of tourist come. I've sent 3 weeks last summer and I really discover a great country with great great great people : at the same time so far and so close that ours occidentals. Really don't miss the opportunity to go there...

 

 

An anecdote, when I planned my trip reading travelers manual, most of them just tell that Myanmar will remain as a particular country in their minds, just listen the pro !