Anders Lee

Pictures by Anders / I travel to escape modern life.

[wanderanders]

Capital of the Hipsters

Reykjavík, the effortlessly hip capital of the tiny island nation, which is now expecting to welcome 1.3 million visitors in 2016. The surge in popularity with hipsters and on Instagram can be credited to the aggressive promotion by Icelandair, advertising the city as a great stopover for travellers between continental Europe and North America.

For myself, Reykjavík is the sweet first taster of what is my childhood dream trip. Coming from another tiny island nation myself, I’ve been drawn to a fellow island which has everything that we don’t - wide open spaces, volcanoes and evidently, its bizarre landscapes. Maybe this is a taste of what my future Icelandic life would be like - having my own apartment, grocery shopping and cooking my own meals. Living in Lego houses, hanging out in hipster cafes and quirky local boutique stores. All of these while enjoying views of snow-capped mountains in an incredibly polite, cyclist-friendly city.

[wanderanders]

Paperlight in the Sky

Every year, the tiny town of Taunggyi transforms into Ibiza for the fire balloon competition to celebrate the Tazaungdaing Festival. Spent the night watching massive(!!!) balloons made of paper and loaded with homemade fireworks released to the beats of poppers o'clock music. What a serene moment watching the balloon lit with hundreds of candles float away, and it didn't even need any of those fireworks to outshine the rest.

[wanderanders]

Like on a Lake

What’s life like a large body of water connects your school, the markets you buy groceries from, the temple you visit and finally, your home? A tiny wooden boat becomes your only mean of getting around and and your arms will be the pedals; your legs on the lake. The Intha people row with their feet, using their core to twist their body and letting the resultant kinetic energy to move their boat forward.

We rented a long boat for the day, visiting multiple attractions dotted along the lake. But the true highlight was watching locals move as if they were on land. Fishermen casting their nets hoping for a large haul, or fishermen lifting their feet and their pedal for a dollar, children in their uniforms rowing home from school, farmers expertly navigating and tending to their floating gardens. A non-swimmer like me would feel incredibly uncomfortable living on a lake, but for the locals, this lake gives them life.

From the Myanmar series: Yangon - http://wanderanders.tumblr.com/post/140574385441/rangoon-gallery-visitors-new-to-myanmar-typically

Bagan - http://wanderanders.tumblr.com/post/140634473056/sunrise-in-bagan-unlike-the-temples-in-angkor

[wanderanders]

Sunrise in Bagan

Unlike the temples in Angkor which were constructed over a good period of time with meticulously carved stones, the rulers of Bagan were aiming for quantity over quality, littering this entire area with over 10,000 temples at its peak.

Having seen all of the blockbuster temples and more, it's fair to say that the most charming part of Bagan isn't its temples, but the calm feeling of cycling past hundreds of temples and pagodas everyday. We opted for the old school foot-powered bicycles and went around from Old Bagan to Nyaung U to New Bagan for the next three days at the pace we want, stopping to catch all the great views while getting a good roast from the merciless sun.

And that sunrise, my mind often wanders back to that moment when the first rays illuminate the hundreds of temples before my eyes, with the dry, dusty air of Bagan giving the panorama an extra edge. I haven’t had another moment quite like this again.

From the Myanmar series: Yangon - http://wanderanders.tumblr.com/post/140574385441/rangoon-gallery-visitors-new-to-myanmar-typically#140574385441 Inle Lake - http://wanderanders.tumblr.com/post/145801270466/like-on-a-lake-whats-life-like-a-large-body-of

[wanderanders]

Rangoon Gallery

Visitors new to Myanmar typically choose to swiftly skip by the former capital in search of greater adrenaline rush in the big three (Bagan, Inle Lake, Mandalay), missing out on what could arguably be the most unique and charming cities in Southeast Asia. There isn’t any city in Southeast Asia quite like Yangon, in terms of its architecture and cuisine.

Navigating the grid-like streets and boulevards of downtown Yangon is easy, with its conveniently named “35th, 36th, 37th Street” numbering system. From the 15th Street to 50th street, past Chinatown, the unofficial Muslim quarter and the British colonial area, witness how the faces, street foods and sights change as you go along. The city feels stuck in the 1950′s, with no lack of photogenic, decaying buildings.

Unfortunately, for now, the government still has no clear plans on how they would preserve the architectural wealth of Downtown Yangon. With the country in political transition, only time would tell.

From the Myanmar series: Bagan - http://wanderanders.tumblr.com/post/140634473056/sunrise-in-bagan-unlike-the-temples-in-angkor

Inle Lake - http://wanderanders.tumblr.com/post/145801270466/like-on-a-lake-whats-life-like-a-large-body-of

[wanderanders]

Seeking Nirvana

The bell-shaped stupas of Borobudur - Central Java, Indonesia

[wanderanders]

Selamat Pagi, Borobudur

The strength of Borobudur is remarkable. Having been swept over by the lava of central Java’s many active volcanoes and bombed by terrorists, it still stands strong today with its mighty resilience. 

Still half asleep, we walked from our hotel to the temple at 4.30 a.m, under a blanket of stars and to the magnificent sound of azan inviting our bodies to wake up. A visual treat of the spectacular sunrise, the plains and the volcanoes beyond.

[wanderanders]

The Wild East of Cambodia

The province of Mondulkiri lies in the eastern part of Cambodia, also known as the “Wild East”, supposedly for the lack of tourists and its sparsely populated regions. Or that’s what Lonely Planet fooled us into believing. With the new highway (the smoothest, newest road you’ll find in all of Cambodia - we were so surprised it almost felt like we were in another country), the provincial capital of Sen Monorom is now 10 hours away from Phnom Penh instead of the 14-16 hours journey only a few years back. 

And we were amazed by what we found in the wild east. The minivan ride here offers landscapes very unlike what we were used to in Cambodia. On top of that, the region has the largest waterfall in Cambodia (Bou Sra Waterfall), avocados, native elephants and the Pnong minority. And did you say banana pancake? They must’ve heard us because we had the best caramelized banana pancakes right here.

[wanderanders]

Supertrees

Because real trees are too mainstream.

[wanderanders]

The Dance of Thaipusam

Compared to Batu Caves, Malaysia, the Hindu festival of Thaipusam is celebrated on a much smaller scale in Singapore. Devotees carry elaborately decorated kavadis (often pierced into their skin) down a 4-kilometre route. With no full-time job, I finally had the chance to witness the pilgrimage route this year and work on my documentary photography skills. These are my favourites from that wonderful day. Kudos to those carrying the kavadis!

[wanderanders]

The Pride of Cambodia

"Welcome to Cambodia, a wonderful place on the earth It's a diamond of Southeast Asia."

Speak to any Khmer and you will no doubt feel the pride they hold for this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Those in a hurry could make this a day trip and those with time could easily fill up a week here.

If you are feeling adventurous, rent a bike in Siem Reap (US$1.50 for the entire day!) and you can take it at the pace you like. The archaeological wealth of this massive space will leave you in awe - it wouldn't be hard to still find temples swallowed by the tropical jungles. Angkor definitely deserves more than a day of your time.

[wanderanders]

Streets of the World

One of my bad habits while travelling - taking too many photos of alleys and streets. Here are a few from around the world.

[wanderanders]

People of नेपाल Nepal

Before I embarked on this trip back in April, I set myself two goals - 1. to pay more attention to finer details, 2. to photograph more people. These are my favourites from the hundreds of trials and (many) errors.

[wanderanders]

Earth Intruders in Nepal: A 4-day Poon Hill Trek

(Music: How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep by Bombay Bicycle Club)

[wanderanders]

Pljeskavica Plitvice

Halfway between the capital city of Zagreb and Split, a splendid nature mega-park of all its 16 turquoise lakes and linked cascades reveals itself. Nearly 300 square kilometres of wild, untouched beauty awaits your exploration.

[wanderanders]

(Black) / White

Colonial houses in Singapore. Shot on iPhone.

[wanderanders]

Day Out With Nature

Barefooted, bruschetta, books.