MYANMAR

MYANMAR - once known as the land of smiles. Its long-suffering people always give you a warm welcome

Novices, Sagaing monastery

Group of young Buddhist novices in maroon robes having fun, Sagaing, Myanmar (Burma)

Smiling young Buddhist novice monk in maroon robe poses on monastery wall, Sagaing, Myanmar (Burma)

Mawlaminye - crumbling and quirky

Four young Buddhist novice monks laughing and having fun in monastery, Sagaing, Myanmar (Burma)

Brick Buddha statue in country near Mawlamyine, Mon State, Myanmar (Burma)

Two Burmese boys talking near horse and cart under trees near Mawlamyine, Mon State, Myanmar (Burma)

Little Burmese boy sitting on steps of dilapidated building, Mawlamyine, Mon State, Myanmar (Burma)

Unique red house with turret and fancy eaves in Mawlamyine, Mon State, once capital of British Burma, one-time home to Orwell and Kipling

Close up of two old men in hats, Mawlamyine, Mon State, Myanmar (Burma)

Kyeik Tha Lan Pagoda against blue sky, Mawlamyine, Mon State, Myanmar (Burma)

Myanmar women

Buddhist temple, Taung Tha Man Lake, Amarapura

Pagodas - Nyaungshwe

Golden pagoda by day, Nyaungshwe, Myanmar (Burma)

Pagoda against a cloudy sky, Nyaungshwe, Myanmar (Burma)

Golden pagoda at dusk with moon, Nyaungshwe, Myanmar (Burma)

Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda festival - it takes place on magical Inle Lake in Thadingyut, in the seventh month of the Burmese Lunar calendar, around October, and lasts 18 days. Hill tribes - Pa-O, Danu, Intha, Palaung and Kachin come down from their remote villages, each in their distinctive clothes.

Pilgrims arriving at the pagoda for the ceremony that precedes the festival

Shan girls sitting together before entering the pagoda

Pa-O woman wearing special headdress for the festival and 'thanaka', a sun protection made from tree bark, on her cheeks

Woman selling snacks for festival-goers - including birds' eggs

Setse Beach

Horse rides on Setse beach

Enjoying the beach

What a smile!

Pyin Oo Lwin - a scenic hill town with horse-drawn carriages, colonial architecture and a blend of cultures