Thailand
About Ira
A long time ago, Ira was born in the Netherlands. In 1999 she gave up her management job and most of her earthly belongings to travel the world, starting in South-East Asia. She instantly fell in love with the culture and its people and she never made it to the next continent or back to the Netherlands.
She transformed herself from a passionate amateur photographer into a professional photographer. She worked as a voluntary English teacher in Myanmar and from 2003 to 2013 she was based in Chengdu, China. She shoots mostly lifestyle, travel and culture. In 2010 she took the plunge into writing. That changed the way she works on her stories profoundly. Writing touches different aspects of a story than photography and they compliment each other perfectly. Currently she is based in Chiang Mai, Thailand and works mostly for Asian travel magazines.
As a traveller, it's easy to disregard local souvenirs as being kitsch, mass produced, perhaps even inauthentic. But as a photographer visiting the Kathmandu Valley, I was lucky enough to witness traditional artisans creating outstanding souvenirs representative of the area, using natural local materials and that displayed truly amazing artistic
During one of my visits to Nepal, I stayed in Bhaktapur, at the home of a Newari family. Newar are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and nearby areas. They have their own language, culture and cuisine. Not only did I enjoy their heartfelt hospitality, but also daily feasts
Nepal is a tea drinker's paradise, and a good cup of chiya - sweet milk tea - is hard to resist. Enter a Nepali home and before you can say 'namaste' and take off your coat, a steaming cup of chiya will have already been placed in front of you.
Chengdu, city of Chinese lacquer
Gifts from nature, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Traditional handicrafts Kathmandu Valley - Nepal
The Soul of Sichuan Food - Chengdu - China
1864 Curves of Wellness Northern Thailand
Ira de Reuver photographs the daily lives of monks and practitioners at Larung Gar, the biggest Tibetan Buddhist Academy in the world located west of Sichuan Province in China. Larung Gar is the biggest Tibetan Buddhist Academy in the world.