Newsletter 52 - sent on the 10 February 2022

Join us to explore historic Turkey

Dear [Name,fallback=],

Although we are hopefully coming to the final phase of the pandemic, Covid still has the power to change our plans. It has certainly changed mine recently: my youngest brought a solid dose of Covid back from primary school and in gratitude at all of my diligent home-schooling, passed it on to me last week! I am not sure whether it is due to the inherent weakness of the Omicron Variant, being triple vaxed or the cocktail of bugs and viruses that I have no doubt encountered in the last thirty plus years of travel, but I have barely suffered at all - I am just waiting for the two negative tests to release me from self-isolation.

Covid has also changed our tour plans repeatedly, and unfortunately has also caused us to postpone our trip to Uzbekistan in May. This has been rescheduled to May 2023. What this does mean is that we now have a gap in the calendar, and in consultation with a few of our regular travellers, who like me are desperate to get back on the road, we are launching a nine-day exploratory trip to Turkey. This already has enough people booked to allow it to run - but there are some places available if anyone is interested in joining us.

We are also having a real push on our Impressions of Ladakh trip, which explores this incredible Himalayan region of India. I have put up an extended gallery of images on this link, so you can see the sort of things that you will be able to witness and photograph if you join us!

Impressions of Turkey

Turkey is an eclectic destination - famously spanning the continents of Europe and Asia, with a foot extravagantly in either camp. There is great history here too - from the Roman and Greek Empires, through to ancient Islam and the Ottoman Empire. This short, but intense tour takes you on a historical and cultural whirlwind: from the stylish inter-continental city of Istanbul, to the Roman ruins of Ephesus, before taking in the ancient Greek city of Hierapolis and then Konya - noted for the Sufi Dervishes. Our final stop is the Hittite city of Cappadocia - carved into the soft volcanic rock. Judicious use of domestic flights and private transport allows us to cover the highlights of this fascinating country whilst fitting in more chances to come home with excellent photographs than you ever thought possible.

Impressions of Turkey departs from Istanbul on 14 May 2022 for 9 days. Under our new variable pricing policy, the cost is from £1530 pp if 8 people travel, down to just £1280 pp for the full 12 people. You can see more information on this link. You can see the full itinerary on this link and book your place here.

Impressions of Ladakh

As I am preparing this newsletter, the news has come through that India will be removing the need for arrival quarantine for travellers from next week! This is further evidence that the world is opening up, and that travel to some of the most spectacular places in the World is becoming possible again.

I am increasingly confident at getting back to India in July for our tour to the stunning region of Ladakh. A high plateau between the Himalayan and Kunlun mountain ranges: Ladakh is the most entrancing and literally breathtaking region of India. On this adventurous expedition, we comprehensively explore the Leh Valley, before driving to the remote Nubra Valley across one of the highest motorable passes in the World. Even in the height of the Indian Summer, there is snow on this pass, and we will no doubt be able to enjoy one of the rarest joys in India: a snowball fight!

After photographing the Leh Polo Festival, we continue to the remote Zanskar Valley, where we take in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery festival. We drive out of Ladakh via a newly constructed road to the alpine city of Manali, and then finish up in the holy Sikh city of Amritsar, where we get to see the exquisite Golden Temple, as well as the eclectic closing ceremony at Wagah border with Pakistan.

India is truly one of the most photogenic places of the World, and Ladakh this is a fantastic opportunity to explore this little-known jewel in its crown. The scenery, people and culture of Ladakh will give you the most stunning photo-opportunities, and I have put together an expanded gallery of images from this region on this link. so you can see more of the sort of things that you will be able to witness, and photograph on this adventure.

Impressions of Ladakh departs from New Delhi on 5 July 2022 for 18 days. Under our new variable pricing policy, the cost is from £2695 if 8 people travel, down to £2400 for the full 12 people. You can see more information on this link. You can see the full itinerary on this link and download the pdf for the tour here.

Better Travel Photography

www.bettertravelphotography.com

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All bests,

Steve Davey

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