Pakistan Floods Appeal
Over 1,000 people are reported to have died with that number likely to rise as more information becomes available. About 2.5 million people are believed to have been affected by the floods which may worsen as further rain falls and water moves downstream. ...More
2011 Dates & Prices
We are currently updating our holidays for 2011 with dates, prices, photo galleries and detailed itineraries. ...More
Royal Geographical Society : Sir Edmund Hillary Memorial Lecture
The Himalayan Trust UK presents the Second Annual SIR EDMUND HILLARY MEMORIAL LECTURE at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), 1 Kensington Gore, London on Thursday 27th May 2010 at 7pm, (Exhibition Road entrance, doors open 6pm, cash bar and snacks available).Special guest speaker on the night will be Jan Morris CBE journalist, writer, traveller extraordinare and The Times correspondent in 1953. Jan's talk will recall being ‘AN OUTSIDER ON EVEREST’.
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Nepal Photographic Experience
PHOTOGRAPH NEPAL’S CULTURE, CAPTURING ITS MEDIEVAL BUILDINGS, AMAZING LANDSCAPES AND FRIENDLY PEOPLE
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER SIMON WATKINSON (ABIPP) WILL BE YOUR GUIDE & TUTOR
STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS & PLENTY OF TIME FOR TUITION AND TUTORING
EASY PACED TREK WITH BRILLIANT VIEWS OF THE ANNAPURNA RANGE
FIRST CLASS HOTELS AND LUXURY LODGES WITH PRIVATE FACILITIES
Classic Journeys have teamed up with professional photographer, Simon Watkinson (ABIPP) to offer you a unique opportunity to visit and photograph one of the most spectacular countries in the world, Nepal. Simon will be your photographic guide and tutor. Having visited Nepal many times, he knows the country extremely well and with his 20 years experience of professional photography there will be plenty of time for tuition along the way. In and around Kathmandu, during the trek and in the evenings Simon will be on hand to advise you, enabling you to learn, critique, and improve your photography and photoshop skills. We can guarantee you will come home with the most awesome photographs and memories of Nepal’s stunning scenery, cultural diversity and medieval architecture.
The Tour
Flying into Kathmandu, you will be steeped in medieval architecture and excited by the never ending photographic opportunities. A couple of days will be spent here absorbing the scenery, the atmosphere, the cuisine and visiting temples and valley sites and then capturing it all on camera.
We will then transfer to Pokhara, the capital of west Nepal in the heart of the Annapurna mountain range. Here, you will be spoilt by the stunning views of the Annapurna mountains. Our base in Pokhara is the delightful Fishtail Lodge hotel situated on Phewa Tal lake. We will enjoy and photograph the classic views of the lake and the mountains capturing the magnificent scene by day and by sunset. There is also time to enjoy the beautiful landscaped hotel gardens.
From Pokhara we set off on our trek into the Annapurna foothills, first to Birethanti and on to our ridge top base at Ghandrung. Our accommodation on trek will be at the very comfortable Ker & Downey luxury lodges. These lodges are located in picturesque locations in the breathtaking Annapurna region. The lodges are managed by former Gurkhas and offer the highest standards in the region. Each lodge features modern showers with hot and cold running water and flush toilets, a unique feature in the Nepalese mountains. Each lodge is superbly equipped and are located some five hours walking apart. All are well away from roads and civilization and expertly trained chefs serve an array of regional specialities. You will be spoilt by the landscape, hospitable people and majestic Himalayan peaks.
Professionally trained, English speaking Nepalese guides will lead the treks. Many of the Nepal team are former Gurkha soldiers and are eager to share their profound understanding of the areas through which we will trek. Together with our locally recruited porters and lodge staff, you are assured a level of service and care essential to a safe, yet exciting adventure.
The trek follows easy graded trails in the stunning Annapurna region. Although the trek is easy in comparison to many other treks in Nepal there is still several hours uphill walking between Birethanti and Ghandrung. We will take our time and will be stopping regularly to take photographs. It is however important to be reasonably fit and to enjoy walking. During the day there will be plenty of time to stop and photograph the breathtaking scenery unfolding before you. There will be opportunities along the trail to chat with local people and gain an insight into the Nepalese way of life.
Luxury Lodge Trekking is the ultimate in trekking style. You will discover a magical area of the Himalaya inaccessible by road. You will witness breathtaking sunrises and sunsets and experience the legendary Nepalese hospitality that makes a visit to Nepal so special.
Nepal Photographic Experience Tour Content
On our Photographic Experience Tours our experienced photographic tutors will guide you and help you improve your skills in taking excellent landscape, travel and candid photographs. We guide you through the process of understanding your camera in a truly magnificent country. We will help you optimise the lighting in a variety of situations from colourful local markets and vibrant street scenes to magnificent Himalayan panoramas. We would hope to cover the following:
Composition
Optimising light
Camera Use
Different types of lenses
Tripod use
ISO/white balance settings
Shutter speeds, apertures
Exposures
Understanding histograms
Depth of field
Hyperfocal distance
Methods of shooting images ie: file formats (raw, jpeg)
Creative use of filters
Metering (using different modes eg. Evaluative)
Candid street photography
Night photography
Digital Content
Importing your images
Organising your digital workflow using Adobe Bridge and Adobe Lightroom
Various file formats and their uses
Image Manipulation, which includes cropping, curves, levels, colour correction, changing from colour to monochrome, selections, layers, adjustment layers, layer masks, stitching images to create panoramas, use of filters with layers, sharpening.
Trip Details
7 nights hotels, 3 nights Ker & Downey lodges, 10 Days Photographic Tuition including 4 Days EASY Trekking. Maximum Altitude 2140 metres. All meals included.
Group Size :Minimum 4, maximum 10
Dates & PricesTo book please click on the relevant tour reference from the tours below
International flights from £695, flight costs vary depending on airline & availability at the time of booking. Please contact the Classic Journeys office with your planned date of travel and we will advise on flight availability and costs.
Outline Itinerary
Days 1/2 - Fly to Kathmandu. Transfer to hotel Shanker
Days 3/4 - Kathmandu. Two days for photography
Day 5 - Fly to Pokhara. Transfer to Fishtail Lodge
Day 6 - Drive to trek start point. Trek to Birethanti
Day 7 - Trek to Ghandruk
Day 8 - Explore & photograph the area around Ghandruk
Day 9 – Trek to Birethanti for lunch. Drive to Pokhara. Transfer to Fishtail Lodge
Day 10 – Free day in Pokhara for photography and sightseeing
Day 11 - Fly to Kathmandu. Visit Pashupatinath temple en-route to hotel. Rest of the day free for sightseeing & photography. Overnight hotel Shanker
Day 12 – Transfer to international airport for flight departure
The Price Includes:
Hotel accommodation on a twin share basis (unless single has been requested) for the nights listed in the itinerary. All meals as specified. Airport Transfers when choosing land only plus international flight package. All internal transport as the itinerary. Sightseeing tours where specified. Photographic tuition and tutoring throughout the trip. All trekking arrangements including, trekking permits, National Park entrance fees, luxury lodge accommodation and porters. Services of qualified Ker & Downey guide. oan of trek packs while on trek (including adjustable walking sticks, 2 water bottles and rain poncho) your porters will carry one water bottle and the rain poncho for you. Sun hat & sun scarf, yours to keep as a souvenir. Down jacket, wool hat, wool gloves, sandals/slippers, towels, soap and candles (these items are kept in each of the lodges or your room). Loan of Ker & Downey duffel bag for your main trek kit and daypack for you to carry your personal items whilst on trek. Free laundry service in each Ker & Downey lodge. Cordura Kit Bag. Basic first aid kit carried by your guide.
The Price does not Include:
International flight from the UK. Airport taxes. Transfers for Land Only packages and group tours when choosing your own international flight arrangements. Visa fees . Medical examination (if required) & vaccination costs. Personal expenditure, bar bills, laundry, telephone calls, etc. Porters, guides & other tips. Meals not specified. Personal clothing & equipment. Travel insurance. Optional trips. Charges incurred as a result of delays beyond Classic Journeys control. Anything not specified in the Cost Includes section.
Insurance:
If you require travel insurance for your Classic Journeys holiday, you can get a quotation and book your travel insurance direct from the Campbell Irvine Ltd. website. Campbell Irvine is a specialist travel insurance broker. The comprehensive policy they issue provides 24-hour medical emergency assistance and covers altitude and all adventurous activities undertaken on our holidays. For single-trip policies, the insurance provides cover for both UK and worldwide residents at very competitive rates. In addition an annual policy is available to United Kingdom residents. To obtain insurance cover visit the Campbell Irvine Ltd. website. You may also telephone Campbell Irvine (020 7938 1734) to activate a policy.
Single Supplement:
£395 (Hotels & Lodges) If you are a single person booking this holiday you do not have to pay single supplements, if you are happy to share. If you are travelling by yourself you will be paired with another single client of the same gender. However your booking is accepted only on the understanding that if no roommate is available then you accept a single supplement will be levied. Single supplements are payable if you specifically request to have a room to yourself. If you have requested single accommodation we will do our best to secure this although this may not always be possible.
PHOTOGRAPH NEPAL’S CULTURE, CAPTURING ITS MEDIEVAL BUILDINGS, AMAZING LANDSCAPES AND FRIENDLY PEOPLE
