Photograph Leh, the Nubra Valley and Zanskar monastery festival
Ladakh is often referred to as Little Tibet, as the religion, landscapes and culture more resemble its Northern neighbour than anywhere else in India. This is a land of mountain peaks, fluttering prayer flags, chanting monks and ancient Buddhist Monasteries.
We have run tours to Ladakh on a number of occasions, taking in a number of different festivals and routes, but really believe that we have our best itinerary ever. We have made a couple of small tweaks from the last time we ran it - including the stunning Pangong Lake and using the new route from Leh to Zanskar, which will avoid two long days of driving. Most notably though, we now finish in the entrancing hillstation of Dharamashala - the home of the Dalai Lama and one of the closest reliable airports, without having to double back all the way to Leh.
This incredible itinerary will show you the very best of this most stunning and unique regions of India. It will also include extensive photography support from professional travel photographer, Steve Davey, countless photo opportunities and the company of fellow photography enthusiasts.
We start our adventure in the Indian capital of Delhi, where we will catch an early morning flight up to Leh, the capital of the Union Territory of Ladakh. This high altitude plateau lies between the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges, and is mostly above 3000 metres.
After time to explore the eclectic town of Leh and acclimatise to the altitude, we will head out to attend the Leh Polo festival. This annual event features cultural displays, but tee main attraction is the intense sport of polo, played by teams from all over India.
After another night to acclimatise, we will embark on an adventurous mission over the mighty 5602 metre Khardung La – one of the highest motarable passes in the World – to the remote Nubra Valley.
We will have a few days to explore the valley, where we will visit ancient monasteries and see Bactrian Camels walking over sand dunes, before taking an atmospheric drive to the town of Turtuk near the Pakistan, where you can meet people from the Balti culture.
Our exploration of the Nubra Valley continues with an adventurous drive to the remote Pangong Lake, calling in at two more monasteries on our way.
Pangong Lake is a breathtaking 134 km long, high-altitude brackish lake situated at 4,225 metres, which spans both Ladakh and Tibet. It is famous for its crystal-clear water that appears to change colour.
We leave the Nubra Valley, driving to Thiksey in the Leh Valley. If time permits, we will call in at the ancient and atmospheric Takthok cave gompa, which dates back to the 16th century and is the only monastery dedicated to the Nying-ma-pa or Red Hat sect.
We will arrive back in Leh, where we will have time to further explore the Leh Valley. This will include heading to Thiksey, to witness the morning ritual of blowing a conch shell at sunrise to summon monks to morning prayers at the Thiksey Gompa.
We will also visit the historic Shey and Hemis Gompas, before returning to Leh where we can enjoy a night out, before the next phase of our expedition.
We begin our journey with a long but atmospheric drive to Lamayuru, visiting the historic Likir Gompa along the way. This picturesque monastery is set amongst rugged mountains and is home to an 8 metre gold covered Buddha Statue.
We will also stop at the Alchi Monastery, which dates back to the 11th century and is covered in ancient wall paintings.
Lamayuru is a large Monastery, perched on a high ridge and overlooking a bizarrely atmospheric barren landscape known locally as Moonland. We will have time to explore the monastery, and also the surrounding local village.
From Lamayuru, we will drive the new road which now links the Srinagar-Leh Highway to the remote Zanskar Valley. This atmospheric outpost will be our home for a couple of nights as we explore some of the ancient Monasteries and attend the Stongde Gustor festival.
This traditional festival brings local pilgrims from all over the area to witness religious masked dancing and chanting in the Prayer Hall. It is an entrancing celebration in a picturesque hilltop monastery which dates back almost a thousand years.
Today we will leave Ladakh on a long and atmospheric drive, through stunning scenery. We will leave the Zanskar Valley and head down another new road to Manali in Himachal Pradesh.
Along the way, we will see picturesque valleys and rivers and cross the 5000 metre Shingo La pass. We will also drive through the relatively new Atal Tunnel, which passes under the Rohtang Pass. This is the longest tunnel in the World over an altitude of 10,000 ft. The previous alternative was to drive over the Rohtang Pass - which has taken me over 8 hours in the pre-tunnel days.
We arrive at the alpine town of Manali, and will have some time to explore the Old Town and many temples of this fascinating town, which is surrounded by dense coniferous forests.
Our final stop on this tour will be a scenic drive to the hillstation of Dharamashala, which is famously the home of the Dalai Lama in exile in India. Predictably there are many Tibetan refugees and monks in this town, and it is a relaxing place to spend a few days at the end of ou adventure.
This tour is currently being finalised, and we will be posting the dates, prices and full itinerary soon. In the meantime you can see a gallery of images from the last time we ran the trip, and express an interest below.
Impressions of Ladakh
- Express an Interest
Any interest you express here is, of course, non-binding. We realise the dates or price might not work for you when the full details are published. Expressing an interest though will help you gain a place when the tour is launched and let us to know which trips are popular.
Contact information
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!
Group travel in general
Group travel works better if people are courteous and thoughtful – to each other as well as the people they encounter.
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 plenty 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 will need to maintain our pace.
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 Ladakh
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.
Most of Ladakh is at an altitude of over 3000 metres, but we are spending a couple of days in the capital Leh to acclimitise before heading higher.
Travel in any developing country will provide challenges: even on the best planned itineraries things can go wrong, and we can experience delays and inconveniences. This is just a part of the joy of exploration, and you should be aware that these things will happen and try to deal with them with patience and good humour.
There are some long drives in the itinerary. This is indicative not so much of the distances, but the road conditions. The good news though is that the Sri Lanka countryside is endlessly fascinating and we are certain to encounter things en route that we will want to stop and photograph.
We have indicated the estimated driving times on the itinerary. Please do review the travel distances and make a decision for yourself as to whether this tour is for you.
Read the itinerary including this summary
Any tour operator will tell you that there is nothing more trying than people who complain about something that is written into the itinerary and then proudly boast that they didn't see it as they never read them.
The itinerary and this Who is this trip suited to, are a part of your contract. You are strongly advised to read them both, and to assess whether this trips is for you.
If you have further questions, including about your individual circumstances, then please do contact me and ask. I would much rather that you look into it properly, rather than end up booking the wrong trip for you, and not enjoying yourself.
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!
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, 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 standard booking conditions can be found on this link:
www.intrepidtravel.com/uk/booking-intrepid/booking-conditions
A summary of the main points relating to this trip 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). Deposits are non‑refundable; however, if you cancel your trip, your deposit will be held as a lifetime credit with Intrepid for use on any future Intrepid trips.
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 can ask to be paired up with another same-gender member of the group to share with.
4). 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.
5). Travel insurance is compulsory for these tours, and the Intrepid leader will check your documentation when you join the tour.
6). No tour will be confirmed until all of the payments are received.
7). International flights are not included in the cost. Please do not book flights until we confirm the tour is guaranteed. We can assist with booking flights from the UK.
8). The tour price will be variable depending on the numbers of people on the tour. The different prices will be published in the tour information box.
9). The final balance is due 70 days prior to departure.
10). Your trip becomes non‑refundable from this point. We recommend taking out travel insurance upon booking to cover you for cancellation.
11). Should we or Intrepid Travel cancel the tour for any reason after payments have been received, than 100% of your money will be refunded.
12). You will receive final documentation approximately two months prior to departure. This will include all essential information, such as the starting point address and time, confirmed accommodation, and emergency contact details.
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. 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 £30 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, although if you opt to have Intrepid book your flights for you, this can be done at the time of booking, and it can be paid for and ticketed with the final payment.
5). After consultation with regular travellers, we have taken the decision not to allow the use of smart glasses or any other covert methods of filming on any 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.
Is my booking with Steve Davey?
Your booking involves two contracts of supply: all of the travel portions of the trip are contracted with Intrepid Travel, and are covered by their 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 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. If you choose to book a flight through Intrepid Travel, then we will try to reserve flights that can be paid for at the same time as the rest of the trip. This means that you can save a flight at a better price, but not commit to it until you know that the trip will go ahead.
Should I contact Intrepid Travel to discuss these tours?
In the initial stages contact Steve Davey, who has designed, and will be leading the tour. 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 handle the bookings. Do bear in mind that the bookings are handled by the Intrepid Tailor Made department in London, and these trips don't appear on the Intrepid Travel website.
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 link on this page. 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 travel operator. 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 are happy that this tour is for you, the fill in the online booking form, which we will then send to the Intrepid Travel to finalise 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. When you join the tour you will have to show proof of insurance. Obviously, you can choose to book your flights through Intrepid Travel, which will give you more security if your flight is delayed for any reason.
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 if there is someone available.
On this trip, sharing a room, or paying the single supplement is compulsory. 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, there is the option to state whether you are only looking for a roomshare place, or whether you would prefer one, but would be prepared to pay the single supplement if no roomshare is available.
What sort of people go on your tours?
The ages who have booked on our trips have ranged from around mind 20s 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.
Although we always have a number of very talented photographers on our trips – many who have travelled with us a number of times – Steve works hard to avoid the sort of 'camera-bore' atmosphere that characterises many camera clubs. Steve sets an atmosphere where the people with more experience aim to help, and not criticise those with less experience. The aim is about helping each other, and having the best time for all. It is about experiencing the country you are travelling in and engaging with the people you meet, far more than who has the best camera! Any picture reviews are always constructive and positive, and will be encouraging and aimed and helping people to improve their skills.
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.
Having said that we often get non-photographing partners who will just use a SmartPhone, and they will often get very inspired to think more about composition and portraits and many of the non-technical aspects of photography.
Do I need to be an expert photographer to come on one of your tours?
Decidedly not. Whatever your level of knowledge about photography, Steve will be able to help you to improve, and to come away with more shots that you are proud of.
On these trips, you can have as much, or as little photography tuition as you like. Some people have loads of questions and want to develop certain skills: others just like travelling on a tour that offers good company and loads of photo-opportunities. We will organise a number of opportunities to show off your pictures at the end of the day, and although this is encouraged, it is oif course totally optional.
Has Steve Davey run tours before?
Steve ran photography tours for Intrepid Travel in 2006 and 2007. He 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?
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.
We also work hard to make sure that everyone has a good time on our trips, and aim for a lot of laughter, good food and of course a few drinks at the end of the day.
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 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.
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, and the opportunity to learn about photography.
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, and the ability to carry more gear.
d). We also tend to use a higher standard of accommodation, prioritise heritage and better located properties and also have more people opting for a Single Supplement.
e). Ability to speak to Steve about equipment and other matters before the start of the tour.
f). Opportunity to join an (optional) Whats App group with Steve and other members of the tour before 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 on most trips, but Steve will make recommendations well in advance as to the equipment that will be useful on whichever trip you are booked on.
If you have a small laptop or tablet, then it will be of use for post and RAW processing as 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 – other than the odd drink. 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.
We tend to run a tipping kitty on the trips, which allows us to tip for hotel porters and local guides as we go without needing to always find change.
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.