2 weeks in Turkey / December 22, 2020 by Yobel Muchang

15 days | Aug 2019 | Aerial view of Cappadocia, Turkey from a hot air balloon.

Quick Thoughts

The first time I visited Turkey it was focused solely on Istanbul. This time I had the opportunity to explore the country and seaside terrains with two close friends in tow. The trip began on my own in Cappadocia with the obligatory hot air balloon experience, followed by a roadtrip with friends along the southwestern coast of Turkey, and ended with a solo venture into the town of Van to - no joke - hang out with their epic cats. The perfect ingredients to create a memorable trip.

Key Highlights

Link to my collection of Instagram Stories from the trip!
Hot air balloons over Cappadocia - As mentioned it’s basically obligatory, but trust me the views are worth it.
Rooftops of Cappadocia - Just as obligatory is to catch sunrise/sunset or hot air balloon views from the countless rooftops.
Seaside town of Kas - Amazing resort-style place to relax and enjoy the stunning coastal views.
Thermal pools in Pamukkale - I’m a sucker for surrealism, and seeing this thermal snowy-white landscape did it for me.
Van Cats - I love photographing animal eyes, so when I discovered a town known for cats with heterochromia, I booked the flight immediately.
Akdamar Island - I enjoyed spending a day exploring this island on Van Lake. Most surprising thing was the number of strangers who asked for selfies with me. I don’t think many Asians visit Van.. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Things to Know

I purchased my travel visa through www.ivisa.com.
Book your hot air balloon ride in advance. I don’t think it matters which agency you use, but just make sure to book the earliest morning batch of flights so you don’t miss the sunrise.
Places I stayed: Azure Cave Suites, Kookaburra Pension, Villa Hotel Tamara, Pamukkale Ninova Thermal Spa & Hotel, Mavi Panorama.

My Gear

My Prints

Bird’s Eye View

Aug 1, 2019 - Aug 15, 2019

Trip by the Photos

Roadtrip in Portugal / September 2, 2020 by Yobel Muchang

7 days | Jun 2019 | Drone shot of Sanctuary of Christ the King overlooking Lisbon, Portugal.

Quick Thoughts

2020 sucks.

Sorry had to get that off my chest..

Portugal though?? Amazing to say the least. I spent seven days with a close friend roadtripping across the country, constantly in a state of amazement at the surrounding wonders. We started in Lisbon, drove inland to the Serra da Estrela mountains, stopped in the vibrant city of Porto, then pivoted south along the coastline to the magical town of Sintra before capping it off back in Lisbon. Each destination has its own color and vibes which deserves undivided attention to fully appreciate it.

Best way to sum it up? If roadtripping through Portugal turned out to be the cure to a global pandemic, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Key Highlights

Link to my collection of Instagram Stories from the trip!
Porto - My biggest regret was only having a day to spend here. I’d love to spend an endless period of time exploring this city.
A child’s bliss - Being reminded that children have an amazing superpower: the ability to enjoy the little things in life, like chasing after bubbles without a care in the world.
Sintra & Azenhas do Mar - Sintra is this magical town built on an absurdly steep mountainside along the coastline. I still have residual nightmares of driving up the impossibly narrow mountain roads without smashing into everything. Yet here I am, wishing I could live there, the views are that stunning.
Lisbon’s colorful architecture.
Praça do Comércio - I enjoy taking long exposure shots, standing patiently in one place allowing time to smooth away the chaos, leaving behind motionless serenity. Trying to apply this perspective to 2020..
Sunrise shot @ Vasco da Gama Bridge - Funny enough, I was upset with myself because I forgot my main camera gear for this shoot. But it led to a much-needed revelation. I’d become overly consumed with taking the “perfect shot” that I almost forgot to enjoy the moment as it passed me by. Definitely something I’ll take to heart going forward on my future travel endeavors.
LxFactory - My favorite place to explore in Lisbon was this hipster art district.
Pastéis de Belém - The OG of egg custard cakes. Go here. Just do it.

Things to Know

Spend more time in Porto!
In Lisbon, try out the Lime scooters to get around. Cheap and quite the thrill.
Places I stayed: Porto Spot Hostel, Nice Way Sintra Palace, Lisbon Marriott Hotel, Sant Jordi Hostels Lisbon.

My Gear

Bird’s Eye View

7 days summer roadtrip through Portugal.

Trip by the Photos

Weekend in India / May 27, 2020 by Yobel Muchang

3 days | Apr 2019 | Akash the tiger bathing in a watering hole. Photo taken through the thick jungle foliage.

Quick Thoughts

Not gonna lie, planning a trip to India was quite daunting as I experienced a bit of information overload. I mean we’re talking about a country with 4,000 freaking cities and the seventh largest land mass in the world.

With that said, my goal was to witness India’s wonderfully diverse wildlife and in particular: the bengal tigers. So I narrowed down my options for a weekend getaway and landed on Ranthambhore National Park near Jaipur.

The weekend only afforded me a taste of India, but after surviving a staredown with the King of the Jungle, suffice to say I’m ready for round two 🐯

Key Highlights

Link to my collection of Instagram Stories from the trip!
Key highlight was the wildlife safari (obviously). In 1.5 days I took 2,500 photos, mostly of tigers but also got an elusive leopard sighting, tons of langur monkeys, deer, peacocks, mongoose, wild boar, kingfishers, herons, and so on.
Galta Ji Monkey Temple - I spent my last afternoon in India hanging out with a bunch of monkeys, quite literally. It was entertaining watching dozens of playful monkeys dive repeatedly into the temple pool and wrestling nonstop with each other. Time well spent.
Cows own the roads - I understand cows are considered sacred in the majority-Hindu nation, but it’s still quite the spectacle seeing a single cow able to force the chaotic and uncompromising road to bend the knee.
Speaking of roads, do you seek the thrill of rollercoasters but are afraid of heights? Well, driving in India is somewhat of its own adrenaline rush. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t a few times I closed my eyes and whispered, “Jesus take the wheel” while my driver nonchalantly weaved his way between cars, tuk tuks, cows, bikers, pedestrians, and chaos incarnate. But the more time I spent on the roads, the more fascinated I became at the technical prowess and confidence of the drivers (cows excluded). Take a few steps back and you’ll see there are unspoken, hidden rules of the road that once discovered enable you to control the chaos and ride the current. Like a boss.

Things to Know

Travel Visa - In typical fashion I booked this trip last minute and almost forgot about the travel visa. Fortunately I successfully applied for a rush e-visa via this website which approved me in 24 hours.
I stayed at the Ranthambhore Heritage Haveli hotel which I recommend. They took care of my airport pickup / dropoff, my wildlife safari bookings, and are also located in close proximity to the national park.
I flew into Jaipur International Airport in Rajasthan followed by a ~3 hour drive to my hotel near Ranthambore National Park.
In total, I booked three safaris: two morning and one afternoon drives. Definitely recommend as you’re not guaranteed optimal weather conditions or tiger sightings.

My Gear

Bird’s Eye View

www.yobelprize.com www.instagram.com/yobelprize

Trip by the Photos

Weekend in Istanbul / April 6, 2020 by Yobel Muchang

2 days | Feb 2019 | Closeup of Hagia Sophia Museum as seen through a glass of Turkish tea.

Quick Thoughts

Istanbul is one of the rare cities that checks all the boxes. It’s a sprawling transcontinental metropolis that’s withstood the test of time & humanity, which as a tourist means endless explorations of both the ancient & the modern.

This “City on the Seven Hills” also boasts one of the most impressive skylines which can be enjoyed from countless rooftop bars, cafes, & restaurants. Speaking of which, the food may very well be the highlight for most travelers it’s that amazing.

With that said, the best part for me was *drumroll* chilling with the friendly stray dogs & cats that run the streets of Istanbul. But hey, different priorities 🤷‍♂️🐕🐈

Key Highlights

Link to my collection of Instagram Stories from the trip!
Befriending this street dog with heterochromatic eyes.
You can’t visit Turkey without trying Turkish coffee ☕️
The moment I landed, I went straight from the airport to Ortakoy Mosque and caught this stormy sunrise just in time!
Fish sandwich from the boat restaurant near Galata Bridge (Deniz Yildizi Balikci).
Watching the sunset views of Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia from Seven Hills Hotel rooftop.
Turkish street food is worth trying, especially roasted chestnuts 🌰And of course, try some Turkish ice cream & enjoy the show.

Things to Know

For a free rooftop view of Blue Mosque & Hagia Sophia museum, check out Seven Hills Hotel.
There are two major airports, both roughly an hour away from the city so factor that into your itinerary!
Cheers Hostel - I highly recommend this place! Plus the hostel comes with its own dog (:
Get ready to encounter street dogs & cats everywhere! But don’t worry, they are treated well & are quite friendly.
Use Uber.
Watch out for hustlers. I unfortunately had one taxi driver rip me off, and had another interesting incident. In an elaborate scheme, a shoe shiner walked ahead of me and “accidentally” dropped his shoe brush. I picked it up and approached him to return it. He acted surprised and grateful, followed by insisting in giving me a shoe shine. Luckily, my slow brain finally remembered I read about this scheme prior to my trip, so I hurried along my way. Apparently this is a method used to hook you into buying something. I respect the hustle.

My Gear

Bird’s Eye View

Weekend in Istanbul

Trip by the Photos

3 days in Myanmar / March 14, 2020 by Yobel Muchang

3 days | Dec 2018 | Bagan’s pagoda landscape view during sunset.

Quick Thoughts

I had a blast exploring the ancient temples, engaging with friendly & extremely gracious locals, and traversing the enchanted foggy landscape whilst floating in a hot air balloon or zipping around in an electric scooter. Myanmar was magical to its core - I only wish I had more than a weekend to enjoy it. Next time I guess.

Key Highlights

Link to my collection of Instagram Stories from the trip!
Zipping aimlessly on electric scooters from pagoda to pagoda along the dirt roads. Trust me - best way to travel!
Hot air balloon ride over Bagan for sunrise. There aren’t words to describe how breathtaking & surreal it is to be floating silently above a misty landscape with only the sounds of birds to keep you company (and the occasional fire blast keeping you afloat).
I lost my phone while riding along the dirt roads. And as anyone would do in the modern age, I panicked. Long story short, some locals came to help without hesitation and we found it! A bit worse for wear, but lesson learned.

Things to Know

Make sure to get your travel visa in advance! I realized the hard way of my own naiveté when I almost missed my flight. Don’t be like me: with 45 minutes before the gates closed, scrambling to get on airport wifi, taking passport-sized photos, completing applications online, refreshing my inbox every second for an approval notification like a madman, rushing to find an airport printer to print the visa, and making it with less than 5 minutes to go. WHEW!
BaobaBed Hostel Bagan - I ended up staying in a private room, and couldn’t have asked for a more comfortable stay. Plus it was across the street from an e-scooter rental spot which made traversing even easier.
Zip around on electric scooters! It’s dirt cheap but also incredibly fun, especially once you go onto the dirt paths and explore the pagodas on your own.
Watching sunset atop pagodas - A popular attraction is climbing up the temples to watch the sunset. Having said that, most of the pagodas are off-limits now due to safety concerns. Luckily I ran into a local who took me to an open one, saved me from missing out on such an incredible view. I pinned the location in my maps (below).
Tipping locals - there was a handful of times when a local helped me out. Instead of paying them directly, they instead asked if I wished to purchase their goods (e.g., artwork). I happily obliged, but keep this in mind!

My Gear

Bird’s Eye View

3 Days in Bagan

Trip by the Photos

A week in Singapore / February 28, 2020 by Yobel Muchang

7 days | November 2018 | View of Singapore’s skyline from the eastern side of Marina Bay.

Quick Thoughts

In many ways, Singapore reminded me of an alternate universe version of Dubai, or at least a close cousin. It’s the epitome of glamorous living and architectural wonder. You can’t help but wander around with a constant “wow” attached to your lips. Having said that, like Dubai I feel the most valuable element of Singapore is its prominent role as an international travel hub, bringing multi-cultural awareness & infusion into the region. Case in point: the food in Singapore.. *drooling just thinking back to it*

Key Highlights

Link to my collection of Instagram Stories from the trip!
Arab Street / Haji Lane vibes were right up my alley (pun intended). Felt great to relax with a beer in hand listening to live music on a vibrant street / alleyway.
View of Marina Bay skyline. Had to hop over some bushes and endure nagging bugs - still worth it!
Sunrise @ Merlion Park - Go early before it gets too crowded (: Also the place where I first tested out my drone.
Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom - Spent an afternoon surrounded by animals, so no complaints!
I randomly was upgraded to business class for my 1am Emirates Airline flight back home! When life hands you lemonade, you trade it in for mile high champagne and chug.

Things to Know

Singapore is…humid. Like “why did I even bother showering before stepping outside” type of humid. Icing on the cake, apparently that’s the case year-round. Soo…dress accordingly. Like a bathrobe or whatever you’d wear to a sauna.
Everywhere in Singapore is food heaven. I definitely felt spoiled dining out and I highly recommend prioritizing food over everything when visiting. I swear, even the McDonald’s tasted better. And yes I love McDonald’s and I make a point to visit one in every country I travel to. Fight me. #FilletOFish #OreoMcFlurry #LargeFries #McDonalds4Life

My Gear

Bird’s Eye View

A week in Singapore