Travel, Landscape & Architecture
LADAKH- INDIA
PHOTO TOUR - 10D/09N
(*Specially catered for Sri Lankans)
11th to 20th September 2021
* Traveling in some areas of Ladakh requires a special permit for certain nationals including Sri Lankans. This tour caters traveling in areas that does not require the special inner line permits.
Sorry!
This tour is currently on hold due to pandemic, and tour plan might change. Stay tuned.
Physical Difficulty- No intense trekking or similar activities, mostly road trips.
Maximum Number of Participants- 10 (minimum 6 participants needed for the tour)
Please note that this tour is NOT only for serious photographers, but also for anyone who is interested in image-making or exploring beautiful places. Non-photographers can also join. However, as being a photo tour the agenda will be followed accurately to cater to the photography needs of participants.
Ladakh is in the Northwest part of India bordering few neighboring countries like China and Pakistan and spreading through the Himalayan mountain ranges. A traveler can witness huge valleys, rivers, endless farms, nomadic tribes, numerous monasteries, wildlife like elusive snow leopard, dark blue sky, snow-capped peaks, friendliest people, etc - The list is exhaustive.
“Juleh”, the magical word of welcome from absolute strangers in Ladakh makes one feel deeply connected to the region from the very first visit. Be warned!, you will find it very difficult to leave Ladakh once visited.
So what’s the best way of seeing all those amazing places and people of Ladakh and at the same time take beautiful images by being at the right place at the right time. The Ladakh photo tour does exactly that.
We will be traveling through the ancient silk routes, visit numerous monasteries, stop literally at every corners to witness those dramatic displays of light over the Himalayan ranges, witness the nomadic lives of pashmina goat herders, pass through some of the highest motorable roads, and there will be lots of portrait opportunities as well.
You will be traveling with me and Bhagi from start to the end of the tour, and we will mentor you on the best practices of photography when you take photographs. You will be guided as and when required on which gear and settings to use and also the best compositions you can get your photos from. Trust me, the photos you take on this tour can be some of the best photos you take in your life!
With a beautifully crafted itinerary with premium inclusions, a tour to one of the most exotic location in the world, led by an award-winning photographer who will be guiding you all the way through the journey in making beautiful images you can just sit back, relax and enjoy a trip of a lifetime.
ITINERARY 10D/09N (11th to 20th September 2021)
Day 1
We will meet and greet in Delhi as a group in a predetermined location. Taking early morning flight from Colombo will make things easy, as we will have enough time to have a quick stroll in Delhi and then leave to Agra, which is 230km away from where we will spend the night.
Day 2 -
Early morning we leave to see the amazing Taj Mahal. If we are lucky enough to have clear skies, we can take some beautiful shots against the sunrise there. After that, we will visit the beautiful Red Fort of Agra. There will be ample photo opportunities there as well. If time permits, we will visit the Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden) and see the Taj Mahal from a different angle over the river.
Day 3
We will take the morning flight and fly to Leh. On our arrival, we will head straight to the hotel in Leh. Leh is at an altitude of 3,500m (Approx. 11,500 ft.). Due to the rapid ascend with a short 90 minutes flight we will not take part in any overly effortful activities during the day, as we will need to rest and acclimatize.
During the evening we will have a pleasurable walk through Leh town. On the way, we will also visit the Leh palace and Shanthi stupa. Whilst at Shanthi stupa, we will enjoy photographing the sunset over the Leh town with the background of Himalayan ranges and magnificently glowing twilight night sky.
Day 4
As usual, we wake up early to visit a place where we can photograph sunrise from Leh. And then after breakfast, we will head towards the Suru valley west of Leh. We will drive through one of the most scenic roads in the world (some compared to the road via Death Valley in America) and reach Kargil. On the way, we will take photographs of some amazing landscapes and winding roads during the 216km journey.
Day 5 -
This day we will spend in Kargil, walking about, taking photos of the town, people, landscape in and suburbs of the town.
Day 6-
On this day we leave Kargil and travel on a more scenic route witnessing higher grounds and tall mountains covered in snow towards Rangdum. This remote road of 128km will be a unique experience of life out there and we will see some beautiful glaciers on the region on the way.
Day 7
We spend the day in Rangdum shooting the sunrise from the nearby valley. We will see the herds of sheep roaming the area, and leisurely walk and drive around the place for stunning photo opportunities.
Day 8
On this day we start our journey back from Rangdum to Leh. We will leave early as possible and reach Leh by the evening.
Day 9
On this day we will see for the 15th century Tibetan-style Thiksey Monastery, founded by the Gelukpa monks following Tibetan Buddhism. This large illustrious monastery is home to over 500 monks whilst also housing a tremendous 15m tall statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva. At this Monastery, we will be able to witness the morning prayers as well as numerous amounts of other sensational sights including, if lucky, Mandala art being created. Visiting the Thiksey Monastery will be the icing on the cake of this tour. And in the evening, we will have enough time to rest and talk about the tour and photographs taken.
Day 10
We take the morning flight back to Delhi where we end our awesome 10-day journey. We part ways from Delhi and travel to Colombo respectively. You will fly back to Colombo with some amazing experience and photographs under your belt that you are proud about.
YOUR MENTORS
Priyantha Bandara
Bhagi Siva
This tour is organized as a collaboration of two renowned photographers, Priyantha Bandara and Bhagi Siva. Priyantha who is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka is a well-known Travel and Landscape photographer. Bhagi is based in Sydney, Australia and commended and well distinguished by his Travel and Documentary photography. This tour is carefully crafted to cater to the photographer and traveler inside you with the expert knowledge we share. And the tour will be delivered in Sinhala, English or Tamil as required by the participents.
INCLUSIONS
All accommodations
Photography mentor + Guide fees
Airport transfers in Delhi and Leh
All ground transports
All meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
All entrance tickets
All private shoot fees
EXCLUSIONS
International Airfare
Domestic Airfare between Delhi and Leh
Visa fees
Drinks or alcoholic beverages
Extra meals
Personal expenses
Any type of insurance including Travel insurances
Any type of medical expenses
Tips to locals/drivers/waiters
Cost Rs 195,000 (Sri Lankan) per person on twin sharing basis
A downpayment of 25% is required to reserve a seat in this tour. Prior to confirmation of tour dates, we will give a fair deal of time to pay the rest of the value.
The tour dates will be confirmed after a minimum of 6 seats are booked.
In case of tour cancellation due to any unforeseen reasons from the organizing party, a full refund will be made.
Drop a message here for further details and for bookings