Newsletter 61 - sent on the 7 December 2022

On the road to 2023!

Dear [Name,fallback=],

Our recent Rajasthan trip was a fantastic success - especially our visit to the very little known Kolayat Mela, where we were all treated like celebrities just for turning up! Even in this well-travelled World it is possible to find places that are little known and completely unaffected by any mass tourism – something that we always aim for on our trips. You can see some pictures from this incredible experience on this link and also on Instagram.

Our thoughts are now relentlessly turning to 2023, and the feeling that life really is getting back to normal. I am pleased to be in a position to announce a new tour for next year – returning to the fascinating country of Jordan, and also a very welcome return to running Travel Photography Masterclasses at the Destinations Show in London Olympia, after a two year Covid enforced hiatus.

On the subject of Covid, Intrepid Travel, who provide all of our land arrangements have recently changed their vaccination policy, which has prompted us to also drop our requirement for travellers to be vaccinated.

More details of all of this below.

Impressions of Jordan 2023

The Middle Eastern county of Jordan is a fascinating country, dripping in history, and with a warm and friendly population. You can find ruins from the Bible, Romans, Crusaders, Saladin and of course the Nabateans, who built Petra. You are even able to wander in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia in the sprawling wilds of Wadi Rum.

We have arranged this trip to take in the very best of this photogenic country, but in a slightly shorter format than our usual tours to make it more affordable.

We start in the sophisticated city of Amman, before moving on to the atmospheric Wadi Rum - recently featured as a location in SAS Who Dares Wins! We will be able to photograph eroded rocks and even star trails from our comfortable desert camp, before continuing on to the Red Sea at Aqaba, where we will take a snorkel boat, to witness the remarkably well preserved coral relatively close to shore.

Nothing can prepare you for the scale and the majesty of the ancient city of Petra. The approach, along the narrow siq, is one of the true Wonders of the World, and we have three nights here - enough to comprehensively explore.

Steve has travelled to Petra a number of times over the years, and knows a number of incredible walks, tucked away tombs and angles that will allow you to avoid the crowds and come back with the sort of shots that you always dreamed of. This will include photographing some of the locals, who are remarkably friendly and photogenic - often with an atmospheric Captain Jack Sparrow vibe!

Less travelled, we visit the Kerak Crusader castle and then the remote Dana Nature Reserve, where we stay in a traditional village at the top of a deep and picturesque valley.

Our final destination is the pleasant city of Madaba, which we use as a base to float in the salty waters of the Dead Sea, explore Mount Nebo and wander the sprawling Roman city of Jerash. hailed as the best preserved Roman city outside of Italy.

Impressions of Jordan departs from Amman on 13 September 2023 for 12 days. Under our new variable pricing policy, the cost is from £2595 per person if 8 people travel to £2295 per person 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.

Impressions of Uzbekistan 2023

Uzbekistan is a unique experience, with cities evoking of the lost days of the Silk Road, and conjuring up images of camel-trains, formidable fortresses and exquisitely decorated mosques and madrassas. This unique tour encompasses the most historic cities of Uzbekistan - Samarkand, Khiva and Bukhara - and crosses the Kyzylkum Desert, explores the fertile Fergana Vallay and visits the remote village of Darband.

Uzbekistan offers a wide range of photographic opportunities, including stunning portraits of the friendly and welcoming population. We only have two places left on this trip: please contact us as soon as possible if you would like to join us.

Impressions of Uzbekistan departs from Tashkent on 9 May 2023 for 13 days. We have just two places left on this trip, costing from £1895 per person for the full 12 people. At the moment we only have a couple of places left, so if you are interested, please contact us as soon as you can. 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.

Travel photography masterclasses

After being cancelled for the last two years due to the pandemic, the Destinations travel show will be back at London's Olympia at the beginning of 2023, and I will again be running a series of travel photography Masterclasses. These targetted sessions will give you an intense grounding in various aspects of travel photography.

We have revised the line-up of topics, including making the sessions both cheaper and shorter. This has allowed us to fit in an extra session as day, giving you more choice as to subject session whilst also giving you more time to look around the show and plan your future travels.

I am also creating a new Masterclass Achieve the Impossible: Pro Techniques for Travel Photography Techniques which will cover some of the incredibly useful, yet often simple techniques that you can use to make your pictures even better.

The full line up of Masterclasses can be found on this link.
 

Covid vaccination policy

In another indication that post-pandemic life is getting back to normal, Intrepid Travel, who provide all of our land arrangements, have recently announced that they are dropping their requirements for all travellers to be vaccinated against Covid, and so we have decided to drop our own similar rule.

I have little doubt that the Covid vaccination programs have helped to keep death rates down, whilst massively contributing to the current levels of immunity that are now helping life to get back to normal all over the World. Current virus variants have milder symptoms than when Covid first emerged, whilst the vaccine offers much greater protection from serious symptoms, it appears to be less effective at preventing infection in the first place. I still maintain that it is a good thing to be vaccinated, but agree that the moral argument for making it compulsory is no longer there.

It is worth pointing out though, that the dropping of vaccination requirements for travellers on our trips you will still have to conform to any local rules and restrictions that countries, or indeed airlines might require now, or in the future. As with visa requirements, whilst we will provide access to information on the current situation, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that you are aware of, and conform to any local regulations, when booking a trip in the future.

You are also strongly advised to make sure that you have travel insurance with adequate cover for Covid, in case you have to cancel a trip at the last minute due to Covid related concerns.

Better Travel Photography

www.bettertravelphotography.com

If you have any questions at all about anything on this email or would just like to say hello, then please do get in touch. The simplest way is to reply to this email.

All bests,

Steve Davey

If you would like to know why you are receiving this email, please feel free to email us and ask! We will be able to tell you exactly when and how you signed up! If you want you can unsubscribe here.