Robert van Koesveld | Geiko and Maiko of Kyoto

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I rarely if ever, feature crowdfunding campaigns for photography projects, because I don't want to field requests to publicize them before their funding is completed. It's a principle I adhered to since I started the blog many years ago, and since then I've refused to have The Travel Photographer blog feature work in progress that require funding. There are other blogs and websites that can do that better than I can.

With Robert van Koesveld's Geiko and Maiko of Kyoto book, I waited until it overshot its stated goal of raising $3460 to have it published, and can now feature it as an exemplar of a well done job of photography, and marketing. I'm certain the 160 pages hardback book itself will be a worthwhile addition to anyone's library. This book project started about three years ago and has evolved through several iterations.

Geiko is a Kyoto term, and are traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses and whose skills include performing various arts such as classical music, dance, games and conversation, mainly to entertain male customers. Maiko are young geiko, or apprentices, ranging in age from 15 to 20 or 21 years old.

According to the book's description, it starts with an essay giving context to the images and shares some of Mr van Koesveld's education in his study of the geiko and maiko, and his interviews of some key people. This is followed by photographs of eleven different maiko and geiko, with an intervening picture essay about an evening with maiko. 

With my photo book still being a work-in-progress, I easily emphasize and identify with Mr van Koesveld's intensive work on his. It's an extremely challenging task, but provided the passion is there, it's also an indescribable pleasure, from inception to completion and beyond.

Jan Møller Hansen | The Raute of Nepal

Photo © Jan Møller Hansen-All Rights Reserved 

The Raute are the last hunter-gatherers of Nepal and are only a handful of societies that still do so around the world. It is estimated that they are less than 150, and are the last nomadic people of Nepal. The forests that were their traditional home have more or less disappeared, but they still follow their ancient way of life, staying in one place for a few weeks, then moving on.

Despite pressures of modernity, they wish to remain full-time foragers and reject assimilation into the surrounding farming population. They subsist by hunting langur and macaque monkeys, and gathering wild yams, rice and a few kinds of vegetables traded from local farmers.

The Raute are constantly on the move. They hold no jobs, or and no one goes to school. They grow no crops of any kind and have no livestock. Largely dependent on government handouts, they resist conformity, and remain intractable, secretive and deeply suspicious of outsiders. This, they believe, will preserve their identity and ensure their survival as a distinct community.

The Last Hunters and Gatherers of the Himalayas is an exhaustive photographic gallery of the Raute consisting of 253 photographs by Jan Møller Hansen.

Jan Møller Hansen is a self-taught photographer, who works in visual story telling and social documentary. He lived four years in Nepal (1991-1995), four years in Vietnam (2000-2004), five years in Bangladesh (2007-2012) and worked in short-term diplomatic and international development cooperation assignments in a number of Asian and African countries. 

He currently resides and works in Kathmandu, Nepal. When time permits, he works on various themes in Nepal and in the Himalayan region. He speaks Nepali and has in-depth knowledge about Nepal and the region. In 2015, he published the photo book "Images of Nepal" and was recognized as IPA People Photographer of the Year 2015.

Paul Levrier | Red Hmong | Visions of Asia

Photo © Paul Levrier -All Rights Reserved

This blog post features one of the most enjoyable compilations of South East Asian photographs, and a "gift" to everyone who appreciates this part of the world.

Out of the many impressive photographic galleries, I chose Paul Levrier's Portraits of the Red Hmong to showcase here for two reasons: they are in monochrome and they're square in format.

These are Red Hmong women of Dien Bien Phu province, who adopt the long standing custom of collecting and saving hair from their parents and grandparents, and weave them into enormous wigs that are worn during specific days and on special events such as anniversaries, festivals and religious rituals.

The Hmong are an ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China. This hair collecting tradition is also shared by these Miao women. Within the Miao, the hairstyle of one subgroup has earned them the name "Long Horns."

Paul Levrier is the founder of Visions of Asia, this magnificent digital image bank/library. He is in a perfect position to photograph all over South East Asia and in particular in Indochina. He's the managing director of a travel company specializing in Vietnam and Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

What to Do and Where to Eat, Go and Stay when in Panglao, Bohol

Panglao is a beautiful island in the Philippines which is found in the southwest region of Bohol. It gains its popularity because of the long and lovely beaches it possess, rich biodiversity which makes it a perfect site for diving and snorkeling activities, interesting geological feature and not to mention the stunning hotels and restaurants that are rising in the island.

With the many qualities of the island I mentioned, you already know that there are bunch of places this province is proud of.

[Where to Eat] Bohol Bee Farm

We visited Bohol Bee Farm right after our Country-Side Tour in Tagbilaran and before we went to our hotel in Panglao. So basically, we were there for our dinner. My first impression of the place is that it has this relaxing vibe. It has this not so bright yellow lighting and aside from the small talk you hear from the people who are dining there, you can also hear waves coming from the sea.

I didn't also expect that the place is that big. Aside from the dining area, it offers rooms for accommodation, souvenir shop, a spa and a pool. It also has an ice cream parlor with unique flavors such as peanut kisses, dragon fruit, malunggay, etc. Those are a must try!

[Where to Go] Hinagdanan Cave

What I like about Hinagdanan Cave is that it has an underground lake inside it. Among all the caves I've been to, this is the first time I saw a big tub water inside a cave. Although it was inviting, I restrained myself to jump on it.

By the way, there is a 25 pesos entrance fee to Hinagdanan Cave. The entrance of the cave is about 1 meter wide in diameter and the way to it is slippery so one must take extra caution. The whole cave isn't that long. It only measures 100 metres but it is surrounded by rock formations and lime stones. The cave's interior is beautiful and has holes on the ceiling where sunlight infiltrates and somehow lighted the cave that added beauy to the cave. Hinagdanan Cave is a great side trip when you're in Panglao so make sure that you visit it.

[Where to Go] Alona Beach

Alona beach is also a nice beach to for you to relax. Alona beach has this long shore which is characterized by creamy white sand. The water here is pretty clear which is perfect for swimming! There are also a lot of hotels along the shore as well as restaurants just in case you decided to stay a couple of days in Panglao.

[What to Do] Island Hopping at Balicasag Island and Virgin Island

Panglao is an island which is famous for island hopping activity. The island hopping covers a visit to Alona Beach, Balicasag Island and the Virgin Island. Along side, some of the activities you can do during island hopping are: dolphin-watching, fish feeding, snorkeling and of course swimming. I published a separate blog post of my island hopping adventure at Panglao. Click the link to read my whole my adventure -- [click here].

[Where to Stay] Panglao Regents Park

I'm the kind of traveler who is not fond of stay-cation when I'm out and travelling. I would choose to spend my money on discovering islands and islets, trying out new stuff and activities or eat on a fancy restaurant rather than staying on a class hotels with soft beds, great service and lots of amenities. The reason why is because my trips are always jam-packed with activities and I only need a hotel just to get through the night for a sleep. So why would I spend a lot if all I need is a bed? But as for a change, I broke that perception and tried to check-in at Panglao Regents Park during our Bohol trip. And I never regret even a single penny I spent because it was worth the stay. Read my full story here -- [click here].

[Where to Stay] Henann Resort Alona Beach

I revisited Bohol for the second time to celebrate my girl's birthday. Since our initial plan is to have a staycation at Bohol, we decided to book an accommodation to the largest resort found at Panglao, Bohol. None other than the Henann Resort Alona Beach. To know more about my stay at Henann, just refer to this link -- [click here].

I have been to Panglao twice already and yet it never fails to amazed me. This place is a gem that our country should be proud of and take care of for future generations. Jetsetters will surely enjoy the province as it offers a lot of things, from foods, to fancy hotels and restaurants, to adventures. If given a chance to visit Bohol again for the third time, I would definitely and still include Panglao on my itinerary.

Mustafa Dedeoğlu | Ashura

Photo © Mustafa Dedeoğlu-All Rights Reserved

I've seldom featured the work of Turkish photographers on this blog, but to redress this oversight here is the powerful photographs of Mustafa Dedeoğlu with monochromatic images of Ashura. It's also
about time that I featured black & white imagery after a surfeit of color that my blog has seen for the past few months.

Ashura is an Islamic holiday observed on the 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year. It's scheduled for October 12th in 2016. The word itself is derived from the number "10," denoting the date of the holiday. For the Shias, it commemorates a day of mourning for the death of Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the battle of Karbala. Shias consider Hussein the third Imam and the rightful successor to Muhammad, and the grief for his death is demonstrated by the self-flagellation in parades and other venues.

For Sunni Muslims, Ashura is occasionally observed by fasting as the Prophet Muhammad did, to commemorate the day when Moses and his followers were saved from the Pharaoh by God by creating a path in the Red Sea.

I'm itching to photograph Ashura in India, and was on the verge of setting out to do just so a year ago, but I've had to postpone it for another time due to conflicting schedules. It is one of the religious festivals that is intense, possibly blood curdling and not for the faint of heart. 

Mustafa Dedeoğlu was born in Istanbul and studied industrial engineering in Cyprus. His interest in photography started in 2006, and with time it has become his passion. Mustafa's work is published in various local and foreign titles on art. He also shares his creations through exhibitions, and has shown it in Russia, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, America, Tehran and France.

Book Trailer: Hầu Đồng: The Spirit Mediums of Viet Nam

Here's a trailer of my work in progress book project; Hầu Đồng: The Spirit Mediums of Viet Nam, on which I've been working for the past year, and whose fieldwork will be completed by summer of 2016, if all goes to plan.

I estimate the photo book in its final form will have around 100 full-color photographs of Hầu Đồng ceremonies, of its rituals, of its mediums, its religious paraphernalia and much more. In addition, it'll have no less than 25-30 pages of text explaining the ancient syncretic religion of Đạo Mẫu, its history, its mythology and its pantheon of deities, along with a narrative of my personal experiences documenting it in Vietnam.

The trailer is a conscious attempt on my part to set a firm timeframe for the book's publication. Otherwise, this documentary project might never finish. As I've written in an earlier post, I could be victim of the matryoshka dolls (aka Russian nesting dolls) syndrome; a metaphor for discovering more and more opportunities every time I probe the Hầu Đồng world and its community.... and this project could go on and on like the Energizer Bunny.

Since I worked on this personal project, I’ve experienced a resurgence of excitement, not only for photography, but a spike in my intellectual interest in syncretic religious traditions, occult cultural customs and practices, Asian history and languages, to mention just a few. And I can say that working on this project has given me a sense of direction, and the expression "as happy as a pig in mud" comes to mind.

The experience of researching the material needed for this book project, whether in Hanoi or New York City, whether in live conversations or in emails/messages with the generous Vietnamese who are helping me or in my office using the available internet search engines to gather as much information as possible... whether succeeding or failing... whether finding the ceremonies and people or not... experiencing highs and lows, whether experiencing disappointments or success, it was worth every second, and it ain't over yet.

Gary Draluck | Burning Man

Photo © Gary Draluck-All Rights Reserved

Brace yourself for over 100 unique photographs of the incredible Burning Man 2015 festival by photographer Gary Draluck, and set some time aside to view scenes that are so unusual that I thought these were from another planet.

According to Wikipedia, Burning Man is an annual gathering that takes place at Black Rock City—a temporary community erected in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. The event is described as an experiment in community and art, influenced by 10 main principles, including "radical" inclusion, self-reliance and self-expression, as well as community cooperation, gifting and (sic) "decommodification", and leaving no trace.

Some describe the Burning Man festival as a socialist utopia; bringing thousands of people to an empty desert to create an alternative society. Money is banned, advertisements are taboo, and this creates a gift economy. Others are critical of it, describing it as a week-long art party in a handmade city in an inhospitable environment, and that is being taken over by the rich Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.

Whatever side of this divide one belongs to, the fact remains that Burning Man is wonderfully photogenic, weird, alien...almost extra terrestrial, and has a Mad Max-style environment.

Gary Draluck is a multi faceted photographer from Oakland, California, who's enamored with music and musical photography, with emphasis on tango, and naturally on Burning Man which he visited many times. He's also an alum of the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop (Chiang Mai chapter).

A Review: Henann Resort Alona Beach of Panglao, Bohol

Henann is a known group which offers world-class accommodations and top-notch service. They made a statement when they constructed their first luxury resort in the beautiful island of Boracay. And just last year of August, they expanded in Bohol where they opened a 6.5 hectare of property. The resort sits at Panglao, Bohol and along the pristine shores of Alona Beach. Henann Resort Alona Beach currently reigns as the biggest resort in the island of Panglao. And with that, I was so curious what it feels like to stay in this kind of resort. So, as for my girlfriend's birthday, I convinced her and her family to book at Henann since we will be celebrating it in Bohol. Luckily, they agreed!

How to get there?

Like what I have stated above, Henann Resort Alona Beach is located in Panglao. So, if you are coming from Tagbilaran airport you may ride a taxi to take you to Alona beach in Panglao. Taxi ride may costs you 600-700 Pesos. But if you are in a tight budget, you may rent a tricycle which you can haggle for about 300 Pesos. Henann Resort Alona Beach is so popular in the area and drivers know where exactly it is located.

Welcome to Henann Resort Alona Beach of Bohol

The Room

The 6.5 hectare resort of Henann has 400 spacious, world-class rooms and 12 Pool Villas. And during our stay, we booked one of their Premier Room. A Premier Room rates at 6, 753.60 PhP per night which can accommodate a maximum of 3 persons. However the free buffet breakfast is only good for 2 persons. We we're four during this trip, therefore we paid extra to fully experience Henann. Below is the computation of our stay for 4 persons for 3 nights (and 4 days): 

Again, the room costs 6,753.60 PhP per night. Since we stayed there for 3 nights, total room costs was 20,260.80 PhP. The buffet breakfast is only good for 2 persons. So as for the buffet breakfast of the 3rd person, we paid 549 PhP each day. It will be multiplied by three since we had 3 breakfasts during our stay, so total cost was 1,647 PhP. It doesn't stop there. Since we were 4 on that trip. The 4th person paid another 1,500 PhP for the extra bed and buffet breakfast. In which has an additional total cost of 4,500 PhP. In short, we paid a total of 26,407.80 PhP for our 3 nights stay (good for 4 pax). Now, enough with the math and let's go back to the room we availed...

Premier Room (Photo from Henann website)

Our room is located in the 4th floor and since it is a Premier room, its veranda is facing the Pool/beach side. Yet before we even reach our room, I already set my expectations high. We paid a lot just for this vacation plus this resort is known for being luxurious so I guess it's just fair. So as we entered our room, at first I was just nodding my head up and down because what I am seeing that time satisfied my high expectation. It was clean, cozy and well ventilated but what exceeds the bar are the view of the veranda plus the bathroom part of the room. The view from our veranda is merely breathtaking! We have a view of their massive, modern styled pools which is so pleasing to stare and stayed at. I know its funny, but I was also amazed with their bathroom. It was so big and spacious that another person can occupy comfortably. It has a dedicated space for bathtub and shower area, a big area for sink and mirrors with hair dryer, and of course another big space for the toilet. Everything on that bathroom is big and spacious!

View from our room's veranda

The only issue I encountered was the poor WIFI connection. Well, I do have my own data plan so it wasn't a deal breaker for me.

You may also want to try their Direct Access Pool rooms

Amenities

Dining Areas, Cafes and Bars. Henann Resort Alona Beach has a lot of dining areas and bars scattered accordingly. One of them that we personally experienced was the Coral Cafe. It is where the buffet breakfast is hold every 6 in the morning till 10. Although the cafe serves the same food during breakfast on our whole stay, we don't mind it. Why? Because there are so much varieties to choose from plus the fact that it tastes great as well. They serve breads such as pandesal and ensaymada. Dried fishes like dangit and daing. The usual breakfast food like eggs (sunny side up, scrambled, etc), ham and bacon. Soups were served as well. Tons of different drinks (about 5 to 6 kinds of juices, coffee and hot chocolate). Fruits like sweet mango, watermelon, and more. Plus desserts. Plus these and that! Really so much to choose from! Also not to mention that the staff in Coral Cafe are very accommodating and friendly. Not bad for a 549 PhP worth of meal.

View if you decided to grab some snack

As for the bars, what fascinated me, are the sunken bars located on each pool. These sunken bars are literally located in the pool. So you don't have to get out of the pool just to get a drink and some snack. It's actually pretty convenient.

Each pool has its own sunken bar

Let's have a closer look of the sunken bar

Pools and Beach. Henann has these 3 massive pools that you will surely enjoy! One of the pools are located in the middle of the resort's buildings. This is the view that are usually seen on Premier rooms and Direct pool access rooms. While the other 2 pools are located just before you reach the Alona Beach. Each pools has towel stations where you can borrow towels while you swim in the pool or in the beach. So there's no need to bring your own towel or the towel from your room.

Dip in the beach or at the pool?

A piece of heaven on Earth...

My tour guide. Haha

Alona beach is just a few steps away from the resort. In fact Henann is a beach front resort. Also, there are beach umbrellas in the shore of Alona provided by Henann in case you want to stay in the beach watching the sun rise, as it sets or just wanted to get those skin tanned.

Ready to get tanned?

Others. Other amenities you can find at Henann Resort Alona Beach are spa, fitness center with gym, airport transfers, souvenir shop, laundry service, foreign currency exchange, convention/business center, and printer, fax, and photo copying services.

The receiving area

Overall Experience

Henann Resort Alona Beach live up to its name as a luxury hotel with top notch services. Our room was maintained clean everyday by the house keepers, it was well ventilated and the beds have a comfortable bedding. The foods they serve in their cafe tastes great and in wide varieties. We were always full every time we walked out on Coral Cafe which was a nice way to start our mornings. The place is really perfect for vacation. There was even a day where we just actually lay in our room and just enjoy the pools. We really enjoyed our whole 3 nights stay. It was definitely an excellent choice to stay at while in Bohol. 

Breakdown of Expenses:

Room - 6,753.60 PhP per night x 3 nights = 20,260.80 PhP

Breakfast of the 3rd person - 549 PhP each day x 3 days = 1,647 PhP

Extra bed for the 4th person (with breakfast) - 1,500 PhP per night x 3 nights = 4,500 PhP

= a total of 26,407.80 PhP for 3 nights stay (good for 4 pax)

** Room rates may vary over time...

Nomads of Mongolia | Brandon Li

With the temperature in New York City in the teens today, I thought I'd feature a documentary about the Nomads of Mongolia by Brandon Li, a talented peripatetic movie maker.

The Mongolian pastoral herders are one of the world's last remaining nomadic cultures. For over 3000 years, they have lived on the steppes, grazing their livestock on its grasslands, and move in the search of better pastures and campsites. They live by and for their livestock, including their horses.

About half of Mongolia’s population is still roaming the vast plains living in the traditional ger, and moving their campings several times a year. Nomadic life may seem to us to be extraordinarily hard, but Mongolians have developed, over the centuries, strength and resilience that are essential for survival in this harsh nature.

However, modernity, bringing a new economic system, opportunities in mining, and the effects of overgrazing and climate change are pushing this ancient nomadic culture to adopt a more urban, settled lifestyle. Many Mongolian herders believe their traditional way of life is over, and some have already broken the ancient tradition of passing down the family herd to the youngest child.

Enrico Martino | Believers

Photo © Enrico Martino-All Rights Reserved

With the advent of 2016 and for the first blog post of the year, I thought I'd feature the personal work of veteran photographer Enrico Martino, which he titled "Believers".

It's a collection of 77 photographs of various religious (conventional and not so conventional) traditions, including Jewish worshippers celebrating Bar Mitzvah in Jerusalem, the Peruvian procession of “Señor de los Milagros”, Lord Krishna's birthday in India, rituals in the Islamic wonders of Old Cairo and Coptic pilgrimage sites, Spain's Camino de Santiago, and and many others.

Enrico Martino is a documentary and travel photojournalist, writer and multimedia storyteller, who has worked in more than sixty countries. He's a contributor to important Italian and international magazines and exhibited in international expositions, covering political and documentary assignments in Italy, Europe, Middle and Far East, Africa, USA and Latin America. Recently, he specialized in travel photo and texts reportages. He is also member of Nuestra Mirada, the website of many Latin American photographers.
I originally came across Enrico's work before I traveled to Buenos Aires in 2011 to teach at the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop. I wanted to produce a short multimedia photo-film about tango, and his wonderful work Tango Soul came up during my search.

He produced a number of short movies, but I reckon that Tango Soul is the one that influenced me the most. Don't leave his website and not view it. You will not regret it,a nd you'll view it many times.