A Morning at the Taung Tho Market | Myanmar

Sep 5

It takes about three-plus hours of motorboat navigation from the popular tourist center, Nyaungshwe, through lnle Lake to reach Taung Tho Kyaung village. Located far at the southern end of the lake, this place is off the tourist circuit and really worth a visit.

Numerous small villages along the lake itself and the shores can be seen along the way. The houses are small and modest, built on stilts from wood and bamboo. Intha, meaning “sons of the lake,”is the name of ethnic group that lives here; they are self-sufficient and predominately farmers. The long ride to the Taung Tho Market was the perfect opportunity to see and photograph the picturesque scenes; surrounded by mountains, this part of Myanmar is just incredible.

Despite the early wake-up call, the boat arrived at the market around 10:00 a.m. The first sight was a fair number of boats spread out along the shore, and a frenzy of activity. At this time the market was already in the process of being dismantled, and locals were starting to go back home and to their villages. I probably had about an hour to take photos, walk around and observe the hustle. The place is authentic; it feels and looks like it’s lost in time. Ox carts towed by buffalos are the main way to transport the goods around the market and to the boats; this really got my attention and I spent some time shooting them. I also managed to make some portraits that I like. I wish I had arrived earlier and had some more time there, but at the end it was a wonderful day and I ended up capturing good photos.