Southeast Asia is well known for its relatively low living costs and fascinating views of nature, which easily makes it one of the top destinations for backpackers from around the world.

Myanmar, as one of the Southeast Asia countries, also possesses those criterias. Behind its quite notorious old repressive and abusive military regime, Myanmar in fact treasures stunning views and truly genuine people.

A Lithuanian multimedia journalist, photographer, and story teller, Berta upe Tilmantaite, went boat-travelling from Yangon to Pathen and also traveled to some small villages along the river with her friend Lucas.  At one time, a little girl came up to them with a handful of fruits. Her act inspired them to name this journey video “A Handful of Myanmar” as they also thought that it seemed like the whole of Myanmar could fit in those small girl’s hands.

Watching “A Handful of Myanmar,” you will be given a three-minute-long impressive portrayal on the land of golden pagodas: The cheerful laughters of children, genuine smiles of its people, and beautiful sceneries that will definitely take your breath away.

But I believe that this video is so much more than bringing the viewers the beautiful sceneries of Burma. It gives you a glimpse insight of the lives of the villagers who live on the riversides and work as a farmer, a fisherman, a silk maker and also of the little kids who just started to be a monk. A place is not only about the sceneries, sometimes it is also about the people who live in it.

Asides from Myanmar, Berta has traveled to other several countries in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, capturing each countries’ beauty in the form of pictures and videos as can be seen on her website.

Text by Siti Hartinah Putri