better travel photography• COM
Start: 29 June 2024
End: 13 July 2024
Code: IOM24
Variable price structure.
Prices from:
8 pax £3150 pp
9 pax £3095 pp
10 pax £3050 pp
11 pax £2995 pp
12 pax £2950 pp
excl. flights, based on roomshare
Min 8, max 12 people
Places left: 2
Trip is to be confirmed.
Single supplement: £350
Estimated current
flight cost £900
Please note: an approved Covid vaccine is no long mandatory for our trips. However, it may still be required by local authorities. You can see more on this policy here.
impressions of mongolia
photo tours with steve davey
Impressions of Mongolia Itinerary
Day 1: Ulaanbaatar
Day 2: Training camps
Day 3: Training camps
Day 4: Ulaanbaatar
Day 5: Baga Gazriin Chuluu
Day 6: Tsagaan Suvarga
Day 7: Yoliin Am
Day 8: Khongoriin
Day 9: Khongoriin
Day 10: Ongiin Khiid
Day 11: Karakorum
Day 12: Ulaanbaatar
Day 13: Naadam Festival
Day 14: Naadam Festival
Day 15: Tour ends
Website, Images and text © Steve Davey/stevedavey.com 1990 - 2023
Land arrangements are sub-contracted to Intrepid Travel, who have many years experience in running small group adventures.
Bookings are made through the Intrepid Tailor Made Dept. in London not the Intrepid website or Stores. Contact Steve Davey for information
This tour is led by Steve Davey - a professional photographer, whose work appears in publications all over the world. He is the author of the bestselling Unforgettable Places To See Before You Die (BBC Books). Steve recently published Footprint Travel Photography (Footprint Books), which covers everything that you would ever want to know about travelling with a camera. Click for more.
Highlights of this trip
• Naadam Festival
• Festival training camps
• Khongoriin Sand Dunes
• Ongiin Khiid ruins
• Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs
• Ancient city of Karakorum
• Photography tuition
Included in the trip price
• 5 nights hotel
• 9 nights Ger camp
• 14 breakfasts
• 10 lunches
• 9 dinners
• Naadam ticket
• Archery training camp
• Wrestling training camp
• Horse racing training camp
• Baga Gazriin Chuluu hike
• Tsagaan Suvarga hike
• Vulture Canyon hike
• Khongoriin camel ride
• Ongiin Khiid entrance
• Karakorum entrance
• All transport as per itinerary
• English Speaking leader
• Entrance fees as per itinerary
• Expert photographic tuition
These tours are designed and specified exclusively by Steve Davey, but the land arrangements have been subcontracted to Intrepid Travel. Bookings are handled by the Intrepid Travel Tailor made department in the United Kingdom. Your contract is with them, and they will handle all payments. This means that you are protected by their industry bonding, and if you get them to purchase a flight for you, can even be issued with an ATOL certificate!
To reserve the place on the tour, you will need to pay a non-refundable deposit of £400. Obviously if we do not get enough numbers for the tour to go ahead, the deposit will be refunded. The decision for this will be made no later than 56 days before departure. It is recommended that you don't buy a flight before that time.
Payments can be made in a variety of ways: bank transfer, cheque, debit card or credit card. If you wish Intrepid to book your flight for you, the quoted price will include their booking fee, and the payment might be required immediately. We can advise this at the time of booking.
Please remember: although Intrepid Travel are providing the land arrangements for this tour, this is not one of their trips. It won't appear on the Intrepid Travel website, and you can't book it through any of their stores or agents. If you have any questions about this trip, please contact Steve directly using this Ask a Question link.
How to make a booking?
Bookings are handled by the Intrepid Travel Private Groups department based in the United Kingdom. The only way to make a booking is to fill out the booking form below. Steve will forward the booking on to Intrepid who will contact you directly to take the deposit payment.
Booking conditions
By booking this trip, you are entering in to two different contracts of supply. All of the photography and tuition portions of the trip are covered by the Better Travel Photography booking conditions. All of the travel elements of the trip are, including anything mentioned in the Intrepid Travel Trip Notes, are covered by the Intrepid Travel booking conditions. For the avoidance of doubt; the presence of Steve Davey on any tour, is not covered by the Intrepid Travel booking conditions.
The Intrepid Travel Booking Conditions are in the process of being revised in order to better suit the post-Covid World. These will be different to the Booking Conditions for Intrepid's scheduled tours. Before these conditions are ready, all bookings will be provisional, pending the new conditions, and will subsequently be covered by the new conditions.
The main changes to the exisiting conditions will be:
a). No tour will be confirmed until all of the payments are received. You are strongly advised not to book any flights before this time.
b). The tour price will be variable depending o the numbers of people on the tour. The different prices will be published in the tour information box.
c). At 63 days before departure and before we ask for the balance, the trip will be reviewed on whether we're able to operate due to current travel restrictions that might be in place at the time. If we are not able to operate the tour, we will look to re-schedule and if that's not suitable, you'll be offered a full refund. If we decide that the tour can proceed proceed then we will request final payments.
d) The deadline for final payments will be 56 days before departure. After this point there will be a 100% cancellation fee charged for any cancellation by the passenger, for any reason - including testing positive for Covid19. At this point you are stongly advised to have travel insurance in place. Intrepid Travel strongly recommend this insurance policy which has cover for Covid19.
e). At 55 days before departure, we will review the payments received and either cancel of confirm the tour. At this point we will advise of the numbers of people on the tour, the final tour price under our variable price policy and make any refunds necessary.
f). Should we or Intrepid Travel cancel the tour for any reason after payments have been received, than 100% of your money will be refunded.
In the mean time the existing conditions can be found on the following link: www.intrepidtravel.com/booking-intrepid/booking-conditions/gb
A summary of the main points is included below.
1). The tour price consists of an amount in Sterling. You will be billed in Sterling and the exact amount paid will be governed by your bank or credit card provider.
2). You will need to pay a non-refundable £400 deposit to secure your place on the tour, with the balance payable on the date requested.
3). The price quoted is per person. Prices for our this trip is based on a twin share basis: that is on two people sharing a room. If you are travelling with a partner, or a friend, then this doesn't affect you, but if you are travelling on your own, you will be paired up with another same-gender member of the group to share with.
Sharing a room, or paying the single supplement is compulsory on this trip. To keep the price as low as possible for everyone, we simply can't let anyone have a single room without paying for it. This means that we will have to manage the rooming lists carefully, so that this situation doesn't crop up. Unfortunately this means that the availability of places or the availability of the optional single supplement cannot be guaranteed. When making a booking, the more flexible that you can be over rooming and dates, the more likely you will be to get a place!
4). Travel insurance is compulsory for these tours, and the Intrepid leader will check your documentation when you join the tour.
5). Intrepid Travel are able to book a flight for you, at the prevailing cost plus a booking fee. If you buy a trip including an international flight from the UK then your trip may be covered by Intrepid's ATOL bonding.
Better Travel Photography Booking conditions
1). By booking this trip, you are entering into two separate contracts of supply. The travel portions of this trip, are set out in the Intrepid Trip notes and are covered by the Intrepid standard booking conditions, and teaching portions of the trip, nor the presence of Steve Davey on the trip. The photography and teaching aspects of the trip, and the presence of Steve Davey on the trip are subject to contract with stevedavey.com; t/a Better Travel Photography.
2). Whilst Steve Davey will make every effort to accompany every trip, under very unforeseen and exceptional circumstances, he reserves the right to replace himself with another photographer whom he deems suitable. Under these circumstances, no compensation will be payable; and as the photography portions of the tour are not covered by the Intrepid Travel booking conditions, the replacement of Steve Davey with a replacement photographer will not count as a major change to the itinerary, as covered in the Intrepid Travel booking conditions and therefore will not be accepted as grounds to cancel the trip.
3). Under further exceptional considerations it might not be possible to find a suitable replacement photographer for all, or part of the trip. Under these circumstances, a compensation of £25 per day will be payable, for every full day where no photographer is available to cover the trip; and the lack of a replacement photographer will not count as a major change to the itinerary, as covered in the Intrepid Travel booking conditions and therefore will not be accepted as grounds to cancel the trip.
4). The maximum number of people on the tour will be 12. The minimum number needed to run will be between six and eight. The exact number will be stated on the tour page. This will be notified as soon as possible. You are advised not to purchase a flight, or any any other travel arrangements before the trip is confirmed.
5). For the privacy of members of the group and also those we encounter along the way, we have taken the decision to ban the use of Google Glass, or any similar products or any other form of covert filming on all of our trips.
6). At their sole discretion, Steve Davey and Better Travel Photography reserve the right not to accept any booking for any reason.
Who is this tour suited to?
Our photo tours cater for a wide spectrum of people at a range of different levels. Steve's skill in explaining things, patience and tireless energy mean that he is able to pitch talks and individual tuition so that they are relevant for a range of different abilities.
These tours are primarily aimed at people who have at least a basic knowledge of their cameras and are keen to develop their skills further.
The people who get the most from a trip like this are those who are aware of the areas that they want to develop. It might sound obvious, but if you know your own shortcomings then you are better able to tackle them!
If you have a greater knowledge, then Steve will be able to fill in a lot of the theories behind things that you might have already thought that you knew, which will help make decisions more instinctive and more confident. He will also be able to help you to take your photography forward to the next stage and can teach you a number of advanced techniques and theories.
If you are an absolute beginner, then these tours will still teach you a vast amount about photography. A large part of photography is artistic and not technical. Selecting viewpoints and angles, composition and especially approaching people to take their picture are as vital as apertures and shutter speeds. Allied to this Steve will explain all of the technical aspects that you need to know as they relate to you and your camera.
You will get more out of these tours if you have a basic familiarity with your camera. If it is new, and out of the box then you might spend a great deal of time thumbing through the manual, and not learning about photography. I should also point out that whilst I has a lot of experience with different cameras, he doesn't know everything about all of them! If you are not familiar with your camera, then you should definitely bring the manual with you! Between us, we should then be able to sort out most things!
Finally, it is important to remember that whilst photography does need patience and sometimes you need to wait for a picture; this is a group tour. There will be a lot of time for you to go off on your own, but there will also be times where we have to meet at a certain time, or during a journey need to maintain our pace. If the group dynamic is not really for you and you have the opinion that everyone else can just wait for you if you are taking a picture, wandering off or shopping then these (or any group tours) probably aren't for you!
Similarly, if you are the sort of person who gets offended or irritated by other people easily, and just "have to speak your mind" about it, no matter who you offend, then maybe any group trip is not for you. These trips work better if everyone is prepared to work together as a team, and help each other. We will all have a better time, and come away with better pictures and better memories.
Travel in Mongolia
This trip will require a good level of fitness. We have included a number of walks to help us explore more, and sometimes the ground could be a little rough, and the conditions could be hot and dusty. There are some long journeys but thse are just a part of the adventure, and the only way to visit some of the stunning places we visit.
Some of the places we stay might be somewhat basic. For many locations we will be staying in Ger camps, which will have shared facilities. Also, the single supplement is not available for days 2-4, when we are staying in family ger camps. On these days, everyone will be expected to share with others of the same gender. Even when we are in a hotel in the capital, ue to the fact that much of Ulaanbaatar's infrastructure lacks regular maintenance, you may on occasion only have access to cold water at your hotel.
Mongolian food is relentlessly meat, with carbs – usually bread, noodles, rices or pasta. Originally a nomadic people, vegetables don't feature that much in Mongolian cuisine either! A quick search of Ulaanbatur might throw up a couple of vegetarian restaurants, but please be aware that we are unable to compel the entire group to head to a Western style vegetarian restaurant, when they would rather have a traditional meaty meal. Once we get out of the capital, then options will be even more limited. Chicken is not considered meat, and is often thought of as suitable for vegetarians – as is a meat dish with the lumps picked out. If you do get a vegetarian option, then it is likely to be fairly dull, unappetising and with no choice. Whilst I might respect you life choices – especially those that arise from religious or moral concerns - the sad fact is that Mongolia as a country is probably not a suitable destination for you, and we will struggle to accommodate you on this trip. Please do contact Steve if you would like to discuss this further.
For more information, please contact us and we will help you to assess if this adventurous trip is for you.
Non-photographing partners
Steve is often asked about non-photographing partners coming on our trips, and he always say that they are more than welcome - as long as they are not photographer-phobic! Steve believes that travel photography is a great way to engage with a place and the people who live there. Because we are photographers we will see more sunrises, talk to more locals, try more foods and visit more markets than ordinary trips. This means that non-photographers can engage with us - and some even go away with a new interest in photography. We are also about having a good time too - Steve is mindful that this is a holiday as well as a photography tour - so we aim to have lively meals, a lot of laughs and the odd drink or two. As someone recently stated abut our tours:
"Your love of photography and travel is infectious and I can honestly say I have never laughed or learnt so much on a holiday before!"
If Steve had to have a mission statement for these tours, then this is it!
Frequently asked questions
Is my booking with Steve Davey?
Your booking involves two contracts of supply. All of the travel portions contracted with Intrepid Travel, and are covered by their standard booking conditions. All of the photography and tuition aspects of the trip, and the presence of Steve Davey or a suitable alternative photographer on the trip is covered by the Better Travel Photography terms and conditions. More information on the booking conditions link above.
Do I have to pay a deposit?
There is a non-returnable £400 deposit that is payable when you make your booking. The balance of the trip cost is payable within 60 days of the departure date.
Are the departures guaranteed?
We will need a minimum number of people for the tour to go ahead. This will be stated on the tour page. The tour will be confirmed no later than 56 days before departure, and you are advised not to book flights before this. If the tour subsequently doesn't go ahead then your deposit will be refunded in full.
Should I contact Intrepid Travel to discuss these tours?
No, in the initial stages contact Steve Davey, who has designed, and will be leading the tours. He will be able to answer your questions about the tours, what they include, and discuss whether they will be suitable for you. Intrepid Travel are sub-contracted to provide the land arrangements, and any bookings will need to be made through their Tailor made department in the United Kingdom, and not through any other store or office.
How do I contact Steve Davey?
Steve is based in the UK, but is a working professional photographer and often overseas. The easiest way to get hold of him in the initial stages is to use the contact form here. This will allow Steve to agree a time to speak personally, depending on your time zone!
Should I pay Steve Davey for the tour?
All payments will be handled by Intrepid Travel, giving you the peace of mind of booking with a large international business. Intrepid are a member of various industry bonding schemes, including ABTA and ATOL. If you choose to get Intrepid to book your flight, then your entire trip may be covered by ATOL, and you will then receive a full ATOL certificate for the trip.
How do I make a booking with Intrepid Travel?
Once you have discussed the tour details with Steve Davey, fill in the online booking form, which he will then send to the Intrepid Travel to make the booking. They will then contact you for the deposit and subsequent payment.
What do I need to join the tour?
You are responsible for organising your own flights and any visas necessary. You have the responsibility to join the tour at the time and place stated. If you are late, for any reason, it is your responsibility to catch up the tour at your own expense. When you join the tour you will have to show proof of insurance.
What if I am a single traveller?
The price of this trip is based on a compulsory twin share basis: that is on two people sharing a room. If you are travelling with a partner, or a friend, then this doesn't affect you, but if you are travelling on your own, you will be paired up with another same-gender member of the group to share with.
On this trip, sharing a room, or paying the single supplement is compulsory. To keep the price as low as possible for everyone, we simply can't let anyone have a single room without paying for it.
This means that we will have to manage the rooming lists carefully, so that this situation doesn't crop up. Unfortunately this means that the availability of places or the availability of the optional single supplement cannot be guaranteed. When making a booking, the more flexible that you can be over rooming and dates, the more likely you will be to get a place!
What sort of people go on your tours?
As these are a new range of tours. it is hard to say for sure, but based upon the photo tours which Steve has led for Intrepid, the ages range from 18 to 60+! Generally the vast majority have been solo travellers and a fairly even split of men and women. Predictably the more adventurous tours tend to have a lower average age, but what tends to characterise Intrepid travellers of any age is their vitality, spirit and willingness to get involved in all of the group activities.
Has Steve Davey run tours before?
Steve has been organising and leading his own exclusive range of photography tours since 2009, and in the process has visited destinations as far afield as diverse as Jordan, Burma and the Arctic! During this time, he has learned a lot about both organising and running tours, and also about teaching people with a range of different skills. You can see some of the testimonials from Steve's previous tours on the about our tours link.
Is Steve Davey a working professional travel photographer?
Steve Davey is a working travel photographer and writer. He regularly travels around the world, shooting for various publishers and magazines. He is the author and photographer of Unforgettable Places to See Before You Die, and Unforgettable Islands to Escape To Before You Die. Between them these books have been translated into well over 40 language editions.
Why does this matter?
Anyone who travels with a camera will come away with a few good shots. Shove these on a website and they might look good. A professional travel photographer will be used to short shoots and unpredictable conditions. They will be able to give you tips on coming back with great pictures when you have a couple of days in a location, the weather is bad and there is scaffolding everywhere! If they aren't a working travel photographer then do you really want a studio or wedding photographer, or even a journalist with a camera to be teaching you about travel photography?
Do I need an expensive camera to come on one of your tours?
You don't need to have an expensive camera, and dozens of lenses, but you will get more out of the tour if you have a camera that allows you more control over the exposure, shutter-speed and aperture, and also a range of lenses, or a zoom lens.
Do I need to be an expert photographer to come on one of your tours?
Decidedly not, but these are not tours for absolute beginners either. The ideal person will have some knowledge of photography, and an idea of their weaknesses in photography, and areas where they want to learn and develop. In short, if you are convinced that all of your pictures are fantastic, then there is probably little that Steve can do for you. Steve always starts off the tours by finding out what people want to learn and then tailors the tours to fit that. Typically areas that are covered include shooting RAW, exposure and composition, as well as more general picture taking techniques and scenarios that you will encounter on the tour.
Are these tours hard work?
These tours are designed for photography, which means that there will be some optional and non-optional early morning starts. We will also try to fit a lot into the average day! However, Steve is mindful that this is also a holiday for you and so he tries to balance these with personal time, where you have the option to take pictures or just relax. You will get more out of the tour if you put more effort in.
Are there lots of early starts?
Any keen photographer will know that the light is better in the early morning and Steve has arranged these tours to take in as many sunrises as possible. Sometimes these will be integral to the trip, other times they will be optional.
Will I be able to photograph everything in good light?
Any tour like this is a balance between how much you see, and the light that you see it in. A tour that shows you everything in the golden sunrise and sunset hours would have to last for weeks! There will be somethings that we see in the middle of the day, and some things that we have to stop and see as part of a longer journey. The tours have been arranged though so that all of the most important places will be visited in the early morning or late afternoon.
Will I get my own room?
These prices are based upon two people sharing in a twin room. If you are travelling on your own, then you will be paired up with someone else in the group to share with. Rest assured, that you won't be asked to share with anyone of the opposite sex!
Will I get much free time?
There will be the potential for free time throughout the tour, which you can use for relaxing, exploring, shopping or even photographing! However, Steve is virtually always up to something, and you will be welcome to join him. If you want time out for relaxing and shopping, then you must be prepared to take it! You have to make the judgement between free time and joining in any unscheduled activities yourself, and not expect everyone to take time off when you want it just so that you don't miss anything!!
What is an Intrepid trip like?
Intrepid run small group adventures. This means that you have less of an impact on the places that you travel through. It also means that we get to stay in smaller, more intimate accommodation. Intrepid have a policy to stay in locally owned accommodation wherever possible, so that local communities benefit. For more information about Intrepid Travel and their style of travel click here.
How are your tours different from standard Intrepid trips?
As they are a completely separate product, Steve is able to take all of the best bits from different Intrepid styles and add to them to create a product which is totally unique. This gives you a range of accommodation, where appropriate, as well as our own transport for much of the tour, to allow us the freedom and flexibility to stop when we need to take pictures.
Some of the main differences with Intrepid trips are:
a). Tour specifically designed for photo opportunities and to be in the right place at the right time as much as possible
b). Presence of Steve Davey on the tour.
c). We tend to include more options and use more private transport than the standard Intrepid trip, as this allows us more access to photo-opportunities.
d). Ability to speak to Steve about equipment and other matters before the start of the tour.
e). Opportunity to join an (optional) discussion forum with Steve and other members of the tour before (and after) departure to discuss equipment, and also arrange to meet up with any of the members of the group before the tour starts if you arrive early!
Will my photography improve on one of your tours?
If you come on the tour with an open mind, take part actively, listen to Steve and work at what he suggests then he is confident that your photography will greatly improve!
Can I shoot film?
Most people now seem to shoot digital, and these tours are predominantly set up for the digital photographer. Shooting digital will allow you to instantly review your work, and develop your skills as you go. However, there is no reason why you can't shoot film, and most of the techniques are the same as with digital photography. With his many years of experience of shooting film, Steve can help you to get the best results.
What equipment should I bring?
In part this depends on whether you are travelling just for one of my photo tours, or whether it is a part of a larger trip. I always take a lot of equipment to make sure that I have spare gear in case of loss, theft or damage. A tripod and a flash will certainly be useful. If you have a small laptop then it will be of use for post and RAW processing s well as archiving – if you can be bothered to carry it! You will probably get better results from the trip and learn more if you are familiar with the basic controls on the camera, rather than trying to use a new camera that you have just picked up at Duty Free! Probably the best bet is to contact Steve to discuss if you have any queries!
What about tipping?
As a point of principle, Steve does not accept any tips for leading tours. However, we will have a local Intrepid tour leader and possibly a driver for some of the time. Steve recommends that these people should be tipped if you are happy with the services that you have received. I am happy to advise a good amount for any tips. This is optional based upon the level of service that you receive.
Do you have any testimonials?
There are some testimonials from some of the photo tours that Steve has led previously on the About our tours page.
I have a question that isn't answered here, how can I contact Steve?
Click here and fill out the contact form, and Steve will get back to you as soon as possible.
