Photographer Andy Yee visited the Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai and shares his impressions with us here. This year's Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival takes place from November 11th to 12th.

The Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand, is gaining popularity among photographers who love the challenge of photographing thousands of lanterns rising into the night sky at the same time.

The festival takes place on the full moon of the twelfth month of the Thai lunar calendar, usually in November, and the festivities typically occur on the Saturday evening of that week. It coincides with the Loy Krathong festival, during which lanterns are lit and set afloat on the water. In Chiang Mai, this usually takes place at the southern city moat.

Luckily, a few of my fellow photographers were in Chiang Mai during the festival. Travel photographers Colby Brown, Daniel Nahabedian, and Michael Bonocore were able to pool their resources and gather reliable information about the festival. Since Colby and Daniel had also lived in the area previously, I was able to draw on their insider knowledge.

Since my hotel is quite a distance from the city center, I decide to rent a scooter, which is cheap and easy, and spend most of my time photographing the temples in the city center and the beautiful sunset at Su Thep Temple.

The center of Chiang Mai is packed with tourists who have come for the Yi Peng Festival. The temples are overcrowded and completely overrun.

On the evening before Yi Peng, locals gather at the southern entrance to the city to release fireworks and lanterns carrying New Year's greetings. It's a joyful, noisy festival and a wonderful time to celebrate.

The biggest celebration takes place on Saturday evening at Maejo University north of Chiang Mai, and we find out that the easiest way to get there is by scooter.

We arrive around 4:30 pm, which we consider a reasonable time, but even from the distance to the scooter parking area, it's clear that there are already many people here. A steady stream of people is pushing towards the entrance.

Locals sell food and lanterns along the way, but my tip is: don't buy lanterns on your way to the event, as they will be confiscated at the entrance.

It feels like an eternity before we finally enter the grounds. Every viewpoint for photos is already occupied. We conclude that all these people must have arrived around midday.

The Buddhist monks on stage perform a ceremony before the lanterns are released. We stroll around and find a spot in front of the pavilion where dozens of photographers have already gathered.

I've seen many fireworks displays around the world, but nothing compares to the spectacle of thousands of lanterns being lit simultaneously and rising into the night sky. It's truly breathtaking.

Photographing the event is a challenge because the lighting changes from pitch-black darkness to bright light as the lanterns move away from you at different speeds and distances.

I highly recommend this event. Do your research beforehand to make sure you're in the right place at the right time – you won't be disappointed.

The Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival is becoming increasingly popular with photographers and takes place this year from November 11th to 12th. Tickets for the various events in Chiang Mai can be purchased here.

This story was first published on the travel website Travel2Next.com. Read more about Andy here.